In the bad old days of the housing collapse, subprime mortgages were blamed as a major cause of the rush of foreclosures into the housing market and the subsequent downturn of the housing industry as a whole. As mortgage lenders have cleaned up their act, these risky...
More evidence of a housing market recovery comes with news from a recent MarketWatch report that, by the end of 2012, the US housing market had seen five consecutive quarters of home value appreciation – the largest yearly gain since 2006. But according to industry...
Once reserved for only the highest of income brackets, the alternative minimum tax (AMT) now threatens middle-income taxpayers with the possibility of a bigger tax bite. Because this tax alternative, originally designed to close loopholes that let the very rich avoid...
The recovery of the housing market continues apace, prodded by an array of Federal interventions aimed at keeping mortgage rates low and propping up vulnerable homeowners who might otherwise end up in foreclosure. Now, the government is ushering in the New Year with a...
Retiring abroad is the hot new trend in retirement planning. Numerous guides and resources encourage new retirees to embrace a low-cost, low-stress lifestyle in another country where, expatriates say, it’s possible to get inexpensive medical care while saving pension...
Rising home prices, limited inventory and low mortgage interest rates are being hailed as more encouraging signs of the recovery of the housing market. But a closer look at the factors driving this apparent rebound suggests that the much-anticipated “recovery” may be...
Rockport by the Sea. Whitecrest, Quarry House. In earlier times, only the great country estates were worthy of bearing a name. But now, US homes both large and small are carrying names both stately and whimsical – and the trend may mean big bucks when the property is...
Recent surges in the price of gold, paired with difficulty in the stock marketing following the financial collapse of 2008 have prompted many to jump onto the bandwagon of commodity investing. The logic behind this move is difficult to deny. The government is in the...
The housing recovery is back on track – or is it? Indicators such as rising prices and low inventory of available houses for sale in many markets appear to suggest that the effects of the hosing collapse of a few years ago are fading. But some industry professionals...
In spite of continued low interest rates, mortgage applications remain slow in many areas of the US housing market. So, after the series of scandals, settlements and new regulations that marked the aftermath of the housing collapse of 2008, leading mortgage servicers...
