Yuval Degani's (dreamtown) Blog

Chicago is getting more expensive to live in—if you rent. Rental prices have been on the rise for a while now and a new quarterly analysis reveals the cost has gone up even more in four of the top five priciest neighborhoods in Chicago. When compared to the second quarter of 2011, the three-month...

More homes were sold in the Chicago area this September than last, according to housing market data released by the Illinois Association of Realtors this week. While there were positive year-over-year sales posted for almost the entire metro Chicago area, there were also home price gains in the c...

One of the privileges of owning your home is the freedom to renovate, redo and improve at will. However, realtors traditionally advise homeowners against upgrading their homes beyond the level of other residences on their block. Why? Because it can be difficult to sell the priciest place in the n...

Some Chicago homes are better suited for “aging in place” than others. First of all, you may be asking: What does “aging in place” mean? It just refers to being able to live in the same home as you get older. It’s something many Chicago home buyers are looking for in their next property purchase ...

Until recently, renting far eclipsed buying as the more affordable option for those looking for a new living situation in Chicago and other parts of the country. Low rent costs combined with the lowered commitment level afforded by renting a property (versus buying it) appealed to many people con...

The upscale vacation-home market is one sector of the real estate market that is starting to see a marked upswing in positive activity. For the first time in years, vacation home brokers are reporting good things about the market. Perhaps that means it is time to snap up a second home if you have...

For years, big city dwellers who found home ownership out of reach found solace in the rental market. Affordable rent prices coupled with the flexibility and relatively low commitment associated with leasing an apartment attracted Chicagoans who were short on funds or wary of the ever-changing ho...

Many owners of Chicago homes are dealing with the current market conditions by following a recent trend in home construction—namely, the addition of second dwelling units to their home as a means of relocating elderly loved ones, or just as a way to make some extra cash. These additional apartmen...

Last week, thousands of people on the East Coast lost power due to the hurricane that ravaged the area. Fortunately, Chicagoans were spared the peril of the tropical storm, as well as the power outages that came along with it. But continued heat waves and inevitable thunderstorms mean homes in Ch...

If your an own a Chicago home, your property taxes will be going up soon due to a newly approved budget by the Chicago Board of Education. The Board voted unanimously this week on a budget that includes $153 million in property tax increases. This translates to roughly $84 more per year for a typ...