Bernanke Blames Housing Market for Slack Economy" alt="Bernanke Blames Housing Market for Slack Economy" />

The housing market is one of two main factors hindering an economic recovery, Ben Bernanke told a luncheon audience in Arlington, Va., today. The Federal Reserve chairman said, "In some areas, for example, high foreclosure rates have produced significant numbers of vacant properties, depressing surrounding home prices, ... Continue Reading »

NYC's Smallest Apartment Just Got Smaller" alt="NYC's Smallest Apartment Just Got Smaller" />

Until now, the smallest apartment we were aware of was Felice Cohen's New York City pad, as AOL Real Estate documented in "Woman Lives in 90-Square-Foot New York Apartment." Well, real estate observers, let's get even smaller. (See photos and video below.) A fellow named Luke posted photos of his 78-square-foot New ... Continue Reading »

New iPad Tools Ease the House Hunter's Search" alt="New iPad Tools Ease the House Hunter's Search" />

Looking to buy a home this spring? There are plenty of new real estate search tools designed to make your home search a whole lot easier. In the old days, house hunters relied on newspaper classified listings and brokers to hone in on properties that fit their criteria. These days, smartphones, tablets and PCs do all the ... Continue Reading »

Singin' the Blues: Home Prices Set to Music" alt="Singin' the Blues: Home Prices Set to Music" />

The latest Case Shiller Home Price Index may not be music to your ears, but it still sounds pretty good -- that is, when sung as music by a classically trained baritone. In the spirit of radio -- which, of course, can't show you the results in a graph -- the Planet Money team at National Public Radio had the February Case ... Continue Reading »

Mortgage Applications Dip, Or Is It Double Dip?" alt="Mortgage Applications Dip, Or Is It Double Dip?" />

Blame it on mortgage insurance rates. Mortgage applications dropped 5.6 percent from a week earlier as of April 22, reported the Mortgage Bankers Association. This coincided with a hike in FHA loan premiums -- over the past month, applications had risen as home buyers tried to beat the deadline. There also was no adjustment ... Continue Reading »