Homeowners whose properties were damaged by Hurricane Sandy probably don’t care much about exactly how fast the storm’s winds blew. All they know is that it was strong enough to knock a tree down on the roof. But due to the fine print of insurance policies, the precise speed of the wind could mean a difference of tens of thousands of …
Real Estate & Homes
Highly Educated Have Biggest Debt Problems
The federal government is suing Bank of America for a $1 billion over the bank’s pre-crisis mortgage practice known as “the hustle.” But it wasn’t just naive home buyers who fed the financial crisis. Renters and the well educated had too much debt too, and a new study concludes that college graduates are most prone to debt mismanagement.
How Saving for Retirement Might Backfire
Saving for retirement is now the top financial goal of the vast majority of people who hold a job, according to a recent T. Rowe Price survey. That’s great news. We have a savings crisis in America and we’re finally taking it …
House Flipping Is Hot Again
Buying a home with the intention of reselling it at a profit in the near future made a lot of sense in 2005, when home values appreciated 20% nationwide. A couple of years later, as the real estate market collapsed and millions …
Is the Stigma of Ditching Your Underwater Mortgage Fading?
A good five years after the subprime mortgage crisis and housing bubble collapse, more Americans are deciding that it’s okay to just walk away. In a new survey, roughly a third of respondents said it was socially acceptable
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The Best Times to Buy or Sell a House
The housing market, a reliable bellwether of the economy, seems to be bouncing back.
Many of the nation’s largest home builders surprised analysts by reporting a profit in the quarter that just ended. Home sales continue to …
Real Estate Financial Fitness Q&A
Wondering what’s the latest in real estate? Every year, the Financial Planning Association of New York sponsors a “Financial Fitness Day” at New York University, co-sponsored by Moneyland. This year’s real estate discussion …
Why Risk is Back in Fashion
Fed Chief Ben Bernanke’s strategy for making risk fashionable is gaining traction. Affluent investors are jumping off the sidelines and home prices are getting a lift. We’re not out of the woods by a long shot. But do you really …
Why Are Real-Estate Listing Sites Hot Right Now?
Last week’s IPO of Trulia, an Internet real-estate listings site, was a smashing success for investors, as the stock traded up 41% to close at $24 per share, according to Marketwatch.
The price gives the company a price-earnings …
What Was Restoration Hardware Thinking Putting Out a 992-Page Catalog?
Last fall, some questioned the wisdom of Restoration Hardware’s printing and distributing what was then it’s largest-ever “Source Book”—a 616-page glossy, beautifully photographed and designed catalog loaded to the brim with …
New Frontier in Student Debt: It Stifles the Housing Recovery
With the start of another school year, the air is once again filled with angst over the high cost of college. But the discussion is shifting. It’s not just about runaway tuition inflation anymore, or even the individual …
Home Prices Continue to Rise — But Will the Market Rebound Continue?
Spring is traditionally a strong season for home sales, and despite continued uncertainty in the economy, this spring was no exception, with housing prices up around the country, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Index. June …
