Oct 27th 2010 11:00AM
Foreclosed homes can bring down the value of neighboring homes and otherwise be a blight on the community if they sit vacant for an extended period of time. That's why the town of Cicero, Ill., a Chicago suburb, is buying up bank-foreclosed properties, rehabbing them and selling them back to residents as subsidized... Continue Reading »
May 24th 2010 11:30AM
Last week, a rampant rumor spread around Chicago that LeBron James was seen getting out of an SUV to check out a house for sale on Sheridan Road in Highland Park, Ill., with Michael Jordan (who happens to live in Highland Park as well). This was huge news, of course, since James is probably the biggest NBA free agent of... Continue Reading »
May 10th 2010 4:45PM
On the heels of some positive reports about Chicago's housing market, including the surge of home sales in March, that nasty, little word "foreclosure" is back. We've discovered this month that Chicago renters were harder hit than homeowners in the housing crisis, foreclosure auctions are hitting an all-time high, and... Continue Reading »
Apr 29th 2010 4:03PM
Security deposits haven't been that secure for many Chicago tenants lately, especially after foreclosures forced occupants from more than 8,500 rental units in 2009. That ended up costing renters as much as $7.3 million in lost deposits. Current city law requires landlords to return security deposits to displaced... Continue Reading »
Mar 17th 2010 12:45PM
It's hard enough to sell a home sitting next to a neighbor who refuses to mow their lawn and patch up a dilapidated roof, or one that plays music with rib-rattling subwoofers turned up to 11 in the wee hours of the night, but what happens when a man living on your block posts racist signs on his garage? The answer, for... Continue Reading »
