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Tuesday, August 31st, 2010Home prices up 1 percent in June from May as tax credits lift market, prices rise in 17 cities
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Alan Zibel, AP Real Estate Writer, On Tuesday August 31, 2010, 9:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Home prices rose in June for the third straight month amid a burst of home-buying due to tax incentives that have since [...]
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Real Estate Foreclosure: Ways to Prevent Property Repossession or Lessen Credit Damage
AReal estate foreclosure is a stressful event that can be frightening and embarrassing. No one wants to lose their most valuable asset and be uprooted from their home. However, options exist that can help borrowers prevent foreclosure or lessen credit damage.
When real [...]
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Harry Gross: Like stocks, real estate can be a risk
By Harry Gross
Daily News Personal Finance Columnist
Dear Harry: I lost quite a bit in the market washout a few years ago. I’m now pretty leery about the stock market. I have been looking into the real-estate market for rental properties. My thought is to buy now [...]
Capital Gains Exemptions.
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010Home sellers are always interested in their tax deduction options. If you recently sold a home without meeting the basic ownership and use criteria for waiving capital gains tax, you might still be able to claim reduced exemptions if you meet certain other criteria.
Homeowners who had to sell because of a change in place of [...]
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
July’s Home Sales Have a Lot Stacked Against Them
On Monday August 23, 2010, 4:26 pm
It’s been a while since I’ve sensed quite this much doom among the folks obsessed with housing (one told me simply, “You’re going to be very busy!”), but July existing home sales are unquestionably the product of a perfect storm:
The home [...]
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Special report: Flipping, flopping and booming mortgage fraud
Emilio Carrasquillo is shown in Chicago, July 21, 2010 in front of a home that was used in a mortgage fraud scheme. The house on the 53rd block of South Wood Street in Chicago’s Back of the Yards doesn’t look like a $355,000 home. There is no front [...]
Mortgage Disclosures Need a Serious Improvement.
Thursday, August 12th, 2010The existing system of mortgage disclosures in the U.S. has long been a disgrace. Borrowers are inundated with garbage disclosures, and often the few pieces of critical information they need are either not there or concealed by the garbage.
As an illustration, a large proportion of the consumers who took option ARMs during the go-go years [...]
Continuing-Care Retirement Communities: Weighing the Risks.
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010Increasing numbers of older Americans are seeking out the security and comfort of a continuing-care retirement community. But a new report from the federal Government Accountability Office warns that such assurances often come at a steep price and “considerable risk.”
So-called CCRCs—which typically offer fine dining, health clubs and on-site long-term care—have grown in popularity along [...]
Condos for less than a new car.
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010Home prices are plunging, and some of the best bargains are condos. Here are 8 that can be purchased for less than the cost of a new Prius.
Deerfield Park, Fla.
Price now: $25,000
Beds: 1
Baths: 1.5
Square feet: 770
Description: Money Magazine recently rated Deerfield Beach the top place to live for affordable homes. It’s just north of Fort [...]
Monday, August 9th, 2010
0% of mortgages are underwater
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — More than 20% of the nation’s mortgage borrowers owe more than their homes are worth.
At 21.5% for the third quarter, it is a small improvement over the previous quarter, when 23.3% of loans were underwater, according to real estate website Zillow.com.
This so-called negative equity is a hotly [...]