The Home Front

FreddieMac interest rates as of 3/12/26 By Don DeBat With spring’s cloudy skies overhead and rain or snow in the forecast, Chicago’s North Side home-resale market remains in a quagmire in early 2026. One veteran Near North Side/Gold Coast broker simply described the current home-resale activity as “a see-saw market.” The March 2026 Baird & Warner Market Analysis, covering the key North Side neighborhoods of Near North/Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Lakeview and North Center, close

President Donald J. Trump By Don DeBat Chicago home buyers are not fleeing from guided missiles, but President Donald Trump’s aerial war against Iran has had a dramatic, negative impact on the spring housing market in the Windy City. The Mideast War has pushed mortgage-interest rates sharply higher, analysts report. “Last week the rates dipped to 5.99% for the first time in 3.5 years, and everything seemed to be moving along positively,” noted veteran lender Jeremy Rose, seni

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi (left) and Sen. Javier Cervantes. By Don DeBat Cash-strapped senior citizens in Chicago and Cook County must be rattling their walkers in unison this month, and eagerly casting absentee ballots from wheelchairs and rocking chairs. All their applause and votes are directed to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, who is joining with community groups, the clergy, and wise members of the Illinois General Assembly, calling for easier access to propert

With a glowing endorsement by the Chicago Tribune, Fritz Kaegi is leaning on his record of data-driven reform as he fights a primary challenge from Patrick Hynes, a candidate Kaegi claims is ‘bankrolled’ by tax appeal attorneys. By Don DeBat Ethics and honesty – rare moral principles in politics – appear to be winning for Fritz Kaegi in his effort to get reelected as Cook County Assessor. Despite generally underhanded campaigning tactics, aggressive TV-ad rhetoric, and overal

(Above) The former Wayman African Methodist Episcopal Church. Photo: @properties Christie’s International Real Estate / Compass. BY DON DEBAT In the heart of what was once the nation’s most infamous public housing project, a 137-year-old church is being gutted for $1.4 million condos – anchoring a luxury transition that developers are rebranding as ‘Gold Coast West.’ The Near North Side neighborhood once infamously known as the Cabrini-Green public housing “ghetto” is at a cr

Photo by Olga Yastremska (Adobe Stock) Chicago’s new Residential Lease gives renters the right to terminate leases early due to threats, offering crucial protections for victims of domestic violence but extra costs for landlords. By Don DeBat Domestic violence in Chicago and across Illinois regretfully is on the rise. In 2024, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline received a record-breaking 18,940 requests for shelter in Chicago and across the state, a 112 percent increase f