Chicago Real Estate

Spring 2010 is shaping up to be an excellent time to buy a newly constructed home. But you have to move fast. All indicators point to an opportune environment that the smart buyer can't - and won't - ignore. "Today is a great time to buy a newly...

Gus Mavraganes has spent most of his life in Chicago's Belmont Harbor community. But when he travels to far-flung destinations and is asked where he's from, the response is surprising. "I'm from a small town," he says. It's not a stretch to equate...

Norridge legend has it that in the mid-1950s, a group of determined residents banded together to protect a key patch of land. The parcel was being eyed for industrial development, but residents wanted it turned into a park. In 1957, the land was purchased...

"Gypsies, pickpockets and even a man walking around with a chicken on his head. This was an edgy neighborhood back then. It was not for everybody," said Bill Lavicka, rehabber and preservationist. He was reminiscing about the old days on Maxwell Street,...

Country club living always signifies prestige. It suggests the good life: upscale residences with views of acres of manicured green space, socializing at well-appointed clubhouses, unlimited golf at your doorstep. That high-end ambience still exists, but...

If you've been thinking about buying a home, especially if you're a first-time buyer, folks in the real estate industry want to send you a message: Come on in, the water's fine. This may indeed be a great time for you to buy. But learn about common buying...

Anup Bhattarai has been watching a lot of YouTube lately. Not that he has idle time on his hands -- quite the opposite, in fact. Bhattarai, 34, just bought a two-flat in Logan Square for $265,000, which he's rehabbing himself: repairing leaky pipes,...

Sellers who don't review their listings for mistakes and omissions by their agents may find that no matter how grand their homes, they may not sell, especially in this day and age when would-be buyers scour the Internet before going to take a look. If...

Imagine that you are an eager home hunter who can't believe your luck. The newly listed property you are touring exceeds all the criteria on your wish list: It's sparkling clean with every amenity you desire. The price is right, too. But you step outside...

In a move that will help to thin out what may be the heftiest local residential real estate portfolio of any Chicago Cubs player, starting pitcher ace Ryan Dempster has placed a 13-room mansion in Lakeview on the market for $2.25 million. Dempster, 32,...

Let's say you've decided you want to buy an eco-friendly house. How would you find one? Not very easily, although the process is getting simpler. The starting point for most consumers (and their real estate agents) in a general search for homes with...