Archive for the 'Market Conditions' Category

Market Conditions: New Downtown Condo Sales Fall Year Over Year In Q2

Developers are still having trouble finding buyers for new construction condos in downtown Chicago as luxury rentals and distressed sales of cheaper, older units are proving to be tough competition. From Crain’s: Developers sold 182 downtown condos in the second quarter, up from 113 in the first quarter but down from 196 a year earlier, […]

Market Conditions: Chicago Tops Case-Shiller 20 City Index: Is the Worst Over?

We normally don’t chatter about the Case-Shiller updates in a regular post (just within the comments) but since Chicago topped the 20 city index in May, I thought I’d give the bears and the bulls the chance to debate their case. Chicago home prices jumped 4.5% in May, the largest one month price increase since […]

Market Conditions: Zillow Calls Chicago Housing Market Bottom As Of February 2012

The last few weeks has seen a lot of “bottom” calls in real estate both in Chicago and nationally. Yesterday, Zillow’s market bottom call was all the rage. (Before you complain about Zillow’s “accuracy” just know that it wasn’t the first to call the market bottom in recent days. But it does have a good PR […]

Market Conditions: Surprise! First Half Luxury Home Sales in the Chicagoland Area The Same As in 2011

The data doesn’t lie. It seemed to me that the luxury home market was hotter than the previous few years but Crain’s refuted my non-data “theory” with real data. 200 homes priced over $1.5 million sold in the first half of the year in the Chicagoland area which was the same number as sold in 2011 […]

Market Conditions: Chicago Sales Jump 22% in June YOY But Is It Really That Hot?

It’s that time of the month again to evaluate just how “hot” the Chicago housing market is. From the Illinois Association of Realtors: In the city of Chicago, June 2012 home sales (single family and condominiums) totaled 2,246, up 22.0 percent from 1,841 homes sold in June 2011. The city of Chicago median home sale […]

Market Conditions: Will Dog Walkers and New Finishes Make the Difference in the South Loop?

As promised, Crain’s reported a couple of days ago that Related bought out the remaining units in three South Loop towers after the developer lost them to the bank. They are: One Museum Park West (1201 S. Prairie): 238 units 1600 Museum Park (1629 S. Prairie): 98 units Museum Park Place South (1901 S. Calumet): […]

Market Conditions: May Sales Soar 19.6% Over 2011’s Depressed Level; Median Price Rose

We continue to see an improvement in the sales numbers this spring compared to 2011. From the Illinois Association of Realtors: In the city of Chicago, May 2012 home sales (single family and condominiums) totaled 2,037, up 19.6 percent from 1,703 homes sold in May 2011. The city of Chicago median home sale price for […]

Market Conditions: The Most Expensive Condos Ever Listed in Chicago Just Came on the Market

We’ve already chattered, briefly, in various comments about the two multi-million dollar condos that just came on the market in Chicago. They are the most expensive condos to ever be listed- let alone to sell (IF they do so.) The first is the $32 million penthouse at Trump Tower. The second is the $18.4 million […]

Market Conditions: Bulk Condo Buy in 757 N. Orleans While Zillow Reports Homeowners Still Underwater

Crain’s recently reported on a recent bulk buy of condos in 757 N. Orleans in River North to an investor. Not surprisingly, the investor is going to wait out the downturn by renting the units. A Florida investor with foreign capital is diving into the Chicago condominium market, paying nearly $11 million for 39 unsold […]

Market Conditions: April Sales Jump 19.4% In Chicago As The Spring Market Heats Up

As we’ve already chattered about, April sales surged 19.4% compared to last year but was still under the tax goosed 2010 number. From the Illinois Association of Realtors: In the city of Chicago, April 2012 home sales (single family and condominiums) totaled 1,750, up 19.4 percent from 1,466 homes sold in April 2011. The city […]