Home Ownership

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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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

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

New FHA rule regarding old debt and new mortgages

That item on your credit report that kept you from getting a mortgage might not be a problem anymore. It used to be that if you wanted to qualify for a mortgage and you had a $5 fine for an overdue library book, it hurt you as much as if ...

• 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Look for user reviews of local services

Doing a Google or Bing search is great for a lot of things, but using a search engine can put you in the danger zone when you need a repair at your house. Let's say you're looking for a locksmith, a plumber an electrician or another kind of worker. You ...

• 2:26 p.m. Monday, April 16, 2012

Foreclosures being rented by bogus landlords

Con artists have been taking advantage of the housing meltdown by acting as bogus landlords and renting foreclosures. Here's how this typically plays out: A criminal will scout out a neighborhood and find the foreclosures. Then they call a locksmith out to the property and say they locked themselves out. ...

• 1:15 p.m. Thursday, April 12, 2012
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