A new survey from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) finds that region, demographics and household composition are all factors in determining which features and amenities buyers value in a home. NAR’s 2013 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences surveyed … Continue reading →

Does this sound familiar? You’ve gotten snowed in, you can’t make an appointment in time or you regularly work with international clients? IAR members, use your lunch hour today to learn tips to help you sell more real estate and make … Continue reading →

The Windy City is a popular location when it comes to global buyers who are looking for a home. In fact, Chicago topped Realtor.com’s list of most searched U.S. cities by non-U.S. consumers throughout the month of January 2013. A National … Continue reading →

Good news for home values in some Chicago neighborhoods that had struggled following the housing downturn. Homes in the Pullman/Riverdale/Roseland and Englewood/Auburn Gresham neighborhoods are seeing home value gains, according the article, “Home values in some hard-hit Chicago neighborhoods turning … Continue reading →

First-time homebuyers are an important part of the housing market, but as inventory shrinks and the market recovers, those who are thinking about buying need to move now as prices and demand rise, say Rockford Area REALTORS®. In a segment … Continue reading →

Illinois REALTORS®, learn how to sell and serve your real estate clients even when you can’t physically be there with the latest IAR members-only monthly educational webinar with Doug Devitre this Thursday. In the FREE, one-hour Lunch and Learn webinar,”Screen … Continue reading →

In a recent CBS News segment on the economy, CBS news analyst Mellody Hobson said housing and housing-related construction will be a big driver in the economy’s recovery. “Housing is the silver bullet. The largest number of unemployed people are … Continue reading →

The Peoria Area Association of REALTORS® (PAAR) issued a statement Friday expressing concern that the Peoria County Board is moving too quickly on an overhaul of of Chapter 19 Onsite Wastewater Disposal Systems, the county ordinance that regulates wastewater treatment … Continue reading →

Date:  March 8, 2013 Intro: 

IAR Legal Counsel offers this advice to members who suspect their sales listings have been posted on craigslist.org as rental listings when these properties are not for rent at all.

Occasionally, IAR receives calls from members who suspect their sales listings have been posted on craigslist.org as rental listings when these properties are not for rent at all. The listing agents believe their listings are being posted on craigslist as part of a scam, or plan to dupe those who respond to the fake rental ads out of money.  If you believe this has happened to you, or if you want to learn more in order to prevent this from happening to you, go to: www.craigslist.org/about/scams.

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Some good news can be found in Fannie Mae’s February National Housing Survey —consumers continue to have positive attitudes toward housing and the number of consumers who believe home prices will rise over the next year rose to a record … Continue reading →

The Wall Street Journal reports in the article, “Immigrants Buoy the Housing Market,”  that foreign-born buyers have been an important factor in boosting homeownership growth in the last decade and it is a trend that is expected to continue through … Continue reading →

In what Quicken Loans economist Bob Walters called a sign of a healing housing market, the Mortgage Bankers Association reports that mortgage applications jumped 14.8 percent  last week. Read more from HousingWire. “Mortgage applications rebounded after three weeks of declines. With … Continue reading →

Mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae could get a little smaller following the announcement this week that they will be forming a joint company to securitize mortgage loans. The change is seen as a step toward reducing the government’s … Continue reading →

Illinois continues to be a strong draw for corporate business. In 2012, Illinois ranked fifth in the country when it comes to the top states for corporations looking to locate or expand, according to the latest analysis by Site Selection … Continue reading →

If you are thinking of buying an Illinois home this spring, then you’ll want to mark your calendar for the State of Illinois Homebuyer Expo being held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 at the Illinois Institute … Continue reading →

Pending home sales were up in January and the index used to track them rose to its highest level since 2010, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) announced today. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator used by NAR … Continue reading →

The Realtors Property Resource (RPR) announced this week that it has formed a Strategic Alliance Partnership with Fannie Mae to focus on making the short sale approval process more efficient, benefiting both REALTORS® and consumers. RPR is a parcel-centric information database … Continue reading →

Industry News and Trends

Illinois Supreme Court Rolls Out New Foreclosure Rules
On Feb. 22, the Illinois Supreme Court announced new rules establishing a uniform protocol when it comes to the foreclosure process. Among the rules outlined in the court's news release:

Date:  February 26, 2013 IAR Weekly Connection Weekly Poll URL:  http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/advertise/weekly Poll Image:  Ad URL 1:  http://www.lrscurbappeal.com/iar/ Ad Image 1:  Ad URL 2:  http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/springconference Ad Image 2:  Ad URL 3:  http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/capitolconference Ad Image 3: 

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Thirty-nine REALTORS® from across northern Illinois attended an Illinois Association of REALTORS® State Legislative Contacts (SLC) class hosted by the Mainstreet Organization of REALTORS® on Monday. Those appointed to serve as State Legislative Contacts fulfill a vital role as the … Continue reading →

The Illinois Association of REALTORS®’ Greg St. Aubin and Julie Sullivan give an update on the first weeks of the Illinois General Assembly. They outline key upcoming battles, and discuss pending deadlines for legislators.