Homebuyers are in a sudden headwind of rising home prices, mortgage rates and lending limits.
Mortgages
Foroohar: The Fed Is Making the Two Americas Problem Worse
The Federal Reserve Bank isn’t supposed to be political. But, of course, it is. Just look at the recent decision to delay “tapering,” or scaling back the $85 billion a month asset buying spree that the bank has been on for …
This Housing Upturn Looks Like the Real Thing
The previous upturn in housing prices faltered after a year, but all the signs suggest that the current home price recovery will be sustainable.
Do We Have Another Financial Bubble On Our Hands? Or Three?
Multiple debt markets are facing big trouble because of excessive borrowing and the Fed’s easy-money policies.
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
…
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 …
Five Reasons It Could Be the Opportunity of a Lifetime to Buy a House
It’s cheaper to buy than rent in almost every major U.S. housing market, and over the long term home prices appear likely to rise substantially.
Why Isn’t There More Inflation?
Huge deficits and ultra-low interest rates should have led to serious inflation by now. The great mystery of the past three years is why they haven’t.
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 …
New Score Says You Have Better Credit, But Will It Get You a Mortgage?
The recession and its aftermath, including stubbornly high unemployment, did a number on Americans’ credit scores. The average person’s credit score is 655, according to Credit Karma. Unfortunately, the average credit score you’ll need to get a mortgage is 764, or 770 if you want to refinance. Into this gap, two companies have partnered …
From Underwater to ‘Equity Poor’: Why the Housing Market Isn’t Recovering Faster
Rates are at historic lows of 3.53% for 30-year mortgages. Rents are at record levels all over the country, hitting highs in 74 markets tracked by real-estate-data provider Reis Inc. And housing prices appear to have finally …