How Much Can You Afford to Pay for a New Home?
Imagine having to save up your money to purchase your first home for more than a half million bucks, and the place you buy is a two-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot starter home – yikes!
Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Could Hit Delay as Congress Changes Hands
It’s Christmas time for special interests, and Democrats could throw a wrench in the works
Trump Plan for Fewer Home Appraisals Could Make for Riskier Mortgages
The Trump administration wants to eliminate professional appraisals on a large number of home sale transactions – a move that critics say could push the country back toward the see-no-evil days of mortgage lending that preceded the housing crash.
Caribbean Real Estate Dream Turns into $100M Nightmare
Ever fantasize about fleeing the winter cold and getting in on the ground floor of a beachfront real-estate deal in which you double your money in a few years? If you’ve dreamed that dream, here’s how it could turn nightmarish.
Cooling Trend Could Bode Well for Homebuyers
Don’t call it a “buyer’s market.” Don’t call it a “correction.” Call it a “re-balancing.”
FSBOs Are Fizzling
What’s been happening to that good old-fashioned American way to sell your home – doing it yourself, with minimal or no commission costs?
Fannie and Freddie Offer Options to Retirees Seeking Home Loans
It’s a common problem for retirees seeking to refinance or get a new mortgage: After their regular employment earnings stop flowing, their monthly incomes drop.
Which Is Better at Valuing Your Home – You or a Computer Program?
Do you have a pretty good idea of what your house is worth? Could you estimate within, say, 5 percent of what it’s likely to sell for? If so, would that make you more accurate about your home value than an estimate from a computer program loaded with recent sales data and algorithms?
Does Your Realtor Know What Makes a House Green?
If you make extensive energy-conservation and other green improvements to your home, will they earn you a premium price for the entire house when you go to sell?
New Options Open for Homeowners Seeking a Reverse Mortgage
You’ve probably seen actor Tom Selleck suavely pitching federally insured reverse mortgages on TV and thought, hmm, that sounds interesting.
Tariffs Could Cost You More to Remodel Your Home
Thinking about remodeling your home – redoing a bathroom or the kitchen? Or maybe purchasing a new home from a builder? Or simply buying new appliances?
Americans’ Credit Scores Hit Record High
Millions of Americans have a new record high average FICO score, and that’s positive news for homebuyers, sellers, lenders and the economy overall.
Borrowers Fake Income, Employment to Buy Homes
Prices are up, interest rates are rising and it’s tough for a lot of people to qualify to buy a home. So what do some of them do? A growing number of them fake it.
Should Ethics Violations Be Available to the Public?
In an era when you can find almost anything you want to know online about real estate – the estimated market value of a house, the rankings of neighborhood schools, crime rates, walkability and much more – there’s one important subject that’s difficult for consumers to check out: Ethics infractions by local Realtors, including agents you might want to hire to list your house or help you buy.
Hope Is on the Horizon for Homebuyers in Gig Economy
Here’s some promising news for self-employed entrepreneurs, “gig” economy workers and small business owners: There’s a bipartisan push underway on Capitol Hill to make the home mortgage process a lot easier.
Relaxed FHA Requirements Provide Path for Would-Be Buyers
Is it easier today for homebuyers with a high debt ratio and sub-par credit scores to qualify for a mortgage than it’s been in years?
Sellers’ Price-Cutting Trend Could Be Good News for Buyers
You might be relaxing at the beach or in the mountains, but if you’re considering purchasing a home in the coming months, you should be aware of an important shift emerging in the market: price-cutting.
Frozen Credit Files Can Slow Mortgage Process
Nearly a year after the catastrophic Equifax hack exposed 147 million Americans’ personal and financial data to cybercriminals, consumers are about to get a break – something especially useful for homebuyers and owners.
‘Score Planner’ Tool Offers Customized Path to Better Credit
If you’re seriously thinking about buying a home in the months ahead, you almost certainly know how important your FICO credit score will be in getting a mortgage.
Escrow-Free Loans Raise Credit-Risk Questions
Do you really need an escrow account attached to your mortgage? Aren’t you capable of remembering when it’s time to pay tax and insurance bills? These questions suddenly are more controversial than you might guess.
