You're one of the millions of consumers who have erased financial hardships by filing for bankruptcy. Now what? If you're earnest about getting your fiscal house in order, you will be welcomed back into the world of credit, car loans and home mortgages by proving that you're no longer the credit risk you once were. But it will take time, patience and a whole lot of discipline.
A foreclosed home might be your best investment right now, according to Michael Murphy, editor of the New World Investor stock newsletter. In a column for MarketWatch this week, he explains why. But some housing markets are better than others for finding foreclosure gems.
If your idea of a dream retirement home is a luxury contemporary overlooking a championship golf course in the desert, you better be prepared for some mighty small block parties: When it comes to retirement living, golf courses are out. And Arizona and Florida aren't the only retirement-relocation hot spots these days. In fact, South and North Carolina now top the preferences of baby boomers who will be retiring in the next decade, according to a survey to be released this week from home builder Del Webb.
The American home is shrinking. Toll the bell for the McMansion. After years of growth, the Census Bureau recently reported that median new home size fell to 2,135 square feet in 2009 after peaking at more than 2,300 earlier in the decade.
Hipotecas en Mexico Comprar Casas Abril 2010 - Infonavit buscará establecer que a partir del último trimestre de este año todas las hipotecas que origine para la adquisición de vivienda nueva cumpla los requisitos para ser hipoteca verde. Este tipo de hipotecas exige que la casa a comprar tenga incluidas algunas ecotecnologías como calentadores solares, todos los focos de tipo ahorrador, bajo consumo de gas, entre otros.
August 2010 - Reasons to Get a Reverse Mortgage - Historically, people have sought reverse mortgages as a way to make ends meet, as they balance the costs of health care, housing and other basic needs in their retirement years.
August 2010 - Reverse Mortgage Falling House Values - With declining home values, people might be less inclined to take out a reverse mortgage these days because the equity in their home has taken a hit, said Stucki, of the National Council on Aging. Typically, people like to tap their home's equity when they have a lot of it.
America's Best Cities To Rent. It's the age-old problem when looking for a place to live: buy or rent?
To see which cities offer the best rental opportunities, real estate website Trulia.com conducted an analysis of the most advantageous ratios between rental prices and home values. Trulia looked at prices for two- bedroom apartments, condos and townhouses for sale and for rent in the 50 largest US metro areas. Total costs include rent and renter's insurance vs. buying a home, which includes down payment, mortgage principal and interest, insurance, closing costs, property tax and applicable tax deductions.
August 2010 - Tapping into Reverse Mortgages - As fees drop, some people tap reverse mortgages as a way to keep their homes.
Upfront fees on reverse mortgages have fallen substantially in recent months, giving homeowners interested in this product a new challenge: how to best compare offers to find the best one.
August 2010 - Increasing numbers of older Americans are seeking out the security and comfort of a continuing-care retirement community. But a new report from the federal Government Accountability Office warns that such assurances often come at a steep price and considerable risk.
The real estate market has yet to rebound from its historic crash. Four years after the housing bubble popped, the American real estate market has yet to launch a sustainable recovery. Although U.S. home prices have improved modestly since the spring of 2009-and certain regional markets have performed even better-sales and values will face renewed downward pressure later this year in the wake of the expiration of the federal home buyer tax credit. Indeed, some analysts expect the bloated inventory and sputtering demand to trigger a "double dip" housing recession, with prices possibly even slipping back below their April 2009 lows.
This disconcerting outlook has materialized despite some optimistic developments within the market. The 30-percent drop in prices has helped restore affordability to a once wildly-overvalued market, putting additional consumers in position to become homeowners. Meanwhile, mortgage financing has grown downright cheap-with rates falling to 50-year lows. "So what's the problem then?" asks Timothy Dwyer, the chief executive officer of Entitle Direct. "What's causing this stagnation in the housing recovery?" Here are six reasons why the housing market hasn't recovered:
The foreclosure crisis is far from over, and new statistics show that in many cities it's bound to get worse before it gets better. In cities like Las Vegas, Nev. where 10% of all home loans are 90 or more days delinquent a new wave of foreclosures is likely to occur in coming months.
Mortgage rates have tumbled to record lows, but high unemployment and job jitters by still-working Americans mean the milestone is unlikely to attract enough borrowers to boost the unsteady housing market, economic and real estate professionals say.
How to Overcome Refinancing Problems - Applications for refinancing that would not have encountered hurdles in years past don't go so smoothly anymore, as the real estate bust and economic downturn have created new obstacles for borrowers.
Hipotecas Modificadas Vuelven a Caer en Mora - Más de la mitad de los prestatarios de Estados Unidos a quienes se les modificó una hipoteca morosa volvieron a atrasarse en sus pagos al cabo de nueve meses, según un informe federal.
Madrid - El Gobierno podría suavizar los criterios de embargo de una hipoteca. El Gobierno está estudiando "muy seriamente" la posibilidad de ampliar los criterios de inembargabilidad de las hipotecas, con el objetivo de echar una mano a las familias con rentas más bajas. Así lo ha anunciado hoy la ministra de Economía y Hacienda Elena Salgado, quien aseguró que esta medida es una ?prioridad? para el Ejecutivo.
Obama's administration's effort to help people in danger of losing their homes is falling flat. More than a third of the 1.24 million borrowers who have enrolled in the $75 billion mortgage modification program have dropped out. That exceeds the number of people who have managed to have their loan payments reduced to help them keep their homes.
Last month alone,155,000 borrowers left the program bringing the total to 436,000 who have dropped out since it began in March 2009. About 340,000 homeowners have received permanent loan modifications and are making payments on time.
The real estate market has yet to rebound from its historic crash. Four years after the housing bubble popped, the American real estate market has yet to launch a sustainable recovery. Although U.S. home prices have improved modestly since the spring of 2009-and certain regional markets have performed even better-sales and values will face renewed downward pressure later this year in the wake of the expiration of the federal home buyer tax credit. Indeed, some analysts expect the bloated inventory and sputtering demand to trigger a "double dip" housing recession, with prices possibly even slipping back below their April 2009 lows.
Obama's administration's effort to help people in danger of losing their homes is falling flat. More than a third of the 1.24 million borrowers who have enrolled in the $75 billion mortgage modification program have dropped out. That exceeds the number of people who have managed to have their loan payments reduced to help them keep their homes.