AJ LaTrace
@latrace
Senior reporter at Inman Previously: Business Insider, Chicago magazine, Curbed aj at inman dot com
But succeeding in the prefab housing space and driving down costs for consumers remains far from guaranteed, he conceded. "There is zero guarantee of ultimate success," Tiramani told me during the call.
On the previous SEC investigation into the company, Tiramani said the matter is fully resolved and that Boxabl received extra scrutiny during its Nasdaq listing process given its high valuation and large base of retail (crowdfunding) investors.
He talked at length about the challenges facing prefab homebuilders — particularly zoning, regulation and transportation issues. He said that Boxabl is looking to get involved at the federal level to simplify regulation using the Commerce Clause.
I occasionally Google my name just to see what comes up and earlier today found links on the Chicago Tribune site with my byline. I was confused but saw that my old Chicago mag stories were recently migrated over. And then hours later I saw that Chicago mag is being permanently folded into the Trib.
Sometimes you've got to just go hang out with your dog along the Chicago River
Me in 25 years: "Dura-Ace 7800 was the pinnacle of bicycle component engineering and machining and we'll never see anything like it made again." "Sure thing, grandpa. Let's get you to bed."
Yes AI is scary and taking all of our jobs, but sometimes it's nice to have someone to nerd out about bike parts with.
A child’s relationship with a present and loving father should be seen as normal, healthy and worth protecting. Happy Father’s Day to the dads doing the work, quietly and consistently.
We went to Maggie Daley Park for the first time yesterday and it was just incredible. We are so lucky to have such wonderful playgrounds in the neighborhoods, but the big playground in the Loop may beat out the rest across the city.
Chicago is one of the hottest housing markets in the country right now. And within Chicago, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Logan Square and Avondale are the most in-demand neighborhoods. therealdeal.com/chicago/2026...
There are so many fees that they can't even keep track of them all and what is refundable and non-refundable
This is how bleak it's gotten for people looking for housing from corporate-owned and managed complexes in the Chicago suburbs. $375 in non-refundable fees just to get started. And if you do get approved, you're looking at $1,200 to $1,500 in fees before you even get your keys.
This photo my roommate took of me eating at Cafe Con Leche 20 years ago popped up in my Facebook memories. It's wild to think that I've basically spent my entire adult life in the Logan Square/Avondale area.
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
Cleansing the timeline with some Good Friday content. May peace be with us all.
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...
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...
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
Former colleague Patrick Sisson investigates the loss of the Curbed archives: "Like one of the many development dramas covered by the publication, pleas in support of historic preservation and the public good seem to have been ignored by corporate decisionmakers." www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb...
Just a heads up to folks on the NW Side with toddlers... I spotted a nice Guardian boys bike for $9 and a Yuba balance bike for $11 at Unique at Kimball and Elston. Guardians are actually legit bikes with light frames, real brakes and are assembled in good ol' Seymour, Indiana.