Chicago-area homeownership at 8-year low [chicagorealestatedaily.com]
Homeownership in the Chicago area has plummeted in the first quarter to its lowest level in almost 8 years, which has prompted the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to express doubts about a rebound in homeownership. Sheila Barr has called for an overhaul in the nation’s housing policy and advocates a focus on affordable rental housing rather than encouraging homeownership.
The percentage of people who own their own homes fell to 67.4% in the first quarter, which has fallen from 69.0% in the fourth …

Chicago is full of exciting entertainment and activity – especially in the summer – but sometimes a night on the town can break the bank. Here are some great FREE opportunities that are sure to please everyone!
1. Chicago Summer-Dance
This wildly popular annual dance festival is celebrating its 13th year in the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park. You and your beau can pop in for a free 10 hour dance lesson from professional instructors and then show of your skills while enjoying 2 hours of live music on a …

An article in Tuesday’s San Francisco Chronicle details the six biggest hurdles that buyers face when trying to secure a mortgage.
This news shouldn’t surprise anyone, but it’s a reminder that the real-estate market is still moving forward into recovery in fits and starts, not leaps and bounds.
Anyone who has gone through the mortgage process in the past year and a half or so knows how hard it is. For those who haven’t been through the process but might be buying soon, these six items will be good to keep in …

For the first time in 22 months, the median home price in the city of Chicago has risen.
The Chicago metro area as a whole is still down, but thanks exclusively to single-family home sales, the median price of homes in the city itself has risen, for the first time since June of 2008.
There’s other good news: sales of existing homes in the metro area rose for the tenth straight month, year-over-year. In the city limits, sales were up 41.1 percent, marking the eighth straight months of gains inside the city …

If NBA superstar LeBron James signs with the Chicago Bulls when NBA free agency begins, he’s going to need a place to live, at least during the season. Here’s our top five choices for the King, should he sign here.
1. River North
This part of town is a top destination for the young and the rich. It offers more nightlife than the nearby Gold Coast, and it’s proximity to downtown is appealing. So, too, is its accessibility to the Kennedy Expressway, a necessity for athletes who need to get to the …

Everyone has been abuzz the last few days about the potential deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. The call for military involvement to protect city streets stems from two Chicago Democratic Representatives: John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford.
Their request comes at the heels of a recent surge in violent crime that includes a night last week that saw 7 people killed and 18 wounded. Chicago has seen 113 homicides this year, but is the current rise in crime out of the ordinary? Local activist Tio Hardiman doesn’t think so, and states, “There’s …

 
Taking a Different Look at Chicago’s Cultural Assets [The New York Times]
As part of Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Office of Tourism got $219,500 in grant money to catalogue attractions in Chicago neighborhoods. Although the vote in Copenhagen denied the bid, the city kept the money and is still compiling an inventory of cultural sites around Chicago.
Attractions include a replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica in Pilsen; the Monastery of the Holy Cross, a bed and breakfast run by Benedictine monks in Bridgeport; Oak Woods Cemetery in Greater Grand …

Looking to live in a new building? Looking to live near Wrigleyville and Boystown? 828 Grace might be your place.

South Loop living is appealing to a lot of buyers, especially those who work downtown or simply want to live in the heart of the city.

A report released on Monday indicates that condos are still selling–albeit at lower price points than most buyers would prefer.

Many folks forget that Lincoln Park isn’t bordered on the west by Clark St.–or even Sheffield Ave. In fact, the neighborhood extends west for quite some distance, and those who are looking for a quiet place that is still close to the action might consider 2401 N. Janssen St.

So the question is, how much does the cachet of an address mean to you? Does Lake Shore Dr. sound better than a neighboring side street? Does Oak Street mean more than Michigan Avenue? How about State Street?