Blog

Consumer Confidence was down 13.4% from 6 months ago. This is the biggest drop in a 6 month period since 1978. BUT it’s up 3 percentage points from November. Obviously, there are two main factors that are causing the overall drop: escalating inflation and Covid-19 (increase in cases/hospitalizations and the Omicron variant, thankfully more mild […]

We have downsizing, upsizing, lateral moves, big moves, even moves to tiny houses. A growing trend is what I call “split sizing”—owners of larger homes that have helped to raise families are selling one property and buying two, securing a place here and a place there. Some are choosing to go with seasonal homes, while others are picking a mountain home with […]

Many believe that presidential investing is like mining for fool’s gold. The last 15 Presidents—8 Republican, 7 Democrat—have yielded a good to great economy 2 out of every 3 years on average. This is my tenth Presidential election as a real estate broker, and it’s been my experience that whatever the market conditions were during […]

 2020 has been a wild year so far. Team Fallico, along with the real estate industry as a whole, had record lows and record highs in sales and closings—all in one quarter! I try to make my blog posts somewhat predictive and prescient, but I’m not going there this time. 🙂   This, however, may be worth betting on: after the next aid/stimulus package is […]

What will life be like after being locked in our own eco-systems for a month, or more? Will we be in a better place after this health crisis is over? Personally, I am learning a ton about myself that I never knew before. I have found that this self-learning process is made even easier if […]

You don’t need to believe—it’s simple numeracy. The interest rates are at all-time lows and “will stay that way through 2020” (Federal Open Market Committee). Home prices in Chicagoland dipped in 2019 again, though they are expected to rise by the end of this first quarter. If you are a buyer, an investor, a flipper, […]

It looks like a healthy and ready real estate market for 2020! Up until mid-December, every recession probability measure had us at 50/50 for a real downturn early next year (just a matter of days away). Thanks to the most recent actions and announcements regarding the new NAFTA deal, the cancellation of tariffs and the […]

That is the question being asked throughout the economic world. The primary reason cited for the slow, stagnant or declining real estate market is “economic uncertainty”. Mention of the trade wars, the volatile stock market, the mixed indicators—consumer spending up, manufacturing down, inflation dragging or dead, etc.—are some of the many factors contributing to the […]

This downhill slide in home sales and activity in general has hit bottom, but it is starting to creep up a bit too. The increases are across the board: sales, inventory, buyers, and ACTIVITY! It has been a nice, calm market and now things seem to be getting a bit more heated, aggressive. Want my […]