Articles on Real Estate and Housing

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. Some homeowners are choosing to walk away because their debts are much

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 CitiMortg

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. Thi

Top 10 Real Estate Tax Write-Offs

Top 10 real estate tax write-offs for landlords and real estate investors.

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. There are perfectly legal ways to invest in dividen

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

The first-time home buyer's credit has been hailed as one of the main drivers of the real estate market, but how big of a deal is it really?

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 job

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

Five Tips to Sell Any Home Fast

No matter the market, if you use these five steps, you'll sell your home fast.

How to Prepare for a Home Purchase in 2010

The housing and mortgage industries took a giant leap backwards last year. Read about what you need to do if you are finally ready to buy the home you've been looking for.

Home Loans

Getting a home loan is a necessary part of the process of buying a home for most people. It can take extra work to get a good loan, but if you're familiar with the process and know

5 Reasons Not to Apply for a Loan Modification in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP)

The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) rolled out last year currently has over 700,000 people in trial modifications and a little over 30,000 in "permanent" modifications.

6 Basic Tips for Buying a Bank Owned Home

Currently many homes for sale are owned by banks. These properties are also known as real estate owned or REO and they have gone through the foreclosure process. Some of them are i

Why the Affordable Home Really Isn't

I've taken a look at home affordability calculators that are available from many reputable sites offering personal finance advice. "Affordability" is based on bank lending guidelin

9 Ways to Save on a Move

Moving is one of life's most stressful events. In addition to all that packing, you also have to fork over big bucks for boxes, movers, a truck, and storage. Follow these 9 tips to

The Fallacy of Homeownership as a Sound Investment

Owning a home has become inextricably linked to the American dream, as much a part of the social fabric as baseball and apple pie. But the reality is that most Americans would be b

What It Really Costs to Own a Home

I’m a mortgage-free homeowner but, despite paying off my loan, I still have plenty of expenses associated with owning and maintaining my house.

How Foreclosure, Deed in Lieu, and Short Sale Affect Credit Scores

Currently millions of Americans are delinquent on their home loans or facing foreclosure. Foreclosure, deed in lieu of foreclosure, and short sales are several ways for borrowers t