In the News

Here’s a scene playing out more often than you’d think: a buyer in Streamwood pulls up a listing at 11 p.m., runs it through an AI valuation tool on their phone, gets a “this is priced 4% over comps” verdict, and decides whether to book a showing before their spouse has even finished brushing their…

There’s a number floating around the Chicago housing conversation this week that’s worth sitting with for a minute. According to BestNeighborhood.org, a household now needs to earn roughly $106,000 a year to comfortably buy the median home in the city of Chicago — assuming 20% down and today’s 30-year mortgage rate. Sit with that, because…

If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the Chicago-area housing market to “calm down” before you jump in, I’ve got some news that might sting a little: it hasn’t, and it isn’t planning to. The summer of 2026 turned out to be one long, competitive scramble — and out here in the western…

Every few months a piece of homebuying advice makes the rounds that sounds a little uncomfortable, and this week the Chicago Tribune served up a fresh batch. The short version: cash is king, offer concessions before you’re asked, and bend over backwards on the seller’s timeline. It’s blunt advice. It’s also, mostly, correct — with…

Here’s a scene playing out across Chicagoland right now, and it’s weirder than most people expect: a 32-year-old couple pre-approved for their first mortgage walks into an open house in Bartlett, and standing right next to them, measuring the same kitchen, is a 68-year-old couple who just sold a five-bedroom in the suburbs. Both want…

If you own a home in Illinois, you already know the punchline: we pay some of the highest property taxes in the country. The Tax Foundation keeps confirming it, editorial boards keep grumbling about it, and every summer a downstate lawmaker starts collecting property tax horror stories from constituents like they’re building a case file….

If you’ve been refreshing rate trackers this week hoping for a break, I’ve got mixed news. The average 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 6.58% for the week ending July 23 (that’s Freddie Mac’s number), up a hair from 6.55% the week before. It’s the highest we’ve seen in nearly a year. Cue the collective sigh…

For years, Chicago real estate got treated like the responsible older sibling at the party — dependable, a little dull, never the one making headlines. Meanwhile Austin, Phoenix, and Boise were doing keg stands with 30% appreciation and getting all the attention. Well, funny thing about the responsible sibling: they’re the one who still has…

If you bought a house in Bartlett or Carol Stream back in 2023 and locked in something in the 7s, you’ve probably had a browser tab open to a refinance calculator ever since. Here’s your July check-in: as of July 21, the national average 30-year fixed refinance APR is sitting at 6.77%, according to Bankrate….