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Can't Afford A Home Alarm System? You Probably Already Have One.

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Home alarm systems can be expensive. A basic alarm system can be hundreds of dollars. Move up to the home-monitoring systems...

Latest Articles in Real Estate and Housing

Low Interest Rates Do Not Make Homes Affordable

Do low interest rates help more people get into a home? Actually, all it does is drive the price of homes higher.

Best Money Tips: Escaping the Mundane

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. How watching movies can increase your money IQ, why the rich are leaving their mansions, and how to get stuff done after a tiring day at work!

6 Great Reasons for Paying off the Mortgage on Your Home

Mortgage interest rates are at historic lows and a fixed rate mortgage seems to be a deal of a lifetime right now, so why would anyone pay it off?

FSBO: How to Sell Your Home on Your Own

For Sale By Owner saves having to pay an agent's commission, but it will only work if you know what you are doing and plan ahead.

Heat Maps Equate to Hot Property

Here are three great online sources of information that offer maps that use "hot spots" or "heat maps" to determine the average price of homes in a city, county, or state. It helped me evaluate whether to rent or buy a home.

Book Review - Buying a Home: The Missing Manual

Housing prices have dropped all across America in the past couple years, and more people are looking into buying a property instead of renting.

How to Afford Payments on Your Adjustable Rate Mortgage

our adjustable rate mortgage is getting ready to adjust and you might not be able to afford the payment. So what can you do to keep your finances above water?

Best Money Tips: How Being Late on Your Mortgage Affects Your Score

 Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. Today, we tell you how many points a late mortgage payment will cost you, how early retirement might not be smart, and if you can really make any money chasing rates.

Should You Invest in Goldman Sachs (GS)?

Goldman Sachs is in hot water right now, so investing in the company may seem like a risky proposition. And it certainly is, but it may also be a fantastic opportunity.

Principal Forgiveness: The New BofA Mortgage Deal

Starting next month (May 2010) or as soon as its ready, Bank of America may reduce principal balances on certain mortgages of deeply underwater loans. What's up with that?

How Long Can You Stay in Your Home After You Stop Paying the Mortgage?

Even though the economy seems to be getting better, the number of mortgage delinquencies is still rising.

CitiMortgage Told Me to Default on My Loan

Only in the completely screwed-up world of the lending industry would this be a logical and serious piece of advice. But that’s basically what I was told after calling CitiMortgage to ask about help with my home loan.

Things You Should Know About HAFA: The Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program

On April 5, 2010 a new program called the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives, or HAFA, will further expand the foreclosure prevention efforts of the Obama administration. This program is meant to encourage short sales instead of foreclosures.

Top 10 Real Estate Tax Write-Offs

New and reluctant landlords often miss out on massive tax deductions available for investment properties, which can save thousands of dollars in taxes.

The Legal Way to Avoid Getting Taxed on Your Investments

Investing in stocks that pay dividends doesn't mean you have to worry about the government taking a huge bite out of your gains.

The First Time Home Buyer Credit: How Big of a Deal Is It?

There is a lot of talk about how the first-time home-buyer's credit is such a boon to people buying their first place.

Best Money Tips: What If I Can't Afford to Make My Mortgage Payment?

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. Today, we tell you some options for when the mortgage money just isn't there, 24 ways to pull together some cash when you're jobless, and how to choose the very best baby formula!

Negotiating a Lease with Your Potential New Landlord

Here are the fine points of negotiating for rental space, including a few opportunities a newer business owner might miss.

Why I Didn't Pay My Mortgage Off In Full

Getting out of credit card debt, paying off all student loans, and paying off their mortgage in full ASAP is the #1 goal of almost every personal finance blogger on the Wise Bread Top Personal Finance Blogs List, but what if they have it all wrong?

Five Tips to Sell Any Home Fast

The bad news? Depending on where you live, you may be facing an uphill battle to sell you home. The good news? Lessons you learn in these tough times will serve you well in years to come.

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