Have you ever used a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter or GoFundMe to back a project? If so, it’s likely to have been a creative project. Maybe a local band that needed a little extra cash to put out its next album or a tech entrepreneur that needed more money to manufacture a cool new Bluetooth speaker. Lately though, you can crowdfund real estate projects. And as Crain’s Chicago Business’ Dennis Rodkin writes, it’s happening in our area, and it’s becoming more common. (Flickr/Ted Guarnero)