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Chicago Real Estate Resources
Guidance for your next move—from buying and selling to the details of owning a home in Chicago.
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12 Fall & Winter Home Maintenance Tips Every Chicago Homeowner Should Know
Get your Chicago home ready for cooler days, freezing temperatures, snow, and ice with this practical seasonal checklist.
Read article →Foundry Park Breaks Ground: What the $3B Lincoln Yards Successor Means for Lincoln Park Homeowners
How the Foundry Park redevelopment could change amenities, housing competition and property values near Lincoln Park.
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Chicago Property Taxes: How They Work — and How to Appeal Yours
Understand your Cook County property tax assessment, exemptions, deadlines and the steps to appeal.
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What Is the Best Day to Close on a House in Chicago?
You've found the home, negotiated the price, and cleared inspection. Now comes a question most buyers don't think about until their attorney asks: what day do you want to close? There's no single perfect answer, but there are smarter and riskier choices. Here's how the day of the week, the day of the month, and a few Chicago-specific details can affect your closing. The Best Day of the Week: Tuesday Through Thursday For most buyers and sellers, a mid-week closing is the safest bet. Banks,...
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Chicago Real Estate in Fall 2026: Higher Mortgage Interest Rates, Tight Supply, and a Mixed Local Economy
If you're buying or selling in Chicago this fall, you're dealing with two forces that pull in opposite directions. Borrowing costs are climbing, and prices are still rising because there are so few homes for sale. Here is where things stand and what it means for you. Interest Rates Are Moving Up The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by a quarter point on September 16, its first increase since 2023, bringing the target range to 3.75%–4%. The Fed cited inflation that has picked up this...
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Chicago's Two Rental Ordinances: What PRO and FAIR Mean for Renters and Property Owners
Chicago is about to see the biggest change to its rental laws since the 1980s, and it's coming from two directions at once. Mayor Brandon Johnson's Protecting Renters Ordinance (PRO) and the City Council's rival Fair and Accountable Illinois Rental Ordinance (FAIR) both advanced out of committee on September 16-17 and are headed to a full City Council vote. Whichever passes will reshape how leases, evictions, deposits, and fees work for more than 600,000 renter households and every landlord...
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The $750 Surprise: What Chicago Buyers Need to Know About Home Insurance Before They Write an Offer
Most home buyers I work with budget carefully for three things: the down payment, the mortgage payment, and the property taxes. Insurance gets a placeholder number, usually whatever the lender's estimate sheet spits out, and nobody looks at it again until a week before closing. That used to be fine. It isn't anymore. Illinois is no longer an average insurance market Home insurance rates in Illinois rose 68% between 2020 and 2025, the seventh-largest increase in the country, against a national...
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The Fed Raised Rates — So Why Didn’t Mortgage Rates Suddenly Jump 0.25%?
If you’re thinking about buying a home, yesterday’s Federal Reserve announcement probably caught your attention. On September 16, the Federal Reserve raised its target federal funds rate by 0.25 percentage points, bringing the target range to 3.75%–4.00%. It would be easy to assume that mortgage rates should immediately increase by another 0.25%. That isn’t how mortgage rates work. In fact, much of yesterday’s Fed rate increase had already been reflected in mortgage rates before the Federal...
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5 Predictions for Chicago's Fall 2026 Housing Market
As of mid-September 2026, I expect Chicago's fall housing market to be somewhat unusual: slower transaction volume, but continued competition for the best properties. Chicago continues to look stronger than much of the national housing market. Here are my main predictions for September through November: Inventory will remain the biggest story. Chicago-area supply has stayed constrained. In June, the Chicago Metro Area had 12,832 homes for sale, 14.4% fewer than a year earlier. Cook County...
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Why Local Chicago Real Estate Data Matters More Than National Housing Headlines
If you follow real estate news, you have probably seen headlines like “Home Prices Are Falling,” “Buyers Are Gaining Leverage,” or “The Housing Market Is Slowing Down.” The problem with these headlines is that there really isn’t one single “real estate market.” Real estate is extremely local. What is happening nationally—or even across the Chicago metropolitan area—may be very different from what is happening in your specific neighborhood, suburb, property type, or price range. That is why...
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Why Choosing a Lender Who Knows the Local Market in Chicago Matters
Not every mortgage lender has the same experience with every type of real estate market. When choosing a lender for a Chicago area property, it's worth asking how frequently they work with buyers purchasing properties in the city and neighborhoods where you're looking. A lender who regularly handles transactions in the local market is more likely to understand issues that can arise with the types of properties commonly found there. This can be particularly important when purchasing a...
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How to Choose the Right Mortgage Lender When Buying a Home
When preparing to buy a home, most buyers spend a great deal of time thinking about neighborhoods, home prices, property taxes, and what features they want in their new home. One decision that sometimes receives far less attention is to choose the right mortgage lender or loan professional. That decision can have a significant impact on your home purchase. The right mortgage lender isn't necessarily the company advertising the lowest interest rate. A good mortgage professional should help you...
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Can I Buy a New Home Before Selling My Current Home?
One of the most common questions I hear from homeowners who are thinking about moving is: “Can I buy my next home before I sell the one I’m living in?” The answer is yes — and in many cases, buying first can make the moving process much easier. The bigger question is whether it makes financial and strategic sense for your particular situation. If you own a home in Chicago or the surrounding suburbs and are considering a move, here are the most important things to understand. Why Do Homeowners...
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What Should Your Realtor Be Doing at Your Final Walkthrough?
A good buyer’s agent should be actively involved during the final walkthrough, not simply open the door of the home and let the buyer look around. The walkthrough is the buyer’s and realtor's last opportunity before closing to confirm that the property is in the expected condition. The Realtor should help the buyer: Confirm the property’s condition hasn’t materially changed since the buyer last saw it. Verify agreed-upon repairs were completed. Bring the inspection repair agreement, attorney...
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What Buyer Closing Costs are typical when purchasing a $500,000 Home in Chicago?
When purchasing a home in Chicago, buyers should plan for closing costs in addition to their down payment. Closing costs are the fees and prepaid expenses required to finalize the purchase and typically range between 2% and 5% of the purchase price. On a $500,000 home, that usually means $15,000 to $20,000, though totals can vary depending on the loan type, property taxes, and timing of the closing. What’s Included in Buyer Closing Costs? Lender Fees These are costs charged by your mortgage...
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