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• Finding a 40 Year Mortgage – They’re a bit harder to find than their 30-year cousins, but a credit union or mortgage broker should help, says Dr. Don.
• Manufactured Homes – Not Tin Cans on Wheels – Factory-built homes have suffered an image problem, but experts say they’ve become good investments. One hurdle that remains is financing.
• Rental Property Manager – Yes or No? – It’s a lot of work to do it yourself, but it’s cheaper and you might get a better result.
• 12 Tips for a Mold Free Home – Whether caused by flooding or trapped moisture, mold can wreak havoc and is unlikely to be insured. Here are experts’ tips for preventing and removing mold.
• Lawn and Garden Equity – Using landscaping to create harmony outdoors can enhance your enjoyment of your home and its ultimate resale value.
• Tax Consequences of Flipping Real Estate – If you’re not careful, you’ll be making big profits for the IRS.
• Should You Remodel or Move? – You can fix it up or you can buy a new house. Here are some things to think about before you decide.
• A Fight Over Web Listings Leaves Buyers Unsure – Home buyers searching for houses on the Internet won’t know if they’re casting a wide net or just dangling a hook under a disputed rule governing how properties are listed on the Web.
• Is a Pre-Payment Penalty Deductible? – For tax purposes, a prepayment penalty is deductible in the same way as mortgage interest, says our tax adviser.
• 17 Ways to Reduce Home Energy Costs – Money-saving tips for managing your home energy expenses.
• 7 Biggest Misconceptions About Life Insurance – Many myths surround life insurance, such as only the family breadwinner needs life insurance and you need life insurance totaling seven times your income. Here’s the truth.
• Know Your Option ARM Choices Well – Like a chainsaw, these new and popular adjustable mortgages can be useful or harmful, and the risk is borne entirely by the user.
• Mum’s the Word on Why You’re Selling – Revealing your motivation to sell your home almost always gives the buyer a strong negotiating advantage, warns Steve McLinden.
• Sell High, Rent Low: The Bubble Sitters – People are gambling their nest eggs on the belief that home values have risen too high and soon will fall. Meet the bubble sitters, who have sold their homes, locked in their profits and become renters.
• Should You Wait for the Pop? – If history is a guide, bubbles don’t always burst; local recessions do that. More often, booms are followed by plateaus.
• Bump Up Your Credit Score in a Hurry – Planning to buy a home, refi a loan or shop for a new car? Check your score and if you’re not satisfied, use these tips to give it a lift.
• 12 Country Building Suprises and How to Avoid Them – The air may be cleaner, but important things like building codes can be a bit murky.
• When to Dump Your Term Insurance – Some people buy term policies for all the right reasons, but hold onto them too long for all the wrong reasons.
• Top Ten Mistakes by Novice Real Estate Investors – Real estate has become the investment everyone sees as their ticket to easy wealth. It’s not that easy.
• Ten Mistakes Do-it-Yourselfers Make – Home improvement projects often require more time and money t han you expect. Four experts share the ten most common mistakes.
• Will Rolling Down Windows Save Fuel or Not? – People can argue endlessly over whether rolling down the windows is more fuel efficient than having windows up and AC on. But here’s the right answer.
• Avoiding Foreclosure-Rescue Scams – The convergence of economic and political forces may soon bring about a home-equity version of the stock market crash of 1929.
• How Much do you Know about Home Equity? – Take this quiz to see if you understand how home equity loans and lines of credit work.
• 7 Tips About Foreclosure from the National Consumer Law Center – Avoid slick sales talk and seek advice from your lender if you find yourself in a bind.
• Beefing Up Your Home’s Security – You can keep the bad guys at bay without having to rob a bank to pay for the cost of additional security.
• What’s Better: New or Existing Home? – Different strokes for different folks. Here’s a review of the pros and cons of each.
• Breaking the Paycheck-to-Paycheck Cycle – If your money runs out before the month does, this eight-step plan will help, says the Debt Adviser.
• 10 Biggest Mistakes Home Buyers Make – If you can avoid falling into these traps you’re likely to get a much better deal.
• Real Estate Gurus – If Only it Were that Easy – The road to riches sure isn’t as easy as advertised.
• How to Find a Place to Retire – There is no such thing as a perfect place to live in retirement, but there’s a method to finding a good match for your needs.
• When to Begin Drawing Social Security Benefits – The decision about whether to start at age 62 or wait depends on numerous factors, including your health, your financial situation and whether you want to keep working.
• Should Women Save More for Retirement than Men? – Do the math. Women live longer, drop out of the workforce for years at a time and earn less money than men.
• Mortgage Pre-Approvals Not Worth the Paper – Brokers complain the information isn’t verified, and is often inaccurate.
• Selling an SUV Expensed Under Section 179 – When you sell an SUV on which you took a full deduction, you realize a gain at the time of sale unless you enter into a like-kind exchange with a trade-in, says our tax adviser.
• To Consolidate Mortgages or Not? – If you’re not going to save on the interest rate, Dr. Don asks, why bother?
• Hot Properties: High-Tech Condos – Before buying a new condominium, prospective buyers should check into their high-tech amenities to ensure a high resale value.
• Retirement Tax Havens in the US – Moving to a tax-friendly locale could help you make the most of your retirement income.
• It’s “Buyer be Ware” on Sub Prime Loans – Just because they’ll lend you money doesn’t mean they’re not trying to get all you have.
• Propert Sale Straddles Two Tax Years – If you don’t get property sales proceeds from a December sale until January, you can treat the transaction as an installment sale in 2006, says our tax adviser.
• Mortgage Limit Soars to $417,000 – Reflecting a national increase in housing values, mortgage financiers sharply raised the dividing line between conforming and more-expensive jumbo mortgages.
• What Home Buyers Really Want – A quality lifestyle ranks higher than square footage on the average home buyer’s preference list, according to the National Association of Realtors.
• You Should Be on the Deed – Dr. Don advises a woman whose husband wants the mortgage and deed on a house they are purchasing to be only in his name.
• Fees and Rules Can Ruin Gift Cards – For many, gift cards are the perfect size and color. But watch out — they often lose value or expire, Bankrate’s exclusive survey reveals.
• Study Reveals Closing Cost Differences – When you’re getting a mortgage and you want to pay the lowest fees possible, Wyoming is the place to live, and you should stay away from New York, according to a Bankrate.com study of closing costs nationwide.
• Planning Your Home With Universal Design – There is a wealth of resources full of good advice on planning free accessibility and convenience into your home.
• Mortgage Mess Nixes Retirement Mess – You should get that second mortgage paid off as quickly as possible, says Dr. Don.
• Rental Property Management – Yes or No? – It’s a lot of work to do it yourself, but it’s cheaper and you might get a better result.
• Where to Find Sub Prime Lenders – You’ve been turned down for a mortgage by all the corner banks. Where do you go from here?
• Even Rich Folks Have Bag-Lady Syndrome – Do you harbor a fear that your financial security could disappear in a heartbeat? It may not be irrational.
• Five Ways to Improve Your Credit – So you’ve made mistakes. These steps will help you restore the luster to your credit rating.
• How to Finance a Second Home – You have pretty much the same options as for your primary residence, says Dr. Don.
• Real Estate Advisor: Rent or Buy? – This question usually turns on how long you plan to stay in the home and your stomach for risk, says Steve McLinden.
• Have You Over Improved Your Home? – It’s not a problem unless you spend so much on improvements that you can’t get your money back.
• Three Approaches to Paying Off Debt – You can go for maximum effect, for maximum satisfaction, or for the credit-score boost, says the Debt Adviser.
• Smart Equity Moves as Rates Rise – With the prime rate at 7.25 percent, home equity loan and line of credit strategies are much different than a year ago, experts say.
• Hidden Credit Score Guages Bankruptcy Risk – There’s a number that might determine your available credit, but you aren’t allowed to see it.
• Confused About Home Sale Exclusion – Your closing agent must report the sale of your home to the IRS if the sale price is more than $250,000, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay capital gains taxes, says George Saenz, CPA.
• Basic Mortgage ande Loan Quiz – Think you have a grasp of what it takes to get a mortgage or other loan? Our quick five-question quiz will let you know.
• Homes for Sale $1 – They’re out there and they’re for real. But there are often strings the size of tow ropes attached.
• Paying Mortgage Points A Primer – How do you decide whether it makes sense to do so? Should you pay points on an adjustable mortgage in today’s rate environment?
• 10 New Tax Laws You Need to Know – Check out these changes before you start your return. They could save you some money.
• Paying Mortgage Points – How do you decide whether it makes sense to do so? Should you pay points on an adjustable mortgage in today’s rate environment?
• 20 Signs of a Bad Loan – Even if you’re desperate, avoid loans that offer these kinds of deals.
• Five Tips for Selling in a Shifting Market – The advantage in home sales is moving from seller to buyer. If you’re selling, her’s how to close the deal when others can’t.
• Home Warranties – Good for Nothing? – It all depends on the fine print and who’s standing behind it.
• The Art of the Low Ball Offer – As housing sales slow, home buyers are in a better position to offer substantially less than the seller’s asking.
• Home Warranties: Good, or Good for Nothing? – It all depends on the fine print and who’s standing behind it.
• Save Cash and Eat Well – Buy into a Farm – Buying a share in cooperative farm can mean big savings. And there’s one near you!
• 13 Basic Tax Lessons – Knowledge is power that can help you strategize and ultimately cut your tax bill.
• Ready to Work on Your Taxes? – Tap our 2006 tax guide for ways to reduce your tax bill, and for links to all the forms you’ll need to file.
• Ballooning Equity Doesn’t Mean You’re Rich – Many homeowners may feel they’ve gotten rich from skyrocketing appreciation, but where and how can they spend the money?
• On the Bubble? Heed these Do’s and Dont’s – If you really think you may get hurt in a real estate bubble burst, following this advice could minimize the damage.
• Want Lower Rent? Think Like a Landlord – Study the market so you’ll know how strong your negotiating position is.
• 5 Stupid Tax Tricks – Owe the IRS? Then take these steps to make a bad situation worse, says the Debt Adviser.
• Purchases Could Provide a Tax Advantage – Did you buy a lot of stuff last year? Your sales taxes now might help reduce your income tax bill.
• IRS Names Autos Eligible for New Tax Credits – A new law could mean big tax savings if you purchase one of these hybrid vehicles this year.
• Home Improvement Guide 2006 – Remodeling and improving our homes has become a national pastime. This guide takes you through it step by step.
• Top 10 Mistakes of DIYers – Knowing what you can do and what you can’t tops the list of the biggest and most common mistakes weekend warriors make on home projects.
• Trends in Home Improvement – New studies show landscaping and more elaborate kitchens top the home improvement want-list as Americans spend more and more to remodel their homes.
• Flipping Houses for a Living is a Real Trick – Many Americans try to do it, many more talk and dream about it. Is it a realistic way to make a living?
• Time to Review Your Home Owner’s Policy – If you haven’t looked over your homeowners coverage since the Clinton era, you’re long overdue for a thorough review. Chances are, your policy’s a real nail-biter.
• Hindsight and Capital Gains Taxes – You could have avoided paying capital gains taxes on the sale of your property if you had entered into a like-kind exchange before you closed the deal, says CPA George Saenz.
• 50 Year Mortgage Debuts in California – The Methuselah of mortgages has arrived: the 50-year home loan.
• 30 Year Mortgage Rises Fifth Week in a Row – Americans feel confident about their futures – more bullish than bond traders had expected. High spirits translate into higher mortgage rates.
• Discount Brokers: Does Less mean More for You? – Discount real estate brokers have proliferated nationwide. Are they discounting their fee or the service they provide?
• Top Renovations for Boosting Sales Price – If you’re planning to sell the farm, you can grow the price and harvest a windfall with these five projects.
• Selling Strategy for Fixer-Upper – You have to weigh the cost of your loan interest against the additional tax you would pay if you hold the p roperty for less than a year, says CPA George Saenz.
• Like-Kind Exchange With rental/Vacation Home – Using a rental property as a part-time vacation home generally takes the property outside of the like-kind exchange realm, says CPA George Saenz.
• Formulas for Investment Success – Prospective real estate investors need to run some numbers before making a deal. Experts share their formulas for success.
• Investment Property Deals Scarce – Cashing in now on the real estate boom will be harder than it’s been in recent years, say experts. But for long-term investors, it’s not impossible to find a decent deal.
• Condo-Hotels: Hot Stakes or Heartbreaks? – Individual hotel rooms in hot vacation spots are generating enthusiasm among real estate investors. The rooms can generate income too, but will it be enough to cover the costs?
• Is it Time to Cash Out? – With real and perceived threats hanging over home equity nest eggs everywhere, many ask if they should take the money and run.
• Single Women Pour into Real Estate – They now make up more than one-fifth of all home buyers.
• Is Your Bank Spying on You? – A government program aimed at nabbing terrorists and money launderers is also flooding the government with reports on ordinary citizens’ banking activities.
• Losses from Rental Real Estate – If your deductions, including depreciation, interest and upkeep, exceed your income, you have a loss from rental real estate, says CPA George Saenz.
• Avoid Seller’s Agent on ‘Must Have’ House – If you can’t have your own agent, get a “dual agency” agreement in writing and hire a real estate attorney to protect your interests, advises Steve McLinden.
• 5 Homeownership Tax Myths – Owning a home usually provides substantial tax breaks. But sometimes, the tax code’s complexity gets in the way.
• Do You Need a Mortgage Fixer? – The title guy and the lender are supposed to do their jobs so your closing is on time. But what if they don’t?
• Feds Ask: Is that Mortgage Good for You? – Consumers too often get home loans that are too risky, and federal regulators are wrestling with the question of who should say “no” to misguided mortgage-hunters.
• Keep Length of Listing Contract Just Right – Give your listing agent enough time to sell your home but not enough to dawdle, says Real Estate Adviser Steve McLinden.
• Web Based Real Estate Marketing – When you view preconstruction projects online, discern between virtual previews of a neighborhood and virtual traps.
• Home Owner’s Insurance – Don’t Go Bare – High premiums make it tempting, but experts say it’s a big risk.
• 17 Ways to Reduce Home Energy Costs – Money-saving tips for managing your home energy expenses.
• 5 Ways to Tame Your Line of Credit Payment – Home equity line of credit payments have been skyrocketing, but the worst may be over, and if the payment pain is too great, you have other options.
• How to Make Your Garage Sale a Success – Step-by-step guide for turning your old treasures into cash.
• 10 Steps to a Money Smart Divorce – Severing your fiscal as well as marital ties is never easy, but these tips will help you steady your financial ship as you set sail for the solo voyage ahead.
• 10 Tricks to Make Big Improvements on Llittle Cash – Little changes can make a huge difference in the appearance of your home.
• 10 Bad Habits that Lead to Debt Disaster – If you’re up to your eyeballs in debt, reviewing your money missteps can help prevent you from repeating them and show you the way out.
• Single Women Pour Into Real Estate – They now make up more than one-fifth of all home buyers.
• Five Easy Ways to Improve Your Credit – Your best ally in credit repair is time, but you can speed things along by following these five tips from Steve Bucci.
• Cleaning Up at Garage Sales – 5 tips for smooth “saling” at your neighborhood garage sales
• Theory of Money Relativity – At best, money relativity is nothing more than an eccentric mind game. At worst, it can serve as a rationalization for a host of financially irresponsible impulses.
• Be Careful Shifting in to Automatic Bill Pay – It’s convenient, but it can cause problems if you’re not careful.
• How to Haggle Like a Pro – Ready to buy that new home or car? Here’s how the best hagglers ply their trade — and how you can put their tactics to use.
• Home Buyers Will Return – The market has chilled in many areas of the country but the current construction slowdown will create new demand down the road, says Steve McLinden.
• How to Negotiate Your Closing Costs – Consumers can save thousands on their closing costs, if they know which items are negotiable and which they can purchase themselves.
• How to Find and Fix Radon in Your Home – A basic primer on radon: What it is, how it gets in your home and what to do about it.
• Like Kind Exchange on Rental/Vacation Home – Using a rental property as a part-time vacation home generally takes the property outside of the like-kind exchange realm, says CPA George Saenz.
• Picking an Agent? Get Smart! – Selecting an agent should not be done haphazardly. What to look for when buying or selling.
• 12 Financial Tips for Women – Too many elderly women live in poverty. These tips can keep you from being one of them.
• The Family, Family, Family Home – Multigenerational households are becoming more common, and builders are responding to the demand by designing unconventional spaces.
• House Hunting? Here’s a Great Deal for You – Since the real estate market has cooled in some markets, developers and home sellers have been offering huge incentives, such as a free pool or luxury car, to move properties. Mercedes-Benz, anyone?
• Everyone Could Win on a Home Short Sale – A ‘short sale’ means a lender allows a house to be sold for less than is owed on it and accepts the loss. It can be good for lender, seller and buyer, but there are elements of risk.
• Facing Foreclosure? Try a Workout – If you’re in trouble with your home loan, here are steps to take to work out a solution with your lender.
• Fight Foreclosure – A number of factors started the housing mess but it ends with homeowners fighting to keep a roof over their heads.
• Know the Gift Tax Rules – You can give away a lot under the IRS radar screen, but when you exceed certain limits, you must follow certain procedures. Expert Constance Fontaine explains it all in easy-to-understand terms.
• Barriers Fall in Co-Housing Communities – Some homeowners dispute the adage that good fences make good neighbors. Lots of shared space in cohousing developments, they say, makes better communities.
• 10 Frugal, Healthy Halloween Treats – Thrill the trick-or-treaters with these fun and healthy treats for their goodie bags.
• Everyone Could Win on Home ‘Short Sale’ – A ‘short sale’ means a lender allows a house to be sold for less than is owed on it and accepts the loss. It can be good for lender, seller and buyer, but there are elements of risk.
• Barriers Fall in Co-Housing Communities – Some homeowners dispute the adage that good fences make good neighbors. Lots of shared space in cohousing developments, they say, makes better communities.
• Slow Sales at Big 3 Mean Good Deals – GM strike has no effect on prices of new vehicles, says Bankrate car expert Terry Jackson.
• FHA Saddles Up to Help Delinquent Buyers – A bailout plan, FHASecure, aims to prevent foreclosures for those who fell behind because the rates went up on their adjustable-rate loans.
• Installment Sale May Spark Home Sale – An often overlooked sales technique could make your property more attractive to buyers and could even save you plenty in taxes.
• Investors Their Own Worst Enemy – Timing the market may make you feel safer, but it can make you poorer. Trading costs and our inability to accurately forecast the future are to blame.
• Do’s and Dont’s for Fending off Foreclosure – Even after your lender sends a default letter, there are still ways to keep your house. There are also ways to make the situation worse, warns the Bankruptcy Adviser.
• How to Split Up the Willed Family Home – Estate issues get complicated, emotionally and financially, when siblings must finally decide what to do with mom and dad’s house.
• Avoiding Estate Fights if Parent Remarries – Poor planning can set up ugly conflicts and court battles between children and their stepparents.
• How to Entice Home Buyers in Today’s Market – To sell your home today, the stars have to align favorably in the sky and you need to provide buyers with the right incentives.
• Small Houses Can be a Good Fit – Tired of the big tax, big electric bills and big insurance premiums that accompany your suburban mansion? Then you might be a good candidate to join the ranks of owners moving to small homes.
• Sharing Homeownership Pays Off – Dividing the cost of a vacation home has many benefits. Here’s how to get into the game.
• Home Sellers Offer More Buyer Incentives – Today’s buyer wants money-in-pocket value, not frills. If your home is competing with nearby new construction, be prepared to offer the same or equivalent incentives as the builder.
• How to Entice Home Buyers Today – To sell your home today, the stars have to align favorably in the sky and you need to provide buyers with the right incentives.
• Market Turmoil Got You Nervous? – Statistics show that many investors are selling stocks and investing those dollars in money market funds until they feel that it’s safe to move back into stocks. But is that the best move now?
• Study: State of Nation’s Home Values – Get a complete look at the real estate values of existing homes and condos for the past quarter as the National Association of Realtors releases their data. How did your home fare?
• How to Negotiate Closing Costs – Consumers can save thousands on their closing costs, if they know which items are negotiable and which they can purchase themselves.
• Home Prices Fall in One Third of Nation – Home values fell so steeply in Michigan, Ohio, Florida and New Orleans that they dragged down the median price for the whole country,
• Popular 2/8 Mortgages are No More – Lenders have abruptly stopped offering the most popular type of subprime mortgage. Borrowers suddenly find themselves with fewer options.
• Tax Breaks for LLC Owned Second Home – Under general tax rules for a single-member limited liability company, a home owned by the entity could qualify for the home-sale tax exclusion, says CPA George Saenz.
• Investing in Foreclosures: For Novices it’s a Crap Shoot – Under general tax rules for a single-member limited liability company, a home owned by the entity could qualify for the home-sale tax exclusion, says CPA George Saenz.
• 10 “Must Do” Steps to Sell Your Home this Year – It’s a buyer’s market in most areas of the country so if you’re selling your home this year, be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint. Following these 10 tips will help you sell soon.
• How to Avoid Closing Day Glitches – From walk-through surprises to buyer’s remorse, closing day can be a nightmare. Here’s how to make it go smoothly.
• 2007 House Closing Costs by State – New York still tops the list as the state with the highest closing costs. See where yours ranks.
• Mortgage Basics: Should You Buy or Rent? – Nearly everyone dreams of owning their own home. But can you afford the house and all of the expenses associated with it?
• How to Find Your First Apartment – This checklist will show you the ins and outs of renting an apartment.
• Six Ways to Avoid Home Insurance Snafus – Follow these tips to prevent insurers from charging high policy premiums or canceling your homeowners coverage altogether.
• Should Home Sale Prices be Kept Secret? – Most states do disclose prices one way or another, but some don’t. Does nondisclosure help consumers? It certainly does benefit the real estate industry.
• Buy or Rent? Neither – Stay with Parents – Young adults should get a feel for the housing market and settle into a job before making a big financial commitment, says Real Estate Adviser Steve McLinden.
• Cash Disounts on SUV’s Outwiegh Gas Prices – Even with the possibility of gas prices reaching $4 a gallon, sales of some bigger SUVs have jumped, thanks to huge price discounts, says Bankrate car expert Terry Jackson.
• Five Most Popular Home Improvement Projects – Curb appeal is wonderful for sellers but when it comes to home improvement efforts and dollars spent, most homeowners turn their attention indoors.
• How Much is Too Much on Home Improvements? – Crossing any item off that wish list comes at a cost. As projects snowball (as they all seem to do) you may start to wonder if it’s all worth it.
• Trends in Home Equity – Record default levels have been hard on both home equity lenders and borrowers, necessitating change.
• 4 Steps to Take Before Borrowing on a Home – Know your rights and understand all the terms before agreeing to a loan.
• Should Home Sales Prices Be Kept Secret? – Most states do disclose prices one way or another, but some don’t. Does nondisclosure help consumers? It certainly does benefit the real estate industry.
• Cancelled Pre-Approval Affects Home Contract – You could lose your deposit money, and it could get worse.
• Move or Remodel? Which Makes Sense? – Should you move or remodel? Experts explain the psychology and finances of a life decision we often make two or three times.
• Raise the Door on the Value of Your Garage – Your garage is a valuable part of your home but it’s often used to store junk. Making better use of it can be a simple project.
• Top Ten Mistakes of DIYers – Knowing what you can do and what you can’t tops the list of the biggest and most common mistakes weekend warriors make on home projects.
• Negative Media Stories Can Damage Real Estate Market – Many real estate professionals insist a lot of negative publicity about the housing market can have an effect on whether consumers will buy, sell or sit.
• Burglars Get a New Tool – A cheap piece of plastic and an easily obtained blank key are all that a burglar needs to do a “lock bump” — a new and rapidly spreading technique for thieves.
• Map of Home Price Changes in Top 20 Markets – Property values are falling overall in the United States, but the change is anything but evenly spread. This interactive map shows changes in house prices in 20 large markets in 2006-2007, and in recent months.
• 10 Quick and Cheap Ways to Upgrade Your Home – Looking to make a big splash in improving the looks of your home, but don’t have much cash. Here’s 10 suggestions you might try.
• Congress Considers Foreclosure Help – Congressional Democrats want to hold back a rising tide of foreclosures, but they’re being told that there’s not much they can do.
• Projects for Renters – Just because you don’t own the property it doesn’t mean you have to live a drab existence. Consider these ideas that are not quickly reversible.
• Removing the Real from Real Estate – Is it ethical for real estate agents to alter photos of houses for sale?
• 5 Mortgage Mess Ups – Before applying for a mortgage, get your credit in shape. Any of these five moves could sabotage your mortgage approval.
• Creating a 21st Century Patio – A round Weber grill on a concrete square worked well in the 1950s and 1960s, but outdoor living in the 21st century means bringing all the comforts of the indoors.
• Diversify an IRA with Real Estate – A self-directed IRA allows the owner to invest in real estate, but the rules and risks are many.
• 10 Lethal Mistakes for Real Estate Investors – As the housing market starts to rebound, investing becomes more appealing. But there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
• 12 Ways to Pay for Home Improvements – Here are a dozen ways to find money for remodeling your home, such as loans, credit, retirement funds and insurance.
• Bank Rate’s Home Improvement Guide – Spring means home improvement season and Bankrate celebrates with a 40-plus story package of advice — including an interactive that lets you make your plans based on price, room or project and DIY rating.
• Top 10 Remodeling Projects for Resale Homes – The best home improvement projects should fit your lifestyle and add value to your home. Check our maps to see how the top 10 rate in your town.
• Celebrities Talk About Real Estate – Rock stars, authors, comedians and other stars reflect on their real estate investments: lessons learned and investing philosophies.
• Real Eastate is Not National, it’s Local – An interview with “Automatic Millionaire Homewoner” author, David Bach, about investing in real estate and today’s marketplace.
• Contrarian Advice: Invest in Real Estate Now – True, real estate is prone to market cycles. But a down market may be the best time to invest in this asset class.
• 34 Perecent of Homeowners are Clueless – A recent Bankrate poll showed that more than a third of the nation’s homeowners are confused about their mortgages. And, 28 percent worry about making their mortgage payments.
• Three Steps to Take Before Buying a Home – Landing a mortgage that fits your budget is more likely if you’ve prepared your finances.
• Real Eastate is Not National, it’s Local – An interview with “Automatic Millionaire Homewoner” author, David Bach, about investing in real estate and today’s marketplace.
• Refinancing an Exotic Loan – Tighter lending standards and sluggish market bring challenges for homeowners looking to convert ARMs, interest-only or payment option mortgages.
• Smat Landlords do Serious Due Diligence – Landlords who take shortcuts when screening potential tenants, buying insurance or outlining a written lease can end up with costly surprises.
• 20 Steps to a Great Home Buy in 2007 – Spring and summer is prime home-buying season and 2007 promises to be excellent for buyers. Here are 20 steps that help you get the best deal on a home this year.
• 10 Coldest Home Markets for 2006 – According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), these are the 10 U.S. metropolitan areas that suffered the greatest percentage loss of value in 2006.
• Only a Long Thaw Will Help Icy New-Home Starts – Overproduction put new home builders into the deep freeze and it will take a few years before that market thaws.
• Spring is Value Time for Home Buyers – It’s a solid buyer’s market in most areas of the country, but demand is starting to pick up.
• Real Estate Value Web Sites Good But Not Perfect – Many of these sites are good for providing raw data, but the click of a mouse should not replace your due diligence.
• Can Feng Shui Improve Your Cash Flow? – Proponents say this ancient Chinese discipline enhances energy flow in your home. But can it also help make you more prosperous?
• BankRate’s 2007 Guide to Real Estate – National trends are meaningful, but what’s happening on your street in your neighborhood is all that matters to you this spring real estate season.
• Stable Mortgage Rates MAY Turn the Market Around – Mortgage interest rates are expected to remain relatively low throughout 2007, but it’s not certain that will spark a full-fledged rebound of the real estate market this year.
• Mobile Banking: Coming to a Cell Phone Near You – Many of the national banks are rolling out account access via cell phone. Here’s what you need to know before you sign up.
• Let Unlce Sam Help Pay for Your Move – Americans have always been mobile, and the tax code encourages that restlessness with a deduction for moving expenses.
• Keep the Mortgage or Pay Off the House? – Should you use your nest egg to pay off the mortgage or keep the tax deduction? Bankrate does some eye-opening math to help you with retirement questions.
• Internet Scam Forecast for 2007 – Identities are bought and sold on the Internet every day. This year’s no different. Here’s what’s coming and how to protect yourself.
• Take Your Home Equity and Run – Many people are selling their homes and moving to less-expensive regions of the United States. Here’s what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.
• Allowances: How Soon and How Much? – Most financial experts agree that children should be given an allowance in order to learn financial skills at an early age. But how early, and how much?
• 6-Step Financial Emergency Plan – Have to leave your home in a hurry? Create a personal finance disaster kit.
• 50-year Mortgages: Low Payments, Low Equity – They’re not much different from an interest-only loan and therefore not a good idea for many home buyers.
• Does Money Make You Mean? – A recent study indicates that money-minded folks are more indifferent and tend to be socially clueless.
• Ten Reasons Not to Ensure Your Cell Phone – More than 50 million people pay to insure their cell phones. They think they’re protecting an investment but they’re usually wasting their money.
• Secrets to Simultaneous Real Estate Closings – It’s a normal situation: close on both a home sale and a purchase the same day. But it’s fraught with peril.
• 10 Down Payment Tips – Rates are at historic lows, but for many home-hunters, so are cash reserves. Here’s how to build that down payment ASAP.
• Keep the Mortgage or Pay Off the House? – Should you use your nest egg to pay off the mortgage or keep the tax deduction? Bankrate does some eye-opening math to help you with retirement questions.
• 13 Tips for Selling Your Home in the Winter – When the snow is swirling and would-be buyers are scarce, a few extra steps could make a difference.
• Ten New Tax Laws You Need to Know – Lawmakers were busy in 2006, so be sure to check out these tax code changes. They might save you some money.
• Section 179 and My New F250 – The law still favors the purchase of disproportionately large vehicles when it comes to depreciation deductions, says George Saenz.
• Home Selling or Buying – Top Tips for ’07 – Year 2007 will be one of transition, bringing most U.S. markets one step closer to healthier home sales. In the meantime, take note of these home-buying and home-selling strategies in a down market, from Real Estate Adviser Steve McLinden.
• Pros and Cons of Reverse Mortgages – They charge steep upfront costs and may interfere with Medicaid eligibility, but seniors are relying on them more than ever.
• Feeling Wealthy Can Make You Poor – The wealth effect from rising home values and fatter portfolios can lead you to a dangerous precipice: living a more expensive lifestyle than you can afford.
• New Tax Deduction for Mortgage Insurance – Just before convening, Congress slipped in a provision making mortgage insurance tax deductible on mortgages taken out in 2007.
• 7 Smart Mortgage Moves for 2007 – Mortgages and real estate changed dramatically in ’06. Have you learned the lessons well enough to apply them in ’07?
• Deciding Between Debt and Down-Payment – Generally, it’s best to build your down payment first, says Dr. Don.
• Hiring Real Estate Agents in a Buyer’s Market – There are lots of eager agents out there. But to sell your house in today’s market, you want to find the best one for you, not necessarily the cheapest.
• Conflicting Credit Scores Cause Confusion – A new credit score on the mar ket that uses a different scale than the well-known FICO score can fool mortgage customers.
• Prepping Your Car for Adverse Weather – Don’t let these common mistakes leave you spinning your wheels, or worse.
• Winterizing Your Home – Since fuel prices this year are generally lower than last year, consider investing your savings in improvements that will help you cut energy costs for years.
• Housing Trends of the Past, and Future – Take this retrospective ride through housing trends of the past and learn about hot updates for the future.
• Sorting Out Your Medical Insurance Options – These new plans can save you money, but you need to know what you’re doing.
• Preventing Squables Over Your Will – If you want an ironclad will, an “in terrorem” provision helps make sure your heirs won’t contest it.
• 14 Myths About Credit Freezes – Confused about this identity theft deterrent? Here’s what a credit freeze will and will not do to protect your credit files.
• A Feast for Pennies – How to cook a formal feast for cheap.
• Top Five Strategies for a Lifetime of Savings – If you want to be serious about building up your savings you should start with a solid foundation.
• Safely Stashing Short Term Cash – For openers, it depends on what you consider short term, says Dr. Don.
• What, exactly, is ‘good’ credit? – Like treasure and trash, what constitutes a “good” credit score depends on whom you ask.
• Escaping an Underwater Mortgage – A combination of rising mortgage interest rates and falling home values could plunge thousands of homeowners underwater — owing more than the homes are worth. We look at the options for those borrowers.
• Understanding Equity Accelerator Mortgages – It’s a mortgage, and a home equity loan, and it’s another hot new loan product. But is it any good?
• Real Life Stories of Financial Horrors – Cringe in terror at the mess ups that happened in customer service departments, at the hands of mortgage lenders and at credit card companies across the nation. Welcome to the Bankrate Chamber of Horrors.
• Home Equity is Not Your Savings Account – It’s not as accessible as you may need and, worse, it could disappear almost overnight.
• Mortgage Interest Deduction Not Always Best – When analyzing whether to deduct your mortgage interest, you have to also consider the standard tax deduction and your tax rate, says Dr. Don.
• Low Credit Score Means High PMI – More than your mortgage rate will go up with a bad credit report. Your private mortgage insurance rate will jump, too.
• Real Estate Agents – Sink or Swim Time – Despite the downturn in the market, flexible hours, commission-based income and the opportunity to be your own boss are still attractive to many.
• What it Takes to be a Real Estate Agent – Here’s an overview of what you need to do and what it will cost you if you want to sell residential real estate.
• To Sign or Not to Sign? – Many consumers refuse to sign their credit cards, or write “check ID” thinking it will thwart fraud.
• Make the Most of a Buyers Market – 4 Tips – Sure, prices are dropping, but that’s not always enough to land you the home you really want at the price you can pay.
• How to Opt Out of (almost) Anything – From credit card offers to binding arbitration, here’s how to escape the annoyances and unfriendly terms that businesses try to foist on you.
• Top Ten Car Buying Mistakes – Opening your heart and mouth to an auto salesman is roughly akin to opening your bank account. Here are the most common mistakes you can make.
• Selling Your House in a Down Market – 5 Tips – It’s official. It’s a buyer’s market out there for home sellers. But homes are still selling, mostly by people who know the landscape has changed.
• Lowballing in a Cooling Housing Market – Current market conditions will spur home sellers to consider lower offers, but don’t expect them to panic, says Real Estate Adviser Steve McLinden.
• Be Patient – Home Buyers Will Return – The market has chilled in many areas of the country but the current construction slowdown will create new demand down the road, says Steve McLinden.
• 9 Fishy Scams to Avoid – Think you’re too smart to take the bait? Don’t be too sure. Con artists are coming up with new, creative ways to hook you and your wallet.