After the real estate bubble burst in 2008, it seemed like foreclosed houses could be found in almost every neighborhood across the country. The number of foreclosed homes reached an all-time high in 2010 but has steadily decreased each year since. Nevertheless, as long as there have been mortgages, there have been people unable to pay them. Buyers can get a bargain buying a foreclosed home. But if they’re not cautious, they can get more than they bargained for.

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When you’re planning to sell a home or buy a home—it’s a big deal. Sure, you can do it on your own, but it’s a complicated process and will take up a lot of your time. There are some things that are better left to the experts, and real estate is one of them. 

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The results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia show that homeownership remains cheaper than renting, with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage, in 98 of the 100 largest metro areas in the United States.

In the six years that Trulia has conducted this study, this is the first time that it was cheaper to rent than buy in any of the metropolitan areas.

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Q: I will soon make our final mortgage payment. My wife will retire in two years and I will work to age 67. We are both 60 today. Because I don’t get a pension I really have been looking forward to this final payment. We bought the house 25 years ago, but I shortened the term of the loan by refinancing to a 15-year loan in 2003. Are we doing well to have the mortgage paid off by age 60?

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Every homeowner knows they need a full range of homeowner’s insurance coverage to protect them from the many contingencies that could befall them, from liabilities related to trip hazards, fire, theft and weather events. What about vacation homes? Do these second or seasonal homes need special or heightened types of insurance protection?

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Since the creation of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loans Program, over 22 million veterans have achieved the American Dream of homeownership. Many veterans do not know the details of the program and therefore do not take advantage of the benefits available to them.

If you are a veteran or you know someone who is, here is a breakdown of the VA Home Loan benefits that can be used to achieve the American Dream!

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Every homeowner wants to make sure that they maximize their financial reward when selling their home, but how do you guarantee that you receive the maximum value for your house?

Here are two ways to ensure that you get the highest price possible.

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Consumers who are seriously in the home-buying and -selling market should be mindful of a variety of competing home price estimators. Solely relying on just one price estimate is likely to skew the views of what a particular property will actually transact for. When it comes to online home value estimates, however, the No. 1 caveat for consumers is that these estimates are not a substitute for formal appraisals, comparative market analyses and the in-depth expertise of real estate professionals. Nonetheless, it is important to know the different sources of automated valuation models (or AVMs) and home value estimates available online, so that you can help clients and potential clients understand these estimates in their proper context.

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Home prices have shot up in some areas of the U.S., to the point where buyers need jumbo loans to finance them. In mortgage-speak, jumbo refers to loans that exceed the limits set by the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that buy most home loans and package them for investors.

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Baby boomers are on the cusp of retirement, but the ability to afford their desired lifestyle is at odds with their preferences, according to a recent report by The NHP Foundation (NHPF), an affordable housing nonprofit.

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