Illinois RealEstateRama

In a city as large as Chicago, it can be difficult for communities to find the economic support they need. A lack of access to financial services and limited community development can inhibit the growth of these neighborhoods, but one organization has dedicated itself to ensuring that communities can thrive. The Resurrection Project (TRP) stands as a pillar of support for Chicago’s Southwest Side, including Pilsen Back of the Yards and Little Village

While every home should have a disaster preparedness kit and family communications plan, emergency preparedness is particularly important for households with members who have disabilities, functional needs or may need assistance during an emergency.

Agent Publishing, the country’s dominant hyper-local B2B real estate media company, has announced John Thomas, 50, has joined the firm as editor-in-chief and vice president of content strategy.

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today met with veterans who work at Rags of Honor, a silk-screening business that works to get homeless veterans off the streets, and talked with leadership and veterans about S. 1004, the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act, which was introduced earlier this year with five bipartisan cosponsors. The bill requires the President to issue a proclamation each year that calls on United States citizens to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout history

The House of Representatives quickly began its FY2016 appropriations process this week, agreeing to a balanced budget resolution and passing two of twelve annual spending bills. Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) voted in support of the House-Senate budget agreement and Military Construction - Veterans Affairs (VA) funding on Thursday, as well as the Energy and Water appropriations bill on Friday.

Yesterday, U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Jared Polis (CO-02) offered an amendment to the FY2016 Energy & Water (E&W) Appropriations Bill that would have saved taxpayers $167 million by maintaining the FY2015 acquisition schedule for the nuclear-armed cruise missile warhead (W80-4).

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced today that listening sessions being held throughout Illinois to discuss the state’s infrastructure needs and priorities will be in 12 communities next week.

Today, Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-8) and Congressman Dave Loebsack (IA-2) joined together to introduce the Make It At Home Act, a common sense bill that would help increase workload at our nation’s arsenals, including the Rock Island Arsenal. The bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to submit to Congress a report on sole-sourced equipment that is currently purchased from foreign companies that could be manufactured in arsenals or depots in the U.S.

Luxury homes sold at a faster pace during the first quarter of 2015, January through March, than they did a year earlier in the seven-county metropolitan Chicago real estate market. Transaction activity was 16 percent higher for the period, with luxury home sales totaling 378 units. Luxury properties sold during the quarter were also finding buyers more quickly, requiring an average of just 144 days, compared to 158 days during the same period last year, according to the RE/MAX Luxury Report on Metro Chicago Real Estate

Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today questioning this month’s Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) planning resource auction that resulted in significantly higher electricity capacity prices for central and southern Illinois. Congressmen Mike Bost (R, Illinois-12) and Rodney Davis (R, Illinois-13) joined Shimkus on the letter

One year after the unveiling of the new International Terminal 5 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (a $26 million transformation by Westfield that features a reconfigured environment, a more-efficient TSA checkpoint and 24 sophisticated dining and retail destinations), sales are reaching record highs. They are up by roughly 70 percent since redevelopment began in 2011, according to city data. Last year total sales exceeded $43 million, generating approximately $6.5 million in revenue for Chicago, more than double the 2010 revenue. The terminal was built in 1993.

The Illinois spring housing market got off to a strong start in March with sharp gains in year-over-year home sales and median prices, according to the Illinois Association of REALTORS®.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, in conjunction with the Illinois Capital Development Board, announced today the start of a series of listening sessions over the next month to discuss the state’s infrastructure needs and the steps required to make sure the right investments are being made to keep Illinois competitive in a 21st century global economy. The meetings will be held in multiple communities throughout the state, with a goal of presenting Governor Rauner’s office with a comprehensive package of recommendations for consideration this spring

U.S. Representative Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) spoke on the House Floor this afternoon in support of S. 535. The Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015 is a bipartisan energy bill to conserve energy, save Americans money and create jobs. Below is a transcript of Rush’s remarks and a link to the video.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced today that both the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have awarded a total of $674,639 in grants and vouchers to communities across Illinois that will be used to expand supportive services and housing for veterans in Illinois.