Will real estate ever be a 'safe' investment again?
We'll never again see the sort of guaranteed high returns on real estate that defined the last 50 years, say experts. Time to retire the phrase "safe as houses"?
"There is no iron law that real estate must appreciate," says Zillow chief economist Stan Humphries, in a New York Times "eulogy" for the housing market. According to experts quoted in the piece, the post–World War II era of good times in residential real... More
Is the McMansion dead?
Americans are downsizing. Does that mean the end of huge houses on tiny lots?
"The McMansion era is over," says real estate website Trulia, citing research that shows only 9 percent of potential homebuyers want to purchase a house that is 3,200 square feet or larger. On top of that, cities and towns are increasingly passing ordinances banning... More
Waking up from the American dream
Will fixing the mortgage market mean that fewer Americans can own their homes? Would that even be a bad thing?
Looking to shore up the market for home loans, the Obama administration on Tuesday held a conference on fixing the system at the heart of the credit crisis. Some Republicans want to get rid of the massive government-backed lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, while... More
Obama's 'August surprise': A 'gigantic' Main Street bailout?
The Obama team is rumored to be working up an $800 billion mortgage-reduction scheme through Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae
"Main Street may be about to get its own gigantic bailout," says Reuters blogger James Pethokoukis, if Wall Street rumors of an Obama administration "August surprise" are true. The speculation is that Obama will order Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to forgive a portion... More
Housing crisis, Round 2?
Builders are getting gloomier as home sales drop. Will the housing market get worse before it gets better?
After a record drop in home sales in May, builders' confidence in the housing market has sunk to its lowest level since the recession began. The expiration of the government's home-buyer tax credit — a key element of the economic stimulus program —... More
'Force me out if you can': Homeowners vs. banks
More and more Americans are simply blowing off their mortgage payments. Are they just serving lenders their just desserts?
A growing number of homeowners — particularly those whose properties have plunged in value in recent years — are voluntarily ceasing payments on their mortgages and telling banks, "Force me out if you can," reports The New York Times. These loud-and... More
Should Congress extend the home-buyer tax credit?
After one extension, the home-buyer tax credit aiming to boost housing demand is due to expire in a month. Will it do any good to extend it again?
The housing recovery is approaching a critical test, as the clock ticks toward the expiration of home-buyer tax credit at the end of April. The credit -- up to $8,000 for first-time homebuyers and $6,500 for some people trading up -- has already been extended once... More
Is ditching your mortgage immoral?
The ethical implications behind walking away when you owe more than your house is worth
After showing signs of recovery, the real estate market appears to be stalling again. Prices have plunged so far in the last three years that by June 5. 1 million Americans will have homes worth less than 75 percent of what they owe on the mortgage. Given the math... More
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