Riese & Müller (basically the Mercedes-Benz of cargo and family bikes) has announced that they are exiting the US market just as family biking and ebikes are really gaining momentum here

Why nobody can agree on the scope of the US housing shortage A new White House economic report estimates the country is short 10 million homes, but researchers can't seem to agree on the number.

Recent estimates for the U.S. housing shortage range anywhere from 1 million to 10 million homes, a wide gulf that can leave consumers and real estate professionals struggling to make sense of the issue. Here's a look at why nobody can agree on the housing shortage.

www.inman.com/2026/04/17/u...

Here are the current TARP reservoir levels

mwrd.org/what-we-do/t...

Chicago Scene at the McCook Reservoir (Part 1) YouTube video by WGN News

It's wild that this gigantic hole in the ground is about 90% full right now from all of the rain we've been getting. If we have another storm like last night's all of the basements in Chicago will become temporary water holding tanks.

youtu.be/3wR9xDkVogM?...

The current state of media is so sad. I started at Curbed right after the network was acquired by Vox and it felt like getting to be a part of something special. But the freelance rates were embarrassingly low and the company was effectively built by an army of underpaid writers (as you well know).

'The dream of the 90s is alive in the Midwest' The Midwest is gaining popularity with homebuyers. Three economists discuss the region's strengths and challenges.

The Midwest is one of the last regions where homeownership still feels attainable — but even that window may be narrowing. My colleague Marian McPherson talked to economists about what’s driving the shift, and what could break it.

www.inman.com/2026/04/15/t...

We made this little vid for one of my stories the other day. If you're on the 'gram, take a look.

www.instagram.com/p/DW9QdfZEdjS/

We should have never given up the agrarian society 😔

Compass dominating key markets and double-ending deals Compass now holds 30 percent to 39.5 percent of unit sales across five major markets — a share larger than the next biggest brokerage.

Compass now holds between 30% and 39.5% of unit sales in Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Diego and Austin — and the brokerage is also keeping more of those transactions in-house, a new Consumer Policy Center report finds.

www.inman.com/2026/04/14/c...

If you attended Warped Tour in the 2000s, there’s a chance that a member of one of your favorite bands has a second career in real estate today.

I spoke with members from New Found Glory, Armor for Sleep and The Hush Sound about their pivot from music to real estate.
www.inman.com/2026/04/10/m...

This is a neat example/implementation of Claude vibe coding. Thanks for sharing.

Holy Saturday scenes from St. Hyacinth

Cleansing the timeline with some Good Friday content. May peace be with us all.

NWMLS blasts Compass' 'Orwellian' listing strategy NWMLS is escalating its legal battle with Compass, filing federal counterclaims that accuse the brokerage of a deceptive listings strategy.

NWMLS lawyers on Compass 3-phase marketing strategy:

"Such exclusionary marketing hurts sellers, buyers, and other brokers, and only benefits Compass and its brokers by allowing them a greater opportunity to participate on both sides of the sale."

www.inman.com/2026/04/03/c...

Offerpad bets on AI to deliver higher-quality seller leads As brokerages fight over listings, Offerpad is quietly rebuilding its seller intake and routing system with new AI tools.

Offerpad is aiming to use AI to improve home seller leads for agents and reduce the need for human review in its own underwriting and buying process. CEO Brian Bair told me he's aiming to have Offerpad underwriting decisions be 99% automated.

www.inman.com/2026/04/01/o...

Obama Wants to Meet Pope Leo XIV — And He May Get There Before Trump The former president's Catholic roots run deeper than most people know. His career began in Chicago parishes funded by the bishops — the same city that formed the pope.

www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/obama-want...

Told you. The market-clearing equilibrium price to sell a home is 5-6%, and no amount of legal action can shift the underlying economics of the business.

Commissions show ‘stickiness’ nearly 2 years after NAR Roughly two-thirds of agents report no significant shift in commission levels since the 2024 settlement, a new report finds.

Nearly two years after rule changes tied to the NAR settlement took effect, agent commissions are holding steady. Agents told Lance Lambert they’ve seen little to no change, underscoring the “stickiness” of compensation.

www.inman.com/2026/03/30/a...

My colleague used Claude to vibe code an interactive mortgage calculator that illustrates how rising interest rates reduce buying power. Check it out (and the accompanying story about the recent mortgage rate spikes) here:

www.inman.com/2026/03/27/s...

Palm Sunday at St. Hyacinth Basilica

The U.S. is still short millions of homes “If a lot of the shortage was created by restrictions on multifamily, then more of what needs to be made up is going to be multifamily."

To close the current housing gap of roughly 5 million homes,
the Center for Public Enterprise estimates the U.S. would need to increase multifamily construction from 350,000 units per year to about 500,000 annually for nearly a decade.

www.inman.com/2026/03/27/u...

This is so cool!

Compass Chief Economist @mikesimonsen.bsky.social discussing how Milwaukee became "the hottest housing market in the country"

I tuned into (and wrote about) the 2026 housing forecast from Compass chief economist last month. He said that the hottest housing market right now is Milwaukee, with Chicago following closely behind. Some Chicago suburbs are incredibly competitive he said.

www.realestatenews.com/2026/02/24/i...

The Midwest is having its moment because millennials need affordability and the dream of moving to Brooklyn or San Francisco to start a life and career after college just isn't as viable anymore. That and a lot of millennials decided to move back home when they're ready to start their own families.

Election day in Chicago

I took this shot Saturday evening of the building poke its head out from the skyscraper canyon and fog. It looks like they've still got quite a bit of work to do if they're still planning to move in this year.

"With a vision for a mix of anchor food and beverage and retail brands alongside inspiring art and public programming, the Thompson Center will be a new hub for retail and culture"

Hmmm... No word on if a certain New York style pizza join will return

Wow, well, here's some new Thompson Center news... It appears that Google has decided to keep the Thompson Center name and has launched a new website with some more details and images of the building.

thompsoncenterchi.com

Lawmakers target ‘free money’ home equity finance model A new bill focused on home equity investment contracts underscores a widening fight — and rising scrutiny of a model built around appreciation, not interest.

My last story with Real Estate News looks at a PA bill targeting the “free money” home equity investment (HEI) model and the fight over whether shared-equity contracts should be regulated as mortgages.

I’ll share an update about what’s next in the coming days.
www.realestatenews.com/2026/02/28/l...