Home sales surge 19% in March; prices stable
CHAMPAIGN — March home sales were strong in Champaign County, compared with the same month a year ago. But home prices haven't increased substantially, according to statistics from the Champaign County...
View ArticleFair housing advocate says concept has grown
CHAMPAIGN — Fred Underwood was a community organizer in Chicago before Barack Obama was. Underwood worked on the city's southwest side in the 1970s and early '80s and saw how discrimination damaged...
View ArticleProperty tax bills show mostly lower assessments, higher rates
URBANA — As usual, Champaign County's property tax bills will go out in the mail on May 1. But not as usual, this year's bills reflect lower property assessments, due primarily to decreases in the...
View ArticleCounty may start looking at building code
URBANA — Prodded by last year's court-ordered closure of a ramshackle and unsanitary apartment complex south of Rantoul, Champaign County Board members may be taking the first tentative steps toward...
View ArticleScharlau sees 'slightly better' economy
CHAMPAIGN — Payrolls of major employers are rebounding. Retail sales are growing. The local housing market is stabilizing. And farmers are anticipating another year of strong commodity prices. Those...
View ArticleResults of survey of attendees at Scharlau seminar
CHAMPAIGN — Attendees of Busey Bank Vice Chairman Ed Scharlau's economic seminar appear optimistic about the economy this year. In a survey taken at Tuesday morning's seminar, the collective opinion of...
View ArticleHigh-end home sales rebound in April
CHAMPAIGN — A rebound in high-end home sales helped propel April home sales in Champaign County — and prospects look good for a strong May. April sales were up 19 percent from a year ago in terms of...
View ArticleU.S. sales of previously occupied homes up in April
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans bought more previously owned homes in April, a hopeful sign that the weak housing market is gradually improving. The National Association of Realtors says home sales rose...
View ArticleNavy veteran chosen for Habitat home
DANVILLE — For Sean Shields, a simple household chore such as washing dishes is anything but simple. That's because the Danville man, who was injured in a motorcycle accident, must do that and other...
View ArticleKennedy's Chicago real estate development unveiled
CHICAGO (AP) — Representatives of the Kennedy family and their three financial partners have unveiled a real estate development for a site along the Chicago River the Kennedys have owned since the...
View ArticleHome sales strengthen in much of area
Champaign County home sales enjoyed another strong month in May, with the number of sales surging 26 percent from the previous May. Figures from the Champaign County Association of Realtors indicate...
View ArticleIs it time to wipe slate clean in Bristol Place?
City officials fear best way to clean up neighborhood is to level it — and at least some of the residents agree CHAMPAIGN — Two months ago, a FedEx carrier tried to deliver a package to a white,...
View ArticleHome prices rise in nearly all major U.S. cities
WASHINGTON (AP) — Home prices rose in nearly all major U.S. cities in April from March, further evidence of a housing market that is slowly improving even while the job market slumps. read more
View ArticleNew hotel to be built in north Champaign
CHAMPAIGN — An Iowa-based hotel company plans to open a 112-room Residence Inn by Marriott in Champaign next year. Ravi Patel, vice president of Hawkeye Hotels, said he hopes the four-story hotel at...
View ArticleDanville shuts down Oaklawn Inn for code violations
DANVILLE — Danville city officials shut down the Oaklawn Inn on East Main Street today, deeming it uninhabitable due to various code violations including no working fire alarm system, according to...
View ArticleCity declares Oaklawn Inn unhabitable, forces residents out
DANVILLE — Nathaniel Gentry thought he would be spending his Fourth of July holiday grilling with friends. Instead, the 58-year-old veteran is searching for a place to live. read more
View ArticleCity to take over fire cleanup of annex left undone by Oaklawn Inn's owner
DANVILLE — The city plans to step in and clean up the Oaklawn Inn Annex fire site and seek a portion of the property owner's insurance money to cover the cost. read more
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Instructor Phil Durland, right, works with students on the roof of the Habitat house.
View ArticleTeens help build Habitat house as part of summer course
CHAMPAIGN — It's one thing to build a house and be able to walk by for years, knowing you helped put it there. But when it's a house for a good cause, that feeling is magnified. Local high school...
View ArticleU.S. home construction in slow but steady comeback
WASHINGTON (AP) — Home construction is making a long-awaited recovery that could help energize the U.S. economy. read more
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