The Home Front

By Don DeBat Dark autumn clouds hang over Chicago’s North-Side housing market. Currently plagued by a shortage of listings, high prices and lofty mortgage-interest rates, buying or selling a home in late 2026 can be a pretty scary event. But what if a property listed for sale on this Halloween weekend seemingly has a haunted or paranormal past? Real estate brokers generally refer to such parcels as “stigmatized properties.” They include: sites of a natural or accidental death

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (above) By Don DeBat Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed “Protecting Renters Ordinance” (PRO) actually will push apartment rents higher, critics say. An estimated 54% of Chicago’s residents—some 600,000 families-are apartment renters, according to the City of Chicago. So, critics say Mayor Johnson, who is up for reelection next spring against at least a dozen opponents, is pushing his “PRO” Ordinance because he needs votes. Chicago currently has tw