Scanning the foreclosure listings to snap up your dream home on the cheap? It's tempting indeed to take the bottom-fisher route, especially when bank-owned deals are so plentiful and annual housing prices in 20 major cities combined declined 3.8 percent in January, according to the closely watched S&P/Case-Shiller ... Continue Reading »

As the Iowa Republican caucus hogs the media spotlight, a less reported but perhaps equally compelling story continues to unfold in the Hawkeye State. While most of the country continues to struggle with the aftershocks of the housing meltdown, Iowa is riding the wave of a remarkable real estate boom. Republican primary ... Continue Reading »

What if you could buy a house for $25,000 in a neighborhood that wasn't a battle-scarred slum and rent it out for $750 a month as soon as the ink was dry on the deal? Where are these deals that let you recapture your investment in just three years and from then on enjoy a steady monthly income from the property? If ... Continue Reading »

The economic downturn has caused pain for countless American homeowners and wreaked havoc on businesses small and large. But there's one segment of the population that just continues to do better and better: real estate investors. For proof, look no further than the latest real-estate reality programming, "Flip Men," in ... Continue Reading »

This may fall under the category of "too much of a good thing," but there is growing sentiment that the historically low interest rates on mortgages are actually fueling the stagnation of the housing market. By keeping rates low, the hope was that more people would be motivated to buy homes. And when that didn't happen, ... Continue Reading »

AOL Real Estate asked Utah-based real estate investors Doug Clark and Mike Bard, whose show "Flip Men" premieres this week on Spike TV, for tips on how to flip a foreclosed home. Here's what they had to say to novice investors: 1. Pick a property that is well within your means. Don't allow yourself to get too ... Continue Reading »

It's no secret that one of the few bright spots in the housing market today comes from all-cash buyers, many of whom are foreign investors. But a new bipartisan bill in the Senate aims to take this trend to its most logical (and controversial) end -- buy a house and you'll qualify for a resident visa in the U.S. The ... Continue Reading »

With home prices and mortgage rates surfing the bottom of the real estate trough, it's no surprise that folks with money to spend are jumping into the investment market. According to a recent study by Move.com, real estate investors are buying three houses for every one house bought by someone for their personal use. And ... Continue Reading »

There were plenty of people to blame for the housing bubble -- our politicians, the big banks, average American homeowners, and of course, the investors and the speculators. Many acted like the market would keep climbing forever, ignoring the reality that was staring us in the face all along -- fundamentals matter. I ... Continue Reading »

Andy Buman, 29, got interested in real estate a few years ago while working in construction. Since then, he has purchased two bank-owned single-family homes near Omaha, Neb., as rentals, and last fall bought a primary residence for himself and his fiancée, Valerie (both pictured at left). He has managed to save ... Continue Reading »

Give it to central Indiana real estate agent Jeanne Clarkson for thinking outside the lockbox. The former eBay power seller has packaged three buildings and posted them to the popular online site where the public can buy just about everything -- including, thanks to her, a bank building in the town of Anderson, Ind. ... Continue Reading »

Thought Snooki and her partners cornered the market on conspicuous consumption? Then you haven't seen this Jersey Shore mansion. With 22 rooms, a 15-car-garage and 650 feet of beachfront (provided Hurricane Irene didn't do any re-landscaping), the place gives the reality-TV cast a run for their booze-soaked bills. ... Continue Reading »

Flipping through the Detroit MLS these days produces some sad-trombone listings, but we keep coming back to a 10,395-square-foot baronial Tudor listed for $759,000. Since not even the Motor City can stay woeful forever (that's our inner Pollyanna speaking), we decided to feature what appears to be a steal. Yes, it is ... Continue Reading »

Many investors have Miami Beach in their sights, so we thought we'd do a little bargain-hunting ourselves. We turned up this uber-sophisticated 20th-floor condo on Miami Beach's Millionaires' Row with a price tag of $1.2 million. At the market's peak, it would have been listed at least 30 percent more. ... Continue Reading »

The closest thing to a sure bet in real estate may be going to college. Investments in college towns -- places where the community is shaped by a university's presence -- have done well while other niches in the housing market have, for the most part, fallen off the Dean's List. It comes down to the basic law of ... Continue Reading »