Mortgage Brokers — Another Kind of Scam?

For most prospective investors or residential buyers, the route to a mortgage loan typically begins with a bank or credit union – the tried and true way to finance a property purchase. But as the loan process becomes more complex and buyers with iffy credit remain...

Banks Tighten Standards — And Harm the Housing Recovery?

After the housing crash of a few years ago exposed the shifty underbelly of lending practices at the nation’s major banks, those institutions have been – albeit reluctantly – cleaning up their act with greater accountability and tighter lending standards aimed at...

Does the American Dream Hurt Growth?

Owning a home has long been a part of the cherished “American Dream” – a place to raise a family and grow old in comfort and security. But a controversial new study by a couple of economists is challenging that notion with some surprising findings about the...

Smart Choices Minimize Real Estate Risk

Everybody needs a place to live, says Jason Hartman, and that’s why real estate remains a solid investment that can weather many of the ups and downs of the economy in general. And now, continued low interest rates and a housing market on the rebound combine to create...

No End to the Fed’s Securities Buyup?

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Although in recent months the Federal; Reserve has announced plans to scale back on its massive monthly purchase of mortgage backed securities, a new Reuters article on the state of the US economic recovery reports...