Articles on Real Estate and Housing

Homebuyer Tax Credit Extended and Expanded

A couple months ago I wrote about the pros and cons of extending and expanding the popular first time homebuyer tax credit which was due to expire on November 30th, 2009. I wrote

Real Estate Agents: Do We Really Need Them?

With all the tools and information available to home buyers, are real-estate agents and their commissions really that necessary?

It's Time to Purchase Like It's 1999

For those who have a job, a healthy savings account and some optimism about the long-term, it doesn’t get any better than this. Opportunity in the form of lower prices doesn’t kno

When Should You Fire Your Real Estate Agent?

Lately several couples I know have been trying to purchase real estate, and it seems that none of them are too happy with their real estate agents. Some of them have been working w

7 Tips to Save on Apartment Living

Learn how to get the best apartment living experience without busting your budget. Here are 7 tips to help you get lower rent, top-notch service, cheaper utility bills, and more.

Should the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit be Expanded and Extended?

The $8000 first time homebuyer's tax credit is set to expire on November 30th. This means that those who want to take advantage of this refundable credit have only a couple months

Redfin: The Greatest Real Estate Website Ever

Real estate websites are a dime a dozen, but when you find one that does it all, the rest all fade into the background. Whether you're looking to buy or sell, Redfin has what you n

Buying a Home Without the Money

This writer gives his reasons for buying a home now instead of waiting for a 20% down payment.

5 Ways to Save Time and Money on Your Lawn

U.S. lawn care services is a $12 billion annual industry. Why not reduce the size of your lawn and save money, time and the environment too?

You Trade-In Your Car…Why Not Your Home?

Here’s a question for you that has been bugging me for years; why can’t home-builders follow the auto dealer’s classic model of old for new, and let people trade-in their old homes

Permanent Home Swap: Solution to a Volatile Real Estate Market

Let’s say the real estate markets are down. You want or need to sell your home, but buyers won’t pay what it is worth (or even enough to leave you with a zero balance). And if you

New Home Loan Rules Will Take Effect on July 30, 2009

If you are in the process of buying a new primary residence or second home, or considering refinancing a loan, a new set of federal consumer protection rules taking effect on July

Tips for Avoiding a Foreclosure Prevention or Loan Modification Scam

Rising home foreclosures have made con artists very busy. These scammers use the public records to find homeowners who are in trouble, and then use a variety of schemes to take

Making Home Affordable expanded again - borrowers allowed to refinance loans up to 125 percent of value

When the Obama administration first announced the details of the Making Home Affordable program in March, the guidelines for the refinance portion stated that the loan refinanced c

Are the new home appraisal rules good for consumers?

On May 1st a new set of home appraisal rules called the Home Valuation Code of Conduct was put into effect by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in order to distance realtors and mortgage

$8000 housing tax credit can now be turned into cash at closing according to FHA

As part of the Obama stimulus plan passed in January, first time home buyers in 2009 are entitled to a tax credit of up to $8000 that they do not have to repay. This tax credit was

Should you try to reduce your rent?

Lately it seems that rent prices have been dropping in many areas of the country. Here in San Mateo some residential apartments are dropping prices as much as 20%. This seemed a

Need cheap or free construction materials? Go to a demolished housing development.

Amidst the financial crisis, many home builders around the country have run out of financing. Last week a bank decided to completely level 16 completed and partially built homes i

Mortgage bailout redux: new incentives for modifying second mortgages in the Second Lien Program

The United States government launched the "Hope for Homeowners" program back in October, 2008, and so far only one loan has received final approval to refinance under this program.

Should you skip a mortgage payment to get a bank's attention?

The Obama administration announced a foreclosure prevention and mortgage reduction program about two months ago, and as of April less than 1000 loans have been refinanced under th