Homes & Real Estate

Housing market doing better than headlines indicate

Housing continues on an uptick in the United States despite the depressing headlines. I just picked up a newspaper and saw the headline, "Foreclosures show no sign of decline." If you only read the headlines, you'd think we're still in the midst of a downward spiral. But you'd be mistaken. ...

• 1:43 p.m. Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Modern lightbulbs save money over time

You can save up to $3,000 on your electric bill over time, but it's going to take a little upfront investment on your part. The future of lighting your home is here and Clark's got it in his hand!

• 12:00 a.m. Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Renting out your home or car comes with insurance hassles

Renting out your home or car for extra cash could leave you in a lot of financial hot water with your insurer. I've talked in the past about sites like VRBO.com, HomeAway.com and Airbnb.com as way to get a deal if you're looking for a rental, but also as a ...

• 1:36 p.m. Tuesday, May 15, 2012
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Intown housing will see recovery first

Housing is still suffering around the country, yet I believe recovery is underway. Why do I persist in saying that when the stats seem to point another way? Two reasons really. First, when it comes to the question of distress real estate, the huge losses in value we're seeing are ...

• 1:33 p.m. Friday, May 11, 2012
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Costco to sell individual health insurance, mortgages

With more people losing health coverage at work, Costco wants to fill the gap for its members with individual health insurance policies. The warehouse club is partnering with Aetna for what's called Costco Personal Health Insurance. Aetna has publicly stated that they will sell five varieties of plans to Costco ...

• 2:36 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, 2012
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New scam with rental properties

If you're looking to rent a house, how can you be sure your landlord is legit and not a con artist posing as a landlord? Clark warns renters about a new scam that's hot in foreclosure markets.

• 12:00 a.m. Monday, May 7, 2012

Gotchas for new homebuyers

People are buying new homes again, but there are a couple of gotchas you've got to look out for. About a year ago, I told you that Wall Street firms had been inserting a new, hidden resale fee into the paperwork when homebuyers purchased new homes from developers. The firms ...

• 2:51 p.m. Friday, May 4, 2012

Air conditioning company agrees to $395,000 settlement

If your air conditioning breaks, get ready for the con artists. The Arizona Republic reports an HVAC company out of Memphis, Tenn., agreed to a $395,000 settlement with the state of Arizona because they were ripping people off. This company, which operated under several names, was lying about selling equipment ...

• 1:37 p.m. Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Rent control is an enemy of capitalism

Rent control is an enemy of people finding affordable, decent housing and of capitalism itself. When I was in college during the early '70s, I paid $249/month for a rent-controlled apartment in Silver Spring, Md. Despite near galloping inflation, my rent only reset from $249 to $257 at that time. ...

• 2:36 p.m. Monday, April 30, 2012

Real estate recovery is local

Real estate is going back to being local in a big way, according to a new report from Kiplinger. In an article titled 'A Tale of Two Housing Recoveries,' Kiplinger paints a picture of a nation where 30 to 38 states are having a meaningful recovery at the same that ...

• 1:51 p.m. Friday, April 27, 2012