If a Cook County property tax bill showed up in your mailbox this week and the due date looked wrong, you didn't misread it. The second installment of the 2025 bills went out September 1 instead of the usual midsummer timeline, and payment is due October 1, about two months later than homeowners are used to. It's the kind of thing that makes people stare at an envelope a little too long. So here's what's actually going on, and what's worth double checking before you pay. Why

vintage Chicago condo building exterior affected by new Fannie Mae reserve requirements If you're buying or selling a condo right now, there's someone new sitting in on the deal. You've never met them. They've never seen the unit. But as of this month, they have more say over whether your sale closes than almost anyone else in the room. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac just finished rolling out the biggest change to condo lending in years, and the last piece of it landed August 3.