Carl Hansberry was a real “renaissance man.” He had been a deputy U.S. Marshall. He was an inventor with several patents. But he ultimately excelled at being a business entrepreneur – as a banker and as a real estate broker. He founded and was President of Lake Street Bank in Chicago and was one of… Continue reading
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Black History Month In Illinois: The Legacy Preceding the Civil War
On January 31, 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which would prohibit slavery anywhere in the United States or its territories. President Abraham Lincoln had made the approval of the 13th Amendment his primary focus at that time, and used his ample political influence to help push the… Continue reading
Higher Limits For Conforming & FHA Loans Could Make a Home Purchase More Affordable
Last month, I talked about how high housing prices, unpredictable and rising mortgage rates, combined with runaway inflation were making it tough for consumers to buy homes. In making suggestions for ways that might help consumers make buying a home more affordable, one of the ideas was to investigate the recent changes in “conforming loan”… Continue reading
The Roots of Black History Month are in Illinois
Carter G. Woodson (a Virginia native and the son of former slaves who relocated to Illinois) graduated from the University of Chicago in 1908 with a Master’s degree in History and completed his PhD in History at Harvard University in 1912. In 1915, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to celebrate and serve as an exhibitor… Continue reading
HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2023! WHAT’S THE HOUSING MARKET LIKE? IS IT TOO LATE TO BUY?
What a difference a year makes. A year ago, the real estate market still seemed hot. 2021 had seen mortgage interest rates hit an almost unheard-of annual average low of 2.96 percent. The supply side problems of the pandemic made new construction materials hard to obtain, and therefore much more expensive. Home buyers turned to… Continue reading