A year or two ago, when a multitude of homes were on the market, many people couldn't be arm-twisted into making a purchase. Yet now that inventories have dwindled dramatically, things have changed.... more
Joyce Bytof, a long-time real estate broker, has 23 grandchildren age 25 to 34. As a strong advocate for homeownership, she's on a mission to persuade all of them to buy a place of their own.... more
More than a million real estate agents belong to the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org), but a number have become inactive in recent years.... more
Do you hanker to trade your modest home for a majestic manse with a regal entrance, tall ceilings, a gourmet kitchen, five bedrooms, and a circular driveway out front?... more
Are you planning to sell your home in the new year? If so, real estate specialists say it's crucial that you do all the repairs and improvements needed before your property hits the market. That means... more
Are you a wannabe home seller who planned to get your place on the market during the spring-summer selling season but are only now ready to sell? If so, don't despair. It's still very possible to stri... more
Few would have believed it just a few short years ago, but the housing recovery has come far enough that in an increasing number of popular neighborhoods, buyers must now compete with rival bidders.... more
As the economy heals, more people who've lost a job are finding new work, albeit often in a distant location. But moving for work often means selling a beloved home, and that transition can be painful... more
A housing recovery is underway. Given that home prices are reasonable and mortgage rates favorable, real estate experts say it's a positive time to make a purchase. Yet many young singles and couples ... more
For years, a couple in their early 50s -- an IT manager married to a nurse -- yearned to leave their ho-hum house for a historic place with charm and character. So after paying off their only child's ... more
In an increasing number of neighborhoods, property is starting to move off the market more quickly than before, and prices are ascending. Yet in many areas, demand is strongest for detached, single-fa... more
Are you a retired or nearly retired person whose life revolves around the grandkids? Do your friends joke that you've scaled back your career to become a "professional grandparent"? Yet are financial ... more
Five years ago, when a business executive in his 50s was hired as the CEO of a suburban hospital, his salary soared. To keep his commute short, he opted to live near his work, in a neighborhood of mod... more
Record numbers of Americans now run small businesses from home. And many more companies let employees work part- or full-time from their residences. As a result, more people than ever maintain home of... more
These days it's not an uncommon conundrum: A woman who owns a home of her own becomes engaged to a man who also possesses a property. Once wed, they suddenly face perplexing questions -- Should they s... more
A widow in her late 80s had lived in her classic colonial for more than 40 years before resolving to move to an assisted-living residence in another state. One day her grown children arrived with a tr... more
Now that their four children are finally through college, a construction company executive and his wife, a hospice nurse, are eagerly searching for the much larger and glitzier house they couldn't aff... more
Home prices are climbing again, and one of the nation's leading property valuation experts says now might be a good time to consider selling your home.... more
In recent years, turbulence in real estate markets has caused many older homeowners to delay plans to sell. But as the housing recovery gets underway, all that could change in a major way.... more
He's a newly minted Ph.D. who recently landed a solid teaching job at a major university in a city he loves. He's ready to settle down and buy a condo. But after months of looking at real estate, he's... more
A discount store manager and his wife, a post office clerk, had long searched for an affordable house for their retirement years. So they were thrilled when they found a property that seemed perfect: ... more
She's a 28-year-old health care administrator with a steady job, and she's eager to move out of her parents' house. Her dream? To buy a modest yet well-kept first home with a fenced yard where her ter... more
For several months, a nurse and her accountant husband tried in vain to sell their yellow stucco house in an upscale neighborhood. But it was only after their real estate agent began promoting the hom... more
For several months, a nurse and her accountant husband tried in vain to sell their yellow stucco house in an upscale neighborhood. But it was only after their real estate agent began promoting the hom... more
Many 20-somethings are understandably fearful about buying a home. After all, everyone seems to know someone who's had a house taken away through foreclosure. Yet despite that scary image, many young ... more
Despite exceedingly low mortgage rates and more affordable property prices, some families seeking to buy a first home must scale back their expectations. That's because their household income has also... more