Jed Kolko is the chief economist for online listings site Trulia. This article originally appeared on the Trulia Trends blog. Spring house-hunting season is upon us. Home searches peak in March and April, and this year the search is especially frantic as inventory is near a 12-year low. Many homes don't stay on the ... Continue Reading »

Devon Fleming said that she thought she had found the perfect roommate. The woman seemed smart, was easy to spend time with, and the two shared many mutual friends. It was an almost serendipitous situation: The roommate had just broken up with her boyfriend and Fleming had an extra room in her apartment in Manhattan's ... Continue Reading »

Home prices have been soaring as the housing market recovers, so it begs the question: Is buying still cheaper than renting? Continue Reading »

A renter in St. Louis Park, Minn., claims that his landlord is giving him the boot over his lawful right to bear arms. Sean Blakley legally owns and stores several firearms in the room that he rents at a house with other tenants, but he keeps one of them loaded "for my protection," he told KMSP-TV in Minneapolis. That's ... Continue Reading »

Local Realtors say that it's "savvy" for homeowners to take advantage of the swell in short-term rental demand around Austin's South by Southwest festival, and many are making a killing. Continue Reading »

There's no fee for lodging in Austin with this musician -- just an exchange of (undefined} services. Continue Reading »

Few renters have insurance, but this is why you really need it. Continue Reading »

Rats, bed bugs, silverfish, collapsed ceilings and shared bathrooms flooded with smelly water: That's what nearly three dozen tenants are living with in their building in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Most of us wouldn't take more than a second to walk away, but these tenants aren't going anywhere -- because of ... Continue Reading »

An architect has created the smallest studio legally allowed in California. Continue Reading »

When you rent a room in your house, you never know what you'll get. Continue Reading »

Ron Kronenberger, a well-regarded businessman, faces assault charges for allegedly whipping a tenant who owes him $2,800 in rent. Continue Reading »

Residents of an apartment complex in Edmond, Okla., are a bit taken aback after management sent around flyers threatening eviction for anyone who has police sent to their apartment, Tulsa TV station KWTV reported. "If police are called to your apartment for any reason, your lease will be subject to immediate ... Continue Reading »

There's a lot of chatter about the real estate market. A lot of people are saying the housing recovery is moving full steam ahead. Then there are others who warn we're getting into another housing bubble, which could end disastrously once again. Still others say -- no, wait! -- a housing slowdown is imminent. A lot remains ... Continue Reading »

Do you live near a meth lab? Click on the map above to see which counties have the largest number of contaminated sites. By Les Christie Call it crystal, crank or ice -- you don't want to live in a house where methamphetamine was cooked up. Many Americans, however, unwittingly purchase homes or rent apartments ... Continue Reading »

We thought New York listings were bad, but this San Francisco Craigslist ad has taken "annoying" to a whole new unprecedented level. We can understand vegetarians seeking non-meat-eating roommates (though that's still annoying). We can understand the call for "young professionals" to share space with. Heck, we can even ... Continue Reading »