Only a few of these threats to property values are in a homeowner's control, and it's not always about location. Continue Reading »

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index increased from an 8.1 percent year-over-year gain in January. And annual prices rose in February in all 20 cities for the second month in a row. Continue Reading »

According to real estate firm Redfin, worries of a national housing bubble are not yet founded, but for some cities, a local bubble could b forming. Continue Reading »

There's been some concerns lately about whether reverse mortgages are a safe bet, and this is why it is. Continue Reading »

In the fourth quarter of 2012, the number of homeowners who were able to get out from under negative equity grew significantly, a new report shows. Continue Reading »

By Colin Robertson Mortgages can be viewed very differently. Some see them as a positive financial instrument, a way to free up their money so it can be invested elsewhere, ideally for a better return. Then there are those who view mortgages as the root of all evil, as a debt overhang that must be terminated as ... Continue Reading »

By Jim Avila and Serena Marshall Linda and Jim McMahan said that they could not believe their luck in 1993 when they found their dream house. "We loved it," she said. "It wasn't a huge house, but it was a nice size. ... It had the big trees in the yard. And we have deer in the yard every day, and wild turkeys. ... Continue Reading »

By Les Christie @CNNMoney NEW YORK -- Despite rising home prices, more than 30 percent of borrowers, or close to 16 million homeowners, were underwater on their mortgage during the first quarter, according to Zillow. The percentage of borrowers who owed more on their home than it was worth increased to 31.4 percent ... Continue Reading »

The news that 2011 may go down as the worst year in the past 50 for construction of new homes brought out many a weeping violin. Sorry, the strings on mine must have popped. Yes, I understand that construction jobs -- the ones that are created when builders build new homes -- are a good thing for the economy. But the ... Continue Reading »

Victims of the foreclosure mess and housing crisis are taking to the streets -- literally. Street demonstrations are being planned in 10 cities, and in the crowd at the first one you are going to see Dixie Mitchell, a 74-year-old cancer survivor who refinanced her paid-off home to help one of the foster kids in her care -- ... Continue Reading »

We like to panic as much as the next homeowner, but reading the proclamations each month uttered by the Great Gods of Real Estate -- Case and Shiller -- is simply growing wearisome. Nobody really knows what to make of all the contradictory statistics and reports about home sales and prices that are released every few ... Continue Reading »

While paying down the mortgage is undoubtedly one of the largest financial burdens many Americans have to contend with, it's certainly not the only long-term investment homeowners need to consider. This is particularly true for homeowners nearing their 60s, for whom financial investments made today can have a lasting impact ... Continue Reading »

Not that long ago, people bought one house and stayed put in it. After 30 years, they owned it free and clear, and this was a good thing, so went the thinking. Some folks celebrated with a mortgage-burning party, where they took a match to their mortgage papers and rejoiced. Then along came the housing boom years, and ... Continue Reading »

Peter Safronoff drives a Hyundai and lives in a rental bungalow in Encinitas, Calif., a beach community north of San Diego. At 63, it's not the golden-years lifestyle the financial consultant planned on, but it's the one he has. "I live in a beautiful place, in more modest circumstances," he says, "but at least I know I ... Continue Reading »

Even as the Dallas-Fort Worth area pumps itself up for the excitement of the Super Bowl, it also is experiencing a housing crisis mega-bummer: Distressed home sales hit a new high in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2010, creeping into a record 16 percent of total properties sold by agents in this north Texas area. Dallas-Fort Worth ... Continue Reading »