From hardcore gearheads to casual car fans, the Chicago Auto Show attracts thousands of people from all over the country every year, and 2016 will be no exception.

According to The Rock River Times, the Chicago Auto Show will commence on Feb. 13 amidst much anticipation. The car exhibition has been going on for 115 years and is widely regarded as the largest auto show in the nation.

Taking place at the McCormick Place Convention Center, the Chicago Auto Show utilizes over one million square feet to showcase every type of automobile imaginable. RVs, race cars, exotic luxury vehicles, and family sedans can all be seen at the eclectic event.

This year’s show will unofficially begin on Jan. 12 with “First Look for Charity,” a private event in which over $2 million will be donated to local nonprofit organizations. The black tie function will run from 7-11 p.m., and attendees will be given the chance to win a brand new car.

The low cost of admission is a primary reason that so many auto fans filter in to the McCormick Place Convention Center every single year. General admission is just $12 for adults, $7 for seniors and children, and free for children ages six and under.

One of the biggest attractions at this year’s Chicago Auto Show is the Chevy Bolt EV, a plug-in hybrid car that uses a combination of gas and electricity to operate.

While most car batteries are designed to last only four to six years before needing to be replaced, the Chevy Bolt EV’s battery can last for much longer because it doesn’t solely depend on gasoline.

According to PR Newswire, major corporations have been clamoring over the chance to sponsor the event. This year, the Chicago Auto Show’s roster of sponsors includes State Farm, Cars.com, the Chicago Tribune, and several others.

“More important than their financial impact on the show’s bottom line is the activation each sponsor brings to the show and the fact that the sponsors improve the experience for show attendees,” said Tim McBride, director of sponsorship and marketing for the Chicago Auto Show.

The Chicago Auto Show will be open to the public on Feb. 13 and will conclude on Feb. 21. Chicagoans who missed out on last year’s festivities would be wise to mark the 2016 show on their calendars now.

Metropolitan areas are notorious for their high housing costs. Arguably one of America’s most sought-after cities, Chicago is no stranger to increased home prices, either. New data reveals that Chicago-area existing residential property prices rose 8.9% as compared to their prices a year ago.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the median price of a single-family home jumped a staggering 11.6% at the end of 2015. Condominiums saw a less-dramatic increase in price but still rose a full 4.3%.

The average price of a single family home is now at $217,700, according to the article.

Meanwhile, the National Association of Realtors said the median existing-home price for all housing types in December was $224,100, up 7.6% from a year ago.

In addition to the cost of a mortgage, studies indicate that homeowners will spend between 1 and 4% of a home’s value annually on maintenance and repairs. Overall, the average price of a home in the Chicago area beats out the state average.

What do these numbers mean for home buyers? Realtors and industry experts say even with the increase in prices, now is the best time to make a purchase.

“The Illinois housing market continued to make positive strides in 2015,” Mike Drews, president of the Illinois Association of Realtors, said in a news release. “Buyer demand remains strong even amid tighter winter inventory, and higher home prices bode well for homeowners thinking of selling.”

Although December is typically a slow month for sales, more than 8,265 homes were sold in the nine-county Chicago area last month. This is a 2.1% increase from December 2014, proving the strength of the Chicago housing market.

Dan Wagner, president of the Chicago Association of Realtors, said, “The Chicago market continues to post strong price gains, reflecting consumer interest in being in a vibrant city and a continuing shortage of available homes from which to choose.”

Despite the recent increases, Chicago home prices are still below where they were pre-recession (adjusted for inflation). Many cities in America are struggling to recover from the economic decline of 2008, but Chicago-area homes saw better price trends than those nationally.

Home sales totaled 111,462 for the entire year: a 6.6% increase overall from 2014.

Alvin “Chip” Wagner III of A.L. Wagner Appraisal Group in Naperville stresses the importance to buy now, citing the basic law of supply and demand. Supply is low, so demand is high.

“The residential housing market in the Chicago region continues to see an undersupply of housing, and, with the increasing trend of homes under contract, it’s likely that we’ll continue to see increasing values in 2016,” he said. “The reduced inventory of distressed housing, including short sales and foreclosures, is also helping our average sales price growth.”

The article closes out with one last interesting factoid: real estate markets tend to do better during years of presidential elections.