Appraisal Research: 20-percent price reductions attracting buyers
Developers who are determined to move unsold inventory are finding that price reductions in the vicinity of 20% tend to garner strong interest. Lesser [...]
2009 Good Neighbor Awards: Loop / downtown and North Side winners
Tomorrow I'm attending the Chicago Association of Realtors' Good Neighbor Awards ceremony, where 26 new residential developments will be honored for " [...]
Quote of the day: Encouraging news
“The most encouraging part of this news is that this is the second month with very strong inquiries for new projects. A growing number of architecture [...]
Appraisal Research: 42 percent of new downtown condos remain unsold
Of the 5,389 downtown condominiums under construction and set for delivery between this year and 2011, just 3,139, or 58 percent, are currently under [...]
Quote of the day: Sam's crystal ball
"Housing market stability will appear sometime this summer. I can't tell you if it's June 29 or Aug. 1... But the U.S. will recover and recover first [...]
Quote of the day: Lawyering up
"These cancellations were almost 100% out of fear — fear that they were going to lose their jobs or that they were paying too high a price."
- Gerald [...]
Does suburbanization increase density?
Suburbanization is often characterized as reducing densities, but in fact it has done just the opposite. Most suburbanites come from smaller places; t [...]
Quote of the day: From Pilsen to Ravenswood
"I looked all over the city, everywhere from Pilsen to Ravenswood."
That's an inexact quote, in response to my question about where an interviewee ha [...]
Quote of the day: Buyers are liars
"Buyers are liars. ... Real estate agents are business people ... They have to pay their bills every day and make the best use of their time, and we'r [...]
Quote of the day: Vetro changed everything
"The trigger was the auction at Vetro, which set market price and gave people a sense of confidence that they weren't overpaying. ... That's been one [...]
Searches for Chicago real estate near 5-year low
Since almost everyone begins their home search on the Web today the volume of search activity is a good indicator of the state of interest in buying a [...]
Quote of the day: "A sliver of good news"
“We see a sliver of good news in the growing number of units which are being sold, reflective of the absorption of the distressed properties in the Ch [...]
Quotes of the day: The rules are changing
Real estate reporter Mary Ellen Podmolik has an article in today's Tribune explaining how the market has changed for buyers in the past year. Here are [...]
What does it take to win some Facebook fans?
Here's a new variation on an old way of winning friends: You can win a new iMac from Lennar this summer if you become a fan of the company's Facebook [...]
Crain's: Another Chicago Graystone Realty project faces foreclosure
The latest familiar name to face foreclosure is The Catalina, Chicago Graystone Realty's 12-unit project at 2524 N Ashland Ave in Lincoln Park, Crai [...]
Quote of the day: "Snark attack"
In another trend piece on the influence of real-estate blogs, the New York Times finds that some New York City home sellers are being "undermined" by [...]
New West Realty – can they get more stupid?
"Getting Close to Move-In!"
That's the headline on a glowing review of 1555 Wabash by "LadyDesigner" at our NewHomeNotebook.com site.
The review was [...]
A real estate expert is not a lone eagle
Behind every real estate expert is a network of coworkers and contacts. In this video, Lino Darchun of Coldwell Banker explains the benefit of worki [...]
Case-Shiller numbers send mixed signals
"Finally, we’re seeing a touch of moderation... This is the kind of thing one might see if we’re beginning to see a bottom. I would not run out and ce [...]
Seasonal headlines: Spring thaw?
"[T]he long cold Real Estate winter of our discontent is passing into spring." - Bruce Fogelson, President of Paramount Homes, showing his Shakespeare [...]