Our Story

Housewise Inc. was founded in the early 1990's by Brian McCarthy. Brian initially created the brand Housewise Inc. into a home services company that provided private consulting for home improvement. Brian later went on to work in the title industry closing loans, which led him to start his own small mortgage company with 3 other partners. In 2003, Brian married his longtime sweetheart Tracy, who also worked in the real estate industry. In 2004, Tracy and Brian McCarthy utilized their extensive training and experience in real estate and reinvented Housewise Inc. as a real estate investment company. The McCarthy's had a passion for helping those that found themselves losing their home and worked hard to find buyers or investors to purchase the home at a fair price.

Brian and Tracy were actively involved in real estate investing for the Chicagoland area until Brian became very ill in early 2010 with a rare lung disease called Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, which eventually progressed to Pulmonary Fibrosis - scarring of the lungs. In October 2010, Brian's condition became terminal and the Doctor's prognosis was that he had, at best, just a few months to live unless he received a lung transplant. Brian was placed on a lung transplant list at the University of Chicago Hospital. On December 8, 2010, due to the unfortuate loss for one generous family, Brian was given the "gift of life" from a lung donor. Brian now has two new perfect lungs and has a second chance at life.

Tracy was so inspired by Brian's courage and strength during his illness and recovery that she realized she needed to pursue her dreams in real estate investing and continue Housewise Inc. She saw that even during a down economy, the inquiries from motivated sellers and investors continued to climb. Since the McCarthy's had been blessed by God, Tracy took this opportunity to focus her energy on an idea she had been developing for over four years. She had always hoped to one day create a totally FREE website that would bring motivated sellers and investors together. Since most motivate sellers are in financial hardship, either facing foreclosures or short sales, she wanted to help them by providing them with a medium to post their properties for FREE. She also wanted investors to easliy be able to post and locate the properties they sought after. The new Housewise Inc. website is modeled as a multi-listing service which gives the greatest benefit to all that participate, and is dedicated to becoming the most comprehensive online destination for listing, researching, selling and purchasing investment homes.

We hope that you enjoy our website.

We are open to feedback that will help us to improve our website, and we appreciate your comments.

Sincerely,

Brian and Tracy McCarthy