Nearly 26 percent of all home owners were equity rich in this year’s third quarter, but a floundering 9 percent were seriously underwater, according to Attom Data Solutions.... more

If you lose your house to foreclosure, you don’t necessarily have to lose all hope. And if you are thinking about buying a place that has been repossessed by a lender, you might want to think twice.... more

Moving from one home to another is always a daunting experience. But moving in the dead of winter presents its own sets of problems, with the major headache being the unpredictability of the weather.... more

As an investor in a few rental properties, I always hated depreciation. As a landlord, I also learned -- the hard way -- to despise deferred maintenance.... more

Nobody likes to pay alimony to an ex-spouse. Come Jan. 1, there will be one more reason to hate alimony.... more

The number of homes being built in communities operated by a homeowners’ association (HOA) is rising. But not all the folks who purchase those homes realize what they are getting themselves into.... more

Veterans eligible for financing backed by Uncle Sam’s good faith and credit can borrow up to $453,100 without paying a dime for a down payment. But how about paying nothing out of pocket for closing c... more

You can tell a lot about how a family lives by their refrigerator -- not what’s inside, but what’s hanging on the outside.... more

The price was recently slashed by $1 million for Bill Murray’s mansion from the comedy “Zombieland.” Owner Lee Najjar is now asking just $13.8 million for the property.... more

Some realty professionals speak out of both sides of their mouths, according to new research. A recent study found that some agents, teams and brokers profess to being highly knowledgeable about their... more

According to the FBI, the number of burglaries committed in the first half of 2017 decreased by 6.1 percent from the same period of 2016 -- and by 10.6 percent in metropolitan areas specifically.... more

It often takes 10 weeks for wannabe homebuyers to find the right house -- sometimes much longer, if they’re in a part of the country with low inventory.... more

The decision to buy a home instead of renting may be in your kids’ DNA -- their housing DNA, so to speak.... more

Any number of scams are designed to separate would-be renters from their money. But one recent, rather novel, scheme caught the eye of the Federal Trade Commission, which came down hard on the perpetr... more

New York’s Department of Financial Services recently sent a consumer alert to state residents about the dangers of rent-to-own deals, but the advice applies to everyone considering that path to homeow... more

The mortgage business is ever evolving, with the great thinkers in the housing finance sector always trying to come up with a better mousetrap.... more

The American Dream has become the American Pipe Dream for many wannabe homeowners. Here’s why.... more

What do housing and Beethoven have in common?... more

Many homebuyers, particularly first-timers, often question the need for mortgage-related escrow accounts. “Why can’t I pay the charges myself?” they wonder.... more

Anyone who has ever moved from one residence to another probably has a tale to tell about an unscrupulous mover.... more

When Rodrigo Lopez snuck into this country 25 years ago, there wasn’t the controversy there is today about undocumented immigrants. He put down roots, becoming a homeowner in 2004.... more

People searching for newly constructed homes on the popular Zillow and Trulia websites are not likely to find all the places that are available.... more

Faster is often better -- but not always.... more

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac helped “save” more than 68,000 borrowers from foreclosure in this year’s first quarter by modifying their loans so the payments are more affordable.... more

Appraisals are sometimes a big issue for buyers and sellers. Never mind that there’s a shortage of journeymen appraisers, which is why it sometimes takes weeks to obtain a valuation. That alone is a m... more

As too many homeowners have learned after a major loss, obtaining a full and fair settlement from their insurance companies isn’t a given.... more

One of the main reasons for the lack of homes for sale is that people don’t want to give up their low-interest-rate mortgages. Another reason for the low inventory: Folks are leery about being able to... more

Regular readers of this column may remember a story from a little over a year ago about Crystal Lagoons, a Santiago, Chile-based company which builds huge water features on what are otherwise landlock... more