May 19th 2011 12:00PM
The housing market stumbled again in April, as tight lending practices continue to hamstring buyers. Existing-home sales fell 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.05 million in April, down from 5.09 million in March, according to the National Association of Realtors. Compared to last April, when buying... Continue Reading »
Aug 12th 2010 6:37PM
Video Transcript First impressions are everything in real estate -- a fact Paul Isolda, an appraiser with 22 years of experience, knows all too well. Isolda has seen every home staging disaster under the sun, from tacky cabinetry to dingy flooring. One discerning glance from him could mean a final appraisal worth... Continue Reading »
Aug 10th 2010 8:54PM
If you want to know what a short sale experience is really like, just ask Erin. In 2005, Erin and her husband, then newly married, purchased their first home, in Sacramento, Calif., for $350,000. Just three years later, her husband's commodities business was in decline and their financial situation soured to the point... Continue Reading »
Aug 10th 2010 5:13PM
When President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Act in late July, he ended the controversial Home Valuation Code of Conduct or HVCC, now set to expire in 90 days. HVCC was implemented in May 2009 by the Federal Housing Financing Agency "as an attempt to improve the independence of appraisers by prohibiting lenders and third... Continue Reading »
Aug 9th 2010 4:17PM
San Francisco resident Mike S. thought he had a handle on the costs associated with home buying. Down payment -- check. Mortgage -- check. HOA dues -- huh? "The dreaded homeowner association dues," as he calls them, would add hundreds of dollars to his monthly nut, an outlay he hadn't figured when he calculated his home... Continue Reading »
