Real estate news

Don’t fret about closed credit card account

Friday, Aug. 29, 2008

Several banks are closing dormant credit card accounts, but there are some easy ways for homeowners and buyers to protect against a long-term drop in their overall credit score. Read story.

Bring neighbors onboard with plan before launching home-based business

Friday, Aug. 22, 2008

Anticipate problems with zoning laws and neighbors before you start a home-based business. Read story.

System regulating real-estate appraisers ‘completely broken’

Monday, Aug. 18, 2008

As soaring home prices set the stage for America’s great housing meltdown, a critical step in making sure those home sales were a fair deal — the real estate appraisal — was undermined from within. After the nation’s last major banking disaster, Congress set up a system to catch rogue appraisers. Their game: inflating the value of homes at the direction of equally unscrupulous real estate agents and mortgage brokers, whose commissions are determined by the size of the deals. Read story.

Law protects military members’ homes

Friday, Aug. 15, 2008

A federal law approved in 2003 protects most servicemen and servicewomen from losing their house or apartment if they’re deployed in another country. Read story.

FDIC guarantees deposits, not mortgages

Friday, Aug. 1, 2008

When the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seizes a bank, it reimburses most of the savers. Borrowers, however, still need to repay their mortgages. Read story.

Four tips to help you qualify for a mortgage

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Qualifying for a mortgage is certainly not as easy as it used to be. The turmoil that has gripped the housing and the credit markets has led to lenders tightening their approval standards. But while it is more difficult to qualify, it is not impossible. Read story.

Housing rescue package approved

Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Senate cleared a massive housing bill on Saturday designed to prop up the struggling U.S. housing market and put in place a U.S. backstop for giant mortgage-buyers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Read story.

New home sales drop less than expected

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Sales of new homes fell in June for the seventh time in the past eight months, but the decline was less than had been expected, raising faint hopes that the nation’s severe housing recession could be approaching a bottom. Read story.

Stocks plunge as home sales drop

Saturday, July 26, 2008

U.S. stocks fell sharply Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding nearly 300 points after two days of gains, as investors reacted to gloomy data on the housing sector and the job market. Read story.

Second-home sales may raise tax bill

Friday, July 25, 2008

Q: We have owned a small vacation home for several years, and now we would like to sell it. How would our resale profits be taxed? Read story.

Banks cut back on home-equity loans

Friday, July 18, 2008

Q: I obtained a $60,000 home equity line of credit two years ago, but have never used it. Last week, I received a letter from my lender stating that the credit line is being reduced to only $10,000. The bank’s letter gave me no explanation for the reduction. What’s going on here? What can I do now? Read story.

Local real estate market may soon improve

Sunday, July 13, 2008

With talk of mortgage foreclosures dominating real estate chatter on the national scene, folks in the Lawrence area soon can look forward to conditions improving. Read story.

Home-swapping site eases real estate blues

Sunday, June 22, 2008

TrySwappingIt.com offers homeowners an alternative to buying or renting a new home — swapping it. Read story.

‘Clothing-optional’ pool sets condos apart

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Free upgrades and paid closing costs not enough incentive to buy a condo in a sluggish housing market? How about nude swimming and sunbathing? Read story.

Unmarried co-buyers have special concerns

‘Tenants-in-common’ is the route to take in the game of life

Friday, June 20, 2008

The best way for most unmarried co-buyers to take legal ownership of a new home is to declare themselves as “tenants-in-common,” rather than “joint tenants.” Read story.

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