New-Home Sales Rise 4.9% To Highest Level This Year
Although economists expected a cooling as part of the general housing slowdown, April marked the second straight monthly gain in sales. The government cautions that its housing data are subject to large sampling and other statistical errors, and that it can take six months for a trend to emerge. More »
Ways to Save Money This Summer By Cutting Your Energy Bills
Technology is making it easier (and cheaper) to conserve power in your home thanks to everything from using more efficient appliances to installing solar panels on your roof. More »
Former Steel-Mill Worker Profits From Renting Homes to Students
Jane Hodges profiles a Seattle Internet marketing consultant and Web developer whose investment in local real estate allowed him to leave his job and start a new career. More »
Hot Housing Markets Start to Cool, While Others Begin to Heat Up
The five-year bull run finally appears to be winding down But while some homeowners scramble as sales in their areas slow, others count their profits as buyer demand increases. More »
Georgia man gets 20 years in prison for mortgage fraud
Defendant also sentenced on charges of escape from federal prison More »
Oxley probes alleged threats against Colorado official
Requests LandAmerica provide documents related to insurance regulator More »
Existing-Home Sales Fall 2%; Inventories at an Eight-Year High
The market is at "a delicate juncture," says David Lereah, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. Parts of the country -- places like Florida, California and Arizona -- are cooling, whereas areas like Texas, Utah and New Mexico are heating up, he says. More »
As Tech Rebounds, Execs Sink Money Into Hawaiian Homes
Rising technology stocks and stock-option gains are back and some of the proceeds are again going into real estate far from Silicon Valley. In Hawaii, for example, Salesforce.com's CEO is building a 7,606-square-foot village-like vacation residence. More »
Pitfalls to Consider Before Buying That Caribbean Retreat
A vacation getaway in places like the Dominican Republic might be cheap -- in some cases, an apartment in a beachfront town can be had for $50,000 or less -- but there are tradeoffs. Along with that island lifestyle may come unclean water, rampant poverty and crime, to name a few. More »
Tough Fannie report could push bill in Congress (Reuters)
Reuters - A scathing report on Fannie Mae's nearly $11 billion accounting scandal could give Congress the spark needed to push legislation overhauling supervision of the mortgage finance giant, sources said on Tuesday. More »
US blames Fannie management (Reuters)
Reuters - Mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae will pay a $400 million fine after a U.S. probe of its $11 billion accounting scandal blamed management, the board and an "arrogant and unethical" culture for massive profit manipulation. More »
Fannie Mae to pay 400 million dollar fine in accounting scandal (AFP)
AFP - US mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae agreed to pay a 400-million-dollar fine for massive accounting violations, officials said, after an audit reported "an arrogant and unethical corporate culture." More »
Key Features of Report on Fannie Mae (AP)
AP - Key findings of a report on mortgage giant Fannie Mae released Tuesday by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight: More »