home buying

Young Adults are Too Broke to Get Loans

Young adults are in less debt than they were a decade ago, but it's not because people under 35 have suddenly become fiscally responsible. It's more likely that their shaky economic status keeps them from qualifying for loans.

Look Who's Buying America Now!

While Americans are still reeling from the housing bust, people from around the globe are scooping up cheap American homes. Over the 12 months that ended in March, nearly 9% of all real estate spending in the U.S. was done by buyers from abroad. Is it "Rising Sun" all over again?

Homeowners Move Away From 30-Year Mortgages

With the historically low interest rates, many homeowners with 30-year mortgages have been leaving their loans for younger models. According to a new report from Freddie Mac, more homeowners are refinancing into 15- and 20-year mortgages than ever before.

Is It Time to Refinance Your Mortgage?

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.

Top 5 U.S. Housing Markets in 2012

With the Standard & Poor's downgrades, the declining stock market, the flat employment figures and Europe's fiscal woes, you might not expect much optimism in the housing market just now. But a few major metropolitan areas should see price increases in the next year, according to a new report.

Before Market Slide, Americans Were Losing Confidence

Even before the latest stock-market plunge, U.S. consumer confidence was already sliding downward, according to a Fannie Mae survey released Monday. Some 70% of respondents say the economy is heading in the wrong direction.

Fed Leaves Rates Alone, Consumers Keep Status Quo

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it would leave interest rates unchanged -- for now. For consumers, that means a holding pattern for the near term, with little impact on borrowing, great rates for mortgages, and no hikes for credit cards. By end of summer, that may change.

Is It Worth It? Buying vs. Renting a Home

The housing market crash has made millions of people reassess their choice of whether to rent or own their home. If you're trying to decide which course is right for you, DailyFinance breaks down the major factors you should consider in our new series, Is It Worth It?

Fannie and Freddie Narrow Earnings Losses, Request More Aid

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both narrowed their losses in the fourth quarter of 2010. But they aren't out of the woods yet: Both of the government-sponsored home-mortgage buyers have requested higher amounts of new federal aid than they did in the previous quarter.

Mortgage Applications Ease Off as 2010 Comes to an End

Mortgage applications slowed down in the week before Christmas and increased the week after, while interest rates rose to a seven-month high, then retreated again, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday. Shifts in refinancing were the key factor.

U.S. Mortgage Rates Reach a Seven-Month High

U.S. mortgage rates have grown for five straight weeks, in the last week hitting their highest levels in seven months. Ten-year Treasury note yields have been climbing on inflation concerns, driving the higher rates.

Home Prices Could Fall 20% More Due to Excess Inventory

For a while, it seemed the housing crisis had been averted. Now, Gary Shilling, president of economic consulting firm A. Gary Shilling & Co., says that things are likely to get worse. He predicts that housing prices could fall another 20%.

Foreclosure Pain Continues Across the U.S.

New data from RealtyTrac shows that the real estate market is still on shaky ground. Banks repossessed 95,364 homes in August -- more than in any month since the beginning of the U.S. mortgage crisis.