Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac now own some 200,000 foreclosed-upon homes, and they're spending $500 million a year on upkeep. That's a lot of lawn mowing. If only there were a cheaper way to get it done -- a way that benefited Americans. Here's an idea ...
A 53-year-old woman got divorced in May, and now, she wants to relocate to a new city and buy a little bungalow for herself and her 100-pound dog. But with her low income, she's wondering whether her best bet to get that home is deplete her retirement savings and buy it with cash. Our experts weigh in.
For real estate buyers who have the cash and credit to take advantage of historically low mortgage rates, there is one market type that tends to be more resilient than others: the college town. Consider investing in one of these 10 student meccas.
The housing crisis continues unabated, and millions of unemployed Americans remain at risk of ending up homeless. But additional government help is arriving from the Obama administration, and nonprofit agencies are making a difference in the efforts of some families to get help from their lenders.
It's simple supply and demand: More people are looking to rent apartments than are buying homes and moving out of them. The result: Rising rents, fewer concessions, and more competition for good apartments. If you're in the rental market -- and more than a third of Americans are -- what can you do?
No credit check, low weekly payments and carry it home today? If you think rent-to-own stores' deals are too good to be true, you're right. They're a ripoff that leave unwary consumers paying the equivalent of up to 311% interest, according to a new investigation by Consumer Reports.
For nearly two years, economists and real estate experts have been on the lookout for the bottom of the housing market. That time is here, says Russell Price, a senior economist with Ameriprise Financial, a financial services company.
Expect to pay more this year for many consumer goods -- from diapers to toothpaste to Big Macs. Just as the typical American family will finally have a few more dollars to spend, inflation will take a chunk of that extra cash.
Renting isn't just for apartments and cars anymore. Americans today are trying to save a few bucks by taking only temporary ownership (or, borrowership) of a whole new array of goods from designer handbags, rims to pimp their rides, iPhones, power tools and, yes, caskets.
Vacancy rates have been declining at apartment buildings across the U.S., sending rents soaring. And because housing makes up a big part of core inflation, those higher rents could translate into a doubling of the inflation rate this year.
For years, the property management business has been stuck in the Dark Ages -- using faxes, paper ledgers and out-of-date spreadsheet software. But as the foreclosure crisis adds millions of people to the rental market, new startup RentJuice is aiming to bring property management into the Internet Age.
Despite new federal laws designed to protect them, many tenants are caught up in foreclosure dramas as building owners struggle to keep their properties. If the real estate market doesn't improve soon, the problem could get even worse.
It's still early, but so far it seems that there are still plenty of good deals for travelers. High-end homes appear to be faring well, but weakness in the investment property market could be a telling indicator.
