People shopping for new, more spacious single-family houses where they can hunker down during the pandemic may be overlooking places that meet most, if not all, of their needs: town houses and condomi... more

When it comes to credit scores, low-income folks have far less knowledge, according to the results of a recent quiz developed by the Consumer Federation of America and VantageScore. But even high-inco... more

This year has been a moving experience. For one thing, it has been mentally taxing, what with the virus and all. For another, more people than ever are switching addresses -- many as they try to get a... more

Despite lifelines thrown their way by Congress, the Urban Institute counts roughly 400,000 homeowners who are delinquent on their mortgages, but who have failed to take advantage of any payment forbea... more

Two relatively small housing submarkets are starting to show signs of strengthening. One of those markets: renters looking for more space, both inside and out. The other: people looking to get away fr... more

Housing prices are rising so fast -- “too fast,” as the chief economist at the National Association of Realtors said recently -- that they are all but obliterating any gains buyers are seeing from rec... more

“The height of sophistication is simplicity.” -- Clare Boothe Luce... more

Louisiana agent John Martin once attached a “Not Haunted” placard on a for-sale sign in front of one of his listings. On another occasion, the St. Ignatius Catholic School in Yardley, Pennsylvania, pl... more

Is your real estate agent packing? Not filling boxes to help you move, but “packing heat” -- as in carrying a gun?... more

There’s good news for mortgage applicants who don’t fit into the precise mold demanded by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: After pulling back at the start of the pandemic in March, other lenders are return... more

Working out of our homes has been part of the American culture since the country was founded. But the pandemic has forced more of us than usual to do so. And some folks who have lost their jobs as a r... more

Most professions restrict the payment of referral fees. But they run rampant, and are somewhat controversial, in real estate.... more

Sellers who need to bring their kitchens up to date, repair foundation cracks or make other fixes before putting their places on the market might not have to reach into their own pockets to do so. Ove... more

Add a former get-rich-quick-with-real-estate pitchman on the A&E cable network to the laundry list of realty gurus who have found themselves in the crosshairs of the country’s top consumer watchdog ag... more

Navy Lt. Dwight Carter (name has been changed) was excited to report to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2018. He’d been selected to attend the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College there, and was l... more

The number of homeowners seeking mortgage forbearance fell for at least eight straight weeks this summer. But that decline masks a couple of other important trends.... more

More and more buyers are placing offers on houses they’ve never visited in person -- the most on record, according to a new report. And the trend is likely to continue as people try to work around the... more

With mortgage rates falling below 3% for the first time in five decades, would-be homebuyers are chomping at the bit to get out there and find new places. But when they finally do jump off the sidelin... more

Would-be buyers who venture forth over the next several months are likely to find the number of houses for sale so sparse that they’ll end up bidding against each other for the best properties.... more

Investors in private mortgages are licking their chops over what some see as a pending tidal wave of note sales in the coming months.... more

There’s lots of good information on real estate websites, but ratings of individual agents probably aren’t worth much.... more

Buyers these days go online to discover what’s available. And with the pandemic still very much a concern, they tend to visit the houses they find appealing by taking a virtual tour rather than an in-... more

If it ain’t broke, why fix it?... more

At last count, some 4.7 million homeowners were in some kind of forbearance plan. That represents almost 9% of all mortgages. Taken together, just over $1 trillion in principal has gone unpaid during ... more

An opportunity for first-time buyers to find houses priced below market value is presenting itself in a number of places across the country.... more

If you are stuck in your house, gazing furtively at all the things you don’t like about it, you’re not alone. Homeowners across the country are seeing things that need to be repaired, replaced and imp... more

It may be too early to forecast exactly what lies ahead for the housing market once COVID-19 passes into the history books. But at this point, the sector seems poised to retake its place in leading th... more

Much has been written about government abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plenty has been said, too, about how some well-heeled businesses have snatched up government loans intended for smaller, loca... more