In an effort to end the foreclosure crisis, the Obama administration has been trying to keep defaulting owners in their homes. Now it will take a new approach: paying some of them to leave. This latest program, which will allow owners... (Continue reading)
San Diegans who have lost their homes through foreclosure or short-sales thought they had emerged from the dark times and could start rebuilding their lives. Then the state tax man came calling. With less than six weeks before taxes are... (Continue reading)
The pressure is increasing on Congress to renew the homebuyer tax credits for a third time. The first $7,500 tax credit was passed in 2008 and required first-time buyers to repay the credit over 15 years. A few months later in... (Continue reading)
San Diego County’s housing affordability has again dipped below the 50 percent level, the National Association of Home Builders said yesterday. The 48.1 score in the Housing Opportunity Index represents the percentage of homes sold in the fourth quarter that a... (Continue reading)
U.S. home values declined another 5 percent in the fourth quarter, compared to the previous year. This was the 12th straight quarter of year-over-year declines, reported Zillow.com. More than 29 percent of homes sold in 2009 in the... (Continue reading)
Will paying underwater borrowers to keep meeting their mortgage obligations prevent them from walking away? Loan Value Group LLC says it is working with a major mortgage lender to test this theory. Here’s the plan. The mortgage investor offers a cash reward... (Continue reading)
Pending home sales have leveled from a market swing driven by response to the home buyer tax credit, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in December, increased 1... (Continue reading)
Home designers and builders speaking at the recent International Builders Show in Las Vegas say that buyers are seeking cost-effective features and rejecting things that don’t have lasting value. “It’s all about family togetherness – casual living, entertaining and flexible spaces,”... (Continue reading)
Here are 10 cheap ways to make a property more attractive to shoppers. Improve first impressions. Touch up the paint on the front door and other areas that buyers see first. Clean up the landscaping. Trim the hedges and trees and plant... (Continue reading)
WASHINGTON — Sales of previously occupied homes took the largest monthly drop in more than 40 years last month, sinking more dramatically than expected after lawmakers gave buyers additional time to use a tax credit. The report reflects a sharp drop... (Continue reading)