U.S. Homebuilders' Confidence Climbs in May
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rebounded in May, reflecting improved sales trends during the spring home-selling season.
home buying
Fannie Mae Posts Record $60B Quarterly Profit
Mortgage-backer Fannie Mae will pay a dividend of $59.4 billion to the U.S. Treasury next month, a feat thought unthinkable just a few years ago following a federal bailout.
How Much Financial Advice Do You Really Need?
Despite a troubling national shortfall in retirement savings and the aftereffects of the foreclosure crisis, the answer, to judge from a rash of recent studies, is "not much."
Drop in Interest Rates Boosts Demand for Home Mortgages
Applications for U.S. home mortgages rebounded last week as interest rates pulled back for the first time in three weeks, fresh data show.
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.
Rent or Buy? The Real Question Is, Your Money or Your Freedom?
From apartments and cars to clothing and furniture, huge numbers of 20- to 34-year-olds are choosing to rent their possessions rather than buy. In an uncertain post-recession world, are they making the right financial choice?
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.
