Negative Equity: Options If You're Upside Down in Your Mortgage" alt="Negative Equity: Options If You're Upside Down in Your Mortgage" />

More Americans find themselves in a position of negative equity -- owing more on a mortgage than the home is currently worth. By itself, negative equity isn't necessarily trouble. Those who can afford their monthly mortgage payments and have a safe loan structure can wait out the market until home values improve. For ... Continue Reading »

Home Appraisals: 5 New Truths" alt="Home Appraisals: 5 New Truths" />

Do you know how much your home is really worth today? Have foreclosures affected its value? Can you trust the appraisal? "Homeowners don't know what's going on around them anymore," says Kim Bradley, of Marquee Properties, a full service realty company in Northern Virginia. A lot of the confusion centers on ... Continue Reading »

Foreclosure Eviction: What It Means for Renters" alt="Foreclosure Eviction: What It Means for Renters" />

Renters now have legal rights against eviction due to foreclosure, but not necessarily housing security. New laws give renters a reasonable 90-day notice of foreclosure eviction and, in most cases, protect their lease agreement. However, both of these safeguards still can be circumvented. While the foreclosure laws ... Continue Reading »

Are You Paying Too Much for Your Rental?" alt="Are You Paying Too Much for Your Rental?" />

Paying too much for rent will only bring on debt. Yet some fail to make this connection. Such a hefty rent might get paid every month, but there will be nothing left to cover gas, food, utilities. Before leasing a "financial burden," or just getting by every paycheck, consider the benefits of figuring out an affordable ... Continue Reading »

Home Staging on a Dime" alt="Home Staging on a Dime" />

You don't need granite countertops and state-of-the-art appliances to sell your house. A few home-staging concepts put into practice can help your home sale get off the ground. Instead of lowering the price on a townhome that wouldn't sell, Northern Virginia realtor Pat Hupp turned to basic home-staging concepts to deal ... Continue Reading »