The Home Front

By Don DeBat There’s a new Fed Sheriff in town, and analysts say home buyers’ hopes and dreams for lower mortgage rates in 2026 likely will remain in interest-rate jail. In his first Federal Open Market Committee meeting on June 17th, President Donald Trump’s newly appointed Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh made it clear there is a new game being played at the central bank. The Fed held the key federal-funds rate at a range of 3.50% to 3.75%. It was the fourth consecutive

North side after the fire (above) By Don DeBat Chicago may be the Windy City, but it also is home of some of the greatest fires of the past century. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871—when most city neighborhoods consisted of wooden balloon-frame homes—claimed more than 300 lives, displaced 100,000 people and scorched 3.3 square miles of the Windy City. A few years later, in 1903, the Iroquois Theater fire at 26 W. Randolph in Chicago’s Loop took 602 lives. In 1958, the devastati

By Don DeBat Mayor Johnson is preparing a sweeping “Protecting Renters Ordinance” for Chicago. But while City Hall frames it as a vital tenant defense, local landlords warn new fees and a mandatory registry will drive up monthly rents by at least $100. Half of Chicago’s residents – some 600,000 people – are apartment renters, so with a slim chance of re-election in 2027, Mayor Brandon Johnson is digging for votes. Mayor Johnson, an avowed Democratic Socialist, plans to introd

By Don DeBat A massive feud between Zillow and local industry leaders erupted after Chicago’s major multiple listing service cut off the aggregator’s data access, causing thousands of local home listings to vanish from the platform overnight. In an ultimate rebellion against artificial intelligence in the lucrative business of dream homes and rental apartments, Zillow, the real estate data aggregator, now has fewer followers in Chicago and Illinois. On May 20, Zillow Group In

(Above) Sam Sianis (center) holds the 1974 tournament trophy won by the Chicago Daily News 16-inch softball team he sponsored. The legendary lineup included Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mike Royko (top row, second from right). The photo was taken at the Hubbard Street Billy Goat Tavern next to the “VIP Room” sign. Photo provided by Don DeBat. By Don DeBat Chicago-style 16-inch softball managers might tell you losing a good sponsor is worse than losing a brother. With the

By Don DeBat For thousands of Illinoisans, an HOA turns the American dream into ‘condo jail.’ To combat board abuse and financial mismanagement, state lawmakers are weighing new bills to protect frustrated owners in ‘Condoland.’ Buying a condominium or homeowners association (HOA) property in Illinois can sometimes feel like entering “condo jail.” Board abuse, breach of fiduciary duty, and a lack of transparency are widespread complaints. Because there is currently very littl