Trying to build or improve your credit score so you can qualify for a mortgage? If so, count the credit cards in your wallet: Too many or too few can negatively affect your score, but there is a sweet... more
It's no secret than lending standards have been tighter since the Great Recession, which started at the hands of loose underwriting rules. But what's the true economic impact of those stricter standar... more
WASHINGTON -- Zoning has often been described as a necessary evil. While it is meant to promote order, the strict application of ordinances can render a property practically useless.... more
New-home buyers usually don't concern themselves with footings, framing, wiring, ventilation and the various and sundry mundane structural items that go into a house. Those things are the province of ... more
Forget about millennials. Everything that can be written about that age cohort has been written. So let's move on to Gen Z. They are mostly teenagers today, but they will be homebuyers tomorrow. Or wi... more
If you have the feeling that it's getting more difficult to afford the roof over your head, whether it's a home of your own or a rented apartment, you're right.... more
Zip lines, velodromes and children-designed play areas are among the hot new amenities uncovered by the John Burns Real Estate Consulting firm in its annual census of master-planned communities.... more
The term "aging in place" refers to the millions of seniors who would rather remain in their longtime homes than pull up stakes and move -- whether to a warmer climate or closer to their children. And... more
Many homeowners don't realize they have private mortgage insurance (PMI). But if you put less than 20 percent down, you are paying it each and every month in order to protect your lender against the p... more
When Vince Barnaba discovered water had flooded his vacation apartment in Ocean City, Maryland, this spring, he did what any homeowner would have done: He had his plumber shut off the water to his uni... more
Two online platforms that allow investors to sell occupied rented single-family homes without disturbing their tenants -- and buy rented houses with tenants already in place -- are among a plethora of... more
John T. Reed is a real estate investor and prolific author. He's also a pain in the backside for the modern-day snake-oil hucksters who peddle get-rich-quick real estate schemes on late-night TV and r... more
Donald's Trump "university" isn't the only school of higher learning in hot water these days. It's joined by the "fix and flip" seminars sold by Armando Montelongo, the onetime star of the A&E series ... more
In the 1980s police drama "Hill Street Blues," Sgt. Phil Esterhaus would begin the show with a warning to the assembled officers at the morning roll call. "Let's be careful out there," he cautioned.... more
The toughest challenge facing people looking to purchase a home this year is other buyers. And the competition is especially rough among first-time buyers who are searching for houses in the lowest pr... more
There's no rule or legal requirement that homebuyers must participate in a final walk-through inspection right before closing. But those who skip it could be making a costly mistake.... more
As part of National Homeownership Month, Shaun and Nicole Avery journeyed from rural Maine to the White House in late June to tell their story about how homeownership education classes helped pave the... more
As the drive to create more affordable housing strengthens, more and more state and local housing authorities are issuing mortgage tax credit certificates (MCCs). These help qualified low- and moderat... more
When the limits on two of Bill Johnson's credit cards were lowered from $20,000 to $6,000, his outstanding balances jumped from a perfectly acceptable 20 percent to a dangerously high 66 percent.... more