Real Estate

This week's abrupt drop in mortgage rates will provide an opportunity for some borrowers to refinance. But a large-scale refinancing boom is unlikely. A good candidate for a refinance is a homeowner who: has good credit; owns a house that is worth substantially more than the outstanding debt on it; earns enough to repay the loan and can prove it; isn't overburdened by student, Read more...

If flipping a house in today's real estate market seems riskier than trekking with a ragtag band of hobbits to Mordor, take heart: Home flippers can still find plenty of opportunities, though they're not entirely without risk. It may seem counterintuitive to invest in real estate when the housing market is in its darkest hour. But in fact, it may prove to be the most optimal time for such a Read more...

Behind on your mortgage? The federal government might fast track a way to reduce your monthly house payment. If you're current on your mortgage, and didn't borrow more than you could repay, the federal government thanks you for your responsibility. That and four bucks will buy you a cappuccino. Under the express modification program, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and some lenders will offer to Read more...

Whether you're a homebuyer, seller or an owner, you probably have one central question about this market: Where are prices headed from here? You can gain some insight into the pricing puzzle by focusing not just on home values, but on rental rates. Housing economists have long used a home price/rent ratio as one way to gauge whether or not home prices are inflated or Read more...

The basketball gods were smiling on Trenton Hassell when the Dallas Mavericks acquired the 6-foot-5-inch swingman from the Minnesota Timberwolves last September. After all, Dallas still had Dirk Nowitzki and much of the nucleus that took them to the 2006 NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the eternally struggling T-Wolves had just dealt their lone superstar, Kevin Garnett, to the Boston Read more...

About a year and a half ago, Tom Runge and his wife, Cathy Woods, put their Auburn, Wash., home up for sale. Woods had taken a new telecommuting-friendly position and the couple planned to move to Portland, Maine, where they could more easily afford some investment property. The situation seemed ideal, but there was just one problem: Their four-bedroom Washington house didn't Read more...

Owners of multiple homes need to mark Jan. 1, 2009, on their calendars. That's the day that the rules change when it comes to how much profit you might be able to keep out of IRS hands when you sell. One of the most cherished parts of the U.S. tax code is the provision that allows sellers to exclude up to $250,000, or $500,000 if they file a joint return, of profit they make when they sell Read more...

A dramatic drop in mortgage rates has motivated some homeowners to wonder if they should refinance. A better question might be: Are they able to refinance? Back when house prices were zooming upward, it was easy to refinance a mortgage. Lending standards were loose: You could borrow 100 percent of the home's value, you didn't have to document your income, and no one cared if you had a few Read more...