Good news: The housing market is looking up. Bad news: Nearly 11 million mortgages are still underwater. More good news: Real help for those homeowners is finally available. More bad news: Getting that help can be baffling. Extra good news: Jean Chatzky's here to help.
It might not be the right method for everyone seeking a home loan, but it worked for one Georgia couple: A music video that went viral got Bank of America to close on Ken and Meredith Williams' long-delayed mortgage.
Attitudes toward mortgage default are shifting in America. People who've never missed a payment on anything in their lives are walking away from underwater homes, even when they can afford their monthly payments, because staying doesn't make financial sense. But how good a business decision is a strategic default?
Mortgage rates have hit an all-time low according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The drop has done little to help new home sales, but it did cause a surge in refinancings.
With interest rates dipping to historic lows, many homeowners are refinancing their mortgages to shorten either the terms of their loans or their monthly payments. Here's what you need to know to decide whether refinancing now is right for you.
