The federal government and 49 states have reached a landmark $25 billion foreclosure settlement with the nation’s five largest mortgage lenders, the Department of Justice announced Thursday (February 9th). The joint agreement is the largest federal-state civil settlement ever obtained. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of Housing (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, Iowa Attorney General Tom Mill and [...]

Just one week after President Obama promised “no more red tape” for homeowners looking to refinance, there’s news that mortgage insurance giant Freddie Mac could benefit if banks stonewall their customers. According to an investigation by NPR and ProPublica, the government-sponsored enterprise has spent billions betting homeowners won’t be able to refinance their high-rate mortgages [...]

A recap of the 2011 real estate market and the top 4 real estate New Year’s financial Resolutions with real estate and personal finance advice. Over the past 18 years that we’ve been writing this column, we’ve offered New Year’s Resolutions for home buyer and home sellers, plus New Year’s Financial Resolutions that everyone can use to start [...]

Question: I signed a contract two months ago for a newly-built house with a leading builder. The home will take about four months to build. The builder has not applied for the permit and has not done any of the ground work on the home. The builder told me that until I pay him about [...]

Last week, unemployment claims fell below 400,000 for the fourth week in a row. Which seems like good news, especially since the ranks of those receiving unemployment benefits declined to a three-year low, but the job market is still pretty bleak.

If you own a home, you might want to start thinking about the IRS. There are ways to lighten your tax load whether you’re living in your home or selling it. Here are four top home seller tax tips!

Disaster can strike at any moment, you need to make sure your insurance policies are up to date and that you have the right insurance carrier to help you out after it does.

This week, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) sent a letter to Shaun Donovan, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Timothy Geithner, secretary of the Treasury, and Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council.

Here’s what happens when you bid on property at a tax sale

Thinking about a vacation this summer? One of the hottest trends this year is taking advantage of a wealth of vacation home rental options. Before you make a decision about where to visit, educate yourself with TripAdvisor’s top ten U.S. summer vacation rental escapes.