Where Homes Prices Are Rising  The drama is nearly over. After a decade of extremes—the ebullient highs of the real estate boom, then the devastating lows of the bust—calmer forces are beginning to prevail in the housing market. The big fall-off in home values, which has taken the median price of a house down almost 30% since 2006, looks to be in its final stages in most places: Three-quarters of the nation’s 384 metropolitan areas will see prices down less than 5% a year fr ... Full Article...

1728 S Indiana B Elegantly designed townhouse with a unique floor plan. This beautiful townhouse has 3 bedrooms that can be made back into 4, with a 5th on the main floor or use as an office. Gated area with front patio and entry of home. 2nd floor has dark stained hardwood. Kitchen has island with honed granite. Gas fireplace in living room. Zoned heating. Near Soldier Field. Museum Campus and public transportation. Great community with lots of ammenities such as the Museum Campus, Soldier ... Full Article...

AP – Vendor Alex Lopez is dressed for St. Patrick's Day during a spring training baseball game between the … By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press Writer Shawn Pogatchnik, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 20 mins ago DUBLIN – Much of the world is turning green Wednesday for St. Patrick's Day, the annual celebration of all hues of Irishness. Half a million people were forecast to line the 3-kilometer (2-mile) route of the flagship Dublin parade, which is exploring the t ... Full Article...

March is usually the month when people in the real estate business start getting hopeful. Spring usually brings out both buyers and sellers and, along with them, higher values for most homes. In Depth: The 5 Most Troubled Real Estate Markets But for some of the biggest housing markets in the country, those hopes look to be in vain this year. The problem is the glut of homes that have been repossessed by banks or that seem headed in that direction. The glut is far bigger than it was a year ago. ... Full Article...

Prospecting expired listings can be the core of anyone's business in the real estate field. You can create a system that will give you repeatable results for your effort. Let's look at these three very positive characteristics in prospecting expired listings.     They are easy to find: Expired listings come up everyday, so you will always have a handful that you can work with on a daily basis. They provide a steady stream of new leads to contact for listing appointments. There are also usually ... Full Article...

 As spring approaches, many homeowners grow eager to start remodeling projects to update and refresh their surroundings. Before getting started, it’s a good idea to hire a professional remodeler for a workable plan and better results, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).“A professional remodeler knows how to translate a homeowner’s dreams and budget into a beautiful reality,” said Donna Shirey, CGR, CAPS, CGP, president of Shirey Contracting in ... Full Article...

Part 2 If short sales are about to have their moment, it has been a long time coming. At the beginning of the foreclosure crisis, lenders shunned short sales. They were not equipped to deal with the labor-intensive process and were suspicious of it. The lenders' thinking, said the economist Thomas Lawler, went like this: "I lend someone $200,000 to buy a house. Then he says, 'Look, I have someone willing to pay $150,000 for it; otherwise I think I'm going to default.' Do I really believe the ... Full Article...

Part 1 In an effort to end the foreclosure crisis, the Obama administration has been trying to keep defaulting owners in their homes. Now it will take a new approach: paying some of them to leave.  This latest program, which will allow owners to sell for less than they owe and will give them a little cash to speed them on their way, is one of the administration's most aggressive attempts to grapple with a problem that has defied solutions. More than five million households are behind on their ... Full Article...

When looking for a new home in the great world of real estate some of the best credits and money available are on the wonderful City of Chicago's Bungalows   Bungalow TaxSmart NOTE: The TaxSmart program is currently on hiatus and will resume in the 2nd quarter of 2010. Please check back for updated program information and details. TaxSmart is a mortgage program that provides a federal income tax credit to qualified homebuyers. A tax credit is a direct reduction of taxes due. Under the pr ... Full Article...

Low foreclosures, rising home prices and affordability make these parts of the country good bets for home buyers. Families in the market for a house are shopping at the right time: Nationally, homes are near the most affordable they've been in 18 years. In the fourth quarter of 2009 housing was 62.4% more affordable than the same time a year earlier, according to the Housing Opportunity Index, published quarterly by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo. In Depth: America's ... Full Article...

The short sale of real estate is not a questionable practice in today's softening real estate market, it may be a necessity. The short sale transaction is a legal and much more beneficial alternative to foreclosure or even bankruptcy. Lenders are motivated to accept short sale offers to for a number of good reasons. The short sale of your home can result in a win-win-win situation for all parties involved: Win #1: You win by getting out of a financial predicament a clean transaction and a ... Full Article...

Here is a great way to brighten up your dark basement if you have an old out dated drop ceiling with a fresh new look! This will add to the look and feel for better showings when selling your home. Painting of a drop ceiling sounds like a daunting task, but the ability to remove the panels makes the job a little easier. Applying a splash of color, or even just retouching an old ceiling, can make a room seem like new. Difficulty: Moderately Easy Instructions Things You'll Need: Paint roller P ... Full Article...