ShortSales

Foreclosures Were 26% of Home Sales in Q1 as Short Sales Rose

Homes in some stage of the foreclosure process saw their share of U.S. home sales grow in the first quarter even as sales of bank-owned homes fell. The increase was driven by a spike in short sales, or homes that sell for less than what the owner owed on their mortgage.

How to Stretch Out Foreclosure for Years

Janet's a lawyer who's losing her home, and she knows: When it comes to foreclosure, bureaucracy and paperwork can be your friends. Her foreclosure process has lasted for nearly 900 days, and counting. For homeowners in dire financial straits, her story is a lesson in how to keep a roof over your head as long as possible.

Personal Bankruptcy Filings Fall, but Hold the Applause

In this cloudy economy, we're all constantly hunting through the news and statistics for silver linings. Here's one that looks promising: In the first nine months of 2011, personal bankruptcy filings decreased 10% compared to a year earlier -- but experts say it's nothing to cheer about.

New Face of Foreclosure: Strategic Defaults

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?

Will Latinos Drive the Housing Recovery?

More than any other demographic, Latino homeowners were slammed by the mortgage crisis: Two-thirds of total Hispanic wealth in the U.S. evaporated from 2005 to 2009. But as the fastest growing demographic in the nation, they are also well positioned to power the housing rebound.