After facing more than two years of ridiculously intense competition for property, homebuyers are starting to experience a more “normal” market.... more
A 59-year-old lawyer owned an impressive Victorian house in a close-in suburb of Washington, D.C. Her exquisitely furnished place was widely admired by family and friends. But the woman yearned for so... more
Far fewer homeowners are now tapping their equity through a cash-out mortgage refinance than just a few weeks ago. That’s despite the fact that since the pandemic began, owners have built up equity at... more
After retiring from their middle management jobs with a health insurance firm, a Colorado couple had one aspiration topping their bucket list. They wished to acquire a second home in downtown Chicago,... more
Since last December, a couple in their early 40s have been struggling to move from a small urban townhouse to a bigger suburban place near a top-rated high school for their two teenagers. But months l... more
For more than the two-year span of the pandemic, a married couple of political consultants worked from their suburban Washington, D.C., home. But by this spring, Zoom fatigue had set in.... more
One month ago, the home-buying quest of a young married couple took on great urgency. Two things spurred the pair -- a nurse married to a scientist -- to buy a condo in Chicago’s Logan Square. One was... more
Real estate pros say that a high priority on many homebuyers’ lists is an inviting home office, due to an increasing number of people working from home.... more
This spring’s super-charged sellers' market has buyers learning the hard lessons of compromise. With available homes in short supply and prices rising, buyers must distinguish between wants and needs.... more
Ten years ago, a retired U.S. diplomat bought a small Cape Cod in a friendly tree-lined neighborhood within walking distance of a library, post office and grocery store. Then 60, he imagined living th... more
Back in March 2020, a computer programmer and her boyfriend, a finance specialist, set out confidently to visit an open house in suburban Boston. But arriving at the 120-year-old property, the young c... more
Choosing the right home is a mammoth decision, with ramifications for both your finances and lifestyle. It’s not a choice to be made hurriedly. But given the tight real estate market, many buyers are ... more
A couple in their late 60s, a teacher married to a hospital CEO, are eager to free themselves of upkeep on their huge colonial house. They’d like to sell and downsize to a small villa in an over-55 co... more
In many ways, 2021 disappointed pandemic-weary young families longing for larger housing. In their quest to buy a bigger place, many competed in fiercely fought bidding wars. Yet due to a shortage of ... more
After hitting 65, a divorced doctor in a New York City suburb began ruminating about the possible sale of the spacious Tudor where she’d raised her two children.... more
Many renters in their 30s have been struggling to buy a house since the pandemic hit in 2020. This was the year they hoped for relief. Yet, affordability challenges keep mounting.... more
For many would-be homebuyers, 2021 was exasperating beyond belief. Especially frustrated were those who lost out to other buyers in round after round of bidding wars.... more
All across America, families with school-age kids are at wits’ end. Classes are on and off with little notice. More people are home more of the time. After many hours in crowded quarters, some parents... more