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Illinois Home Sales Up 14.2 Percent in November

SPRINGFIELD, IL - December 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) latest report, statewide home sales (including single family and condominiums) in November 2011 totaled 7,954 homes sold, up 14.2 percent from 6,966 home sales in November 2010. The statewide median price in November was $128,500, down 11.4 percent from $145,000 in November 2010. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.

Governor Quinn Announces Public-Private Initiative to Grow Independent Housing for Persons with Disabilities

CHICAGO, IL - December 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Governor Pat Quinn today announced the commitment of $15 million in Illinois Jobs Now! capital...

Metro-East Woman Sentenced on Mortgage Loan Fraud and Tax Fraud Offenses

December 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A metro-east resident was sentenced yesterday, December 13, 2011, in the United States District Court in East St. Louis, for participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and evade the payment of federal income taxes and for making false statements on a mortgage loan application, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Belinda Cheri McKinney, 43, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.

Governor Quinn Announces New Home Financing Package for Illinois Veterans and Military Families

CHICAGO, IL - December 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- December 14, 2011. Governor Pat Quinn today launched the Welcome Home Heroes program to promote homeownership for Illinois Veterans, active military personnel, reservists and Illinois National Guard members. The financing package is available statewide, and provides a forgivable grant up to $10,000 toward the purchase of a new home, as well as an additional mortgage tax credit up to $20,000 over the life of the loan. Welcome Home Heroes will make homeownership even more affordable for thousands of military families and create more than 400 jobs throughout Illinois.

IEMA Kicks Off Holiday Season with Home Safety Tips

SPRINGFIELD, IL - December 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The holiday decorations are up, furnaces are warming homes and people are spending more time indoors as outdoor temperatures plummet. With those things in mind, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency’s (IEMA) 2011 Preparedness Campaign in December will focus on home safety and steps people can take to ensure their families are safe this winter and throughout the New Year.

Illinois Home Sales Continue Gains in October, Up 15.3 Percent

SPRINGFIELD, IL - November 21, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) latest report, statewide home sales (including single family and condominiums) in October 2011 totaled 8,536 homes sold, up 15.3 percent from 7,402 home sales in October 2010. The statewide median price in October was $130,000, down 10.3 percent from $145,000 in October 2010. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.

Oversight Committee Approves Quigley Bill to Cut Wasteful Federal Property Spending

WASHINGTON, DC - November 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, legislation authored by U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) to cut wasteful spending and increase federal property management efficiency was approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as H.R. 665, The Excess Federal Building and Property Disposal Act of 2011.

Illinois 3Q11 Home Sales Up 19.9 Percent from a Year Ago

SPRINGFIELD, IL According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) third quarter 2011 report, Illinois home sales (which include single-family homes and condominiums) totaled 29,644 in the third quarter, up 19.9 percent from 24,719 home sales in the same period a year ago. The third quarter statewide median home sale price was $145,500, down 4.9 percent from $153,000 in the third quarter of 2010. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.

Quigley and Bipartisan Coalition Introduce Bill to Encourage Savings

WASHINGTON - November 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (D-IL), John Carney (D-DE), Jim Renacci (R-OH), Pat Meehan (R-PA), and Daniel Webster (R-FL) introduced the “Creating Homeownership Opportunities Act,” bipartisan legislation that would create a pre-tax savings program – similar to a Health Savings Account – for the purpose of saving toward a down payment on a first home.

Quigley Meets with Secretary Geithner to Discuss Chicago Housing Crisis

WASHINGTON, DC - November 3, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Yesterday, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) met with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner to discuss the housing and foreclosure crisis in the City of Chicago and surrounding area. The meeting followed Quigley’s Foreclosure Assistance Fair this past weekend in Chicago, where more than 200 constituents sought assistance from mortgage lenders, government agencies, and housing counselors.

September Illinois Home Sales Up 13.5 Percent from a Year Ago Statewide Median Price...

SPRINGFIELD, IL - October 20, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) latest report, statewide home sales (including single family and condominiums) in September 2011 totaled 9,182 homes sold, up 13.5 percent from 8,088 home sales in September 2010. The statewide median price in September was $136,850, down 5.6 percent from $145,000 in September 2010. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.

Quigley to Host Senior and Foreclosure Assistance Fairs in Chicago

CHICAGO,IL - October 13, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) announced that he will be hosting two service fairs for the community later this month. The Senior Fair and Foreclosure Assistance Fair are both free to the public and will provide essential services to constituents seeking assistance with medical, insurance, or housing issues.

RE/MAX Study Shows Towns Served By METRA Are Weathering

ELGIN, IL - October 7, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network has completed its fourth annual METRA Community Study that compares home sales in communities served by METRA commuter trains with the home sales across all suburbs in the seven-county metropolitan Chicago real estate market.

Quigley Moves to Increase Fairness in Mortgage Credit Levels

WASHINGTON, DC - October 6, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced The Mortgage Credit Availability Act of 2011 (H.R. 3084), which authorizes the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to temporarily increase the conforming loan limits for mortgages that originated in high-cost areas.

Chicago Study Shows Cost Advantages of National Green Building Standard Compared to LEED for...

Upper Marlboro, MD - September 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A new report on green certification costs for home building and remodeling in the Chicago market says that the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) is a more flexible, affordable alternative for certifying single-family homes, townhouses, and condos than other national or regional green building certifications. The study compared the NGBS with the Chicago Green Homes (CGH) program and LEED-H, the rating system for single-family homes developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

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Investigation by CHA and HUD Inspectors General ends with guilty plea...

The Chicago Housing Authority will receive restitution for money stolen by a former contractor and her husband after the pair pleaded guilty to stealing funds intended for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, a crime that was exposed following an investigation by the CHA’s Office of the Inspector General.

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Make Your Garage Door Quieter

How to Make Your Garage Door Quieter

Did you know that the structural noise from a garage can be anywhere from 5 decibels to 20 decibels above the background noise levels? And if you are wondering how much change would a 20-decibel increase make, then consider this – with a rise of 20 decibels, the sound energy increases by a factor of 100!