Chicago Real Estate

Investors rush in to rent out foreclosures

The foreclosed home on Kenmore Street in Aurora was an outdated, unkempt eyesore until crews arrived this fall, performing thousands of dollars of work to make it attractive and modern, inside and out. But it wasn't until workers walked across the...

Tags: Realty, Finance, Citigroup Incorporated, Rentals, Property

Illinois towns cut fees in bid to lure builders, buyers

It has been a long two years since the 2010 census proclaimed Kendall County the fastest-growing county in the nation, and today, signs of runaway growth on the fringes of the Chicago area are hard to find. But they are starting to sprout again as...

Tags: Homes, Land Price, Local Government, Religion and Belief, Manhattan (New York City)

Virtual staging gives listings a digital touch

With 9 out of 10 homebuyers using the Internet in their search, according to the National Association of Realtors, home shopping is like online dating. Buyers flip through countless photos of available homes before deciding if one is worth meeting face...

Tags: Realty, Rooms and Sublets, Rentals, Real Estate Sellers, Property

Shopping and dining right around the corner

Chalk it up to high gas prices, new urbanism or a nostalgic longing for the downtowns of old, but many homebuyers want to be close to their favorite hangouts. Instead of spending gas and time driving into town, they want to live in town, near their...

Tags: Lifestyle and Leisure, Magnificent Mile, Streeterville, Michigan Avenue, Starbucks Corp.

Make holiday home sale a reality

Dear Santa, Please bring me a buyer, flush with cash, and ready with preapproval letters. He or she should be willing to pay full asking price (or more), close quickly and without complication. Make my buyer easy to work with and free of unreasonable...

Tags: Homes, Thanksgiving, Family, Streeterville, Property

Contingency sale offers becoming more acceptable

For homeowners looking to upgrade — or downsize — their residences, it's a difficult chicken-or-egg question: Which comes first, buying a new place to live or selling an old one? Each situation presents a potentially thorny set of issues. Buy...

Tags: Music, Realty, Finance, Real Estate Sellers, Chicago Mortgages

Philanthropist gives away more than $331 million with hands-on approach

Tribune staff reporter

Ann Lurie isn't very good at being merely a name etched in granite.    Take the coming fundraising gala to celebrate the completion of the new Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, a 1.25 million-square-foot facility in Streeterville with...

Tags: Joan Didion, Tribune Company, Gold Coast, Event Planning, Medical Specialization

MacArthur Foundation exec built her career from a mix of public, private experience and dashes of chance, risk

Tribune staff reporter

When Robert Gallucci arrived in Chicago to take the reins at the MacArthur Foundation in mid-2009, he found himself besieged by new "friends."    "They had great ideas on how the foundation could spend its money," he said.    The onetime diplomat and...

Tags: Chicago Mayor, Soups, National Government, Rahm Emanuel, Government

Update: World, U.S. news briefs for Thursday, Dec. 8

Ex-Penn State coach Sandusky makes bail BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) -- Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was released from jail Thursday after spending a night behind bars following a new round of child sex abuse charges filed against...

Tags: Plan B (drug), Albert Pujols, Europe, Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, Jose Reyes

All Christmas all the time on TV

Fishing for vacation homes

Is now the time to buy the vacation home of your dreams? That cottage by the lake, in the woods or on a golf course is a lot more affordable than it was five years ago. The inventory of vacation homes for sale has risen to historic highs in some sought-...

Tags: Investments, Hotels and Accommodations, Golf, Rentals, Trips and Vacations

5 tips for first-time condo buyers