Increasingly in some states, foreclosure is like a Roach Motel: Houses come in, but they don’t get out. This has led to an egregious statistic in the new issue of Mortgage Monitor, a report from data-tracker LPS Applied …
housing
Home Affordability Near Highest Level in 20 Years
It’s easy to drown in real estate statistics, but looking at “affordability” — the homes that someone on a median income could buy — is a fascinating gauge of housing markets. (Plus, it’s a statistic that can be fine-tuned to …
Could the Fed Spark the Housing Market?
Is the Federal Reserve going to start buying bonds again to stimulate the economy? Some 69% of economists polled in a Bloomberg News survey think so, with 36% of those tagging the first quarter of 2012 as the time for such action.
Drop in Housing Prices Continues to Slow
Housing prices of 20 cities were flat from July to August, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller housing index. Year-over-year and on a seasonally adjusted basis, the composite 20 index was down 3.8% from August of last year. …
Obama’s Housing Refinance Program: Underwhelming Policy, Expedient Politics
Did you know that you can’t be for fixing the housing market and not be for President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act? That was the underlying message of a conference call with two top Obama advisers on Monday morning, …
Radon Awareness Week: Protecting Your Home From A Silent Killer
In case you didn’t know, it’s Radon Awareness Week — which is no World Environment Day, true, but it’s gaining ground.
In honor of this momentous quasi-occasion, here’s a primer on the dangers of exposure to radon and how to protect yourself and your family.
Latest Housing Bust Casualty: Babies
Back in 2007, America was experiencing a mini-baby boom. The recession brought that to a quick halt. As early as 2008, the country saw a significant drop in birth rates. Baby booms and busts do tend to follow economic cycles. But …
Housing Survey: Americans Pessimistic, but ‘Would Buy’ If They Had to Move
Pity the American consumer, especially when it comes to housing. A large proportion of those surveyed (43%) in a recent Fannie Mae poll about homeownership and the economy report that their expenses are “significantly higher” …
3 Ways to Get Help Selling Your FSBO Home
In 2010, some 9 percent of the homes sold in the U.S. were sold FSBO — For Sale By Owner — according to the National Association of Realtors. The fact that the strong majority of homes are sold by real estate agents is …
Real Estate Market Mystery: Record Low For Mortgage Rates, But Nobody’s Buying
Fact: 30-year-fixed mortgage rates dropped below 4 percent for the first time on record, according to Freddie Mac, which has tracked rates since 1971. Yet, the stats show that Americans have not responded by rushing to buy houses.
Conforming Loan Limit Shrinks This Weekend — Will It Hurt the Already Beaten Down Market?
On Saturday, federally guaranteed loans — the limits on which were increased during the financial upheaval of 2008 to as high as $729,750 in some parts of the country — will be capped at $625,500. Homebuyers looking to …
The Grown-Up Homes of Teenage Stars
For years, it seems like those who became wildly successful early eventually grew up, developed a drug habit and tried to collect as many mug shots they could by age 30. But Hollywood now has a coterie of former child stars who …