The graphic at right comes from The Wall Street Journal and it illustrates something that we all intrinsically know: Sub-Prime ARMs foreclose at a faster pace than all other home loan types.

When adjustable rate mortgages reach the end of their “fixed rate” period, some homeowners are unprepared for the upward-adjusting mortgage payments and [...]

Today, we’re going to do some old-fashioned cross-referencing and see what inferences are there to make.

According to RealtyTrac, California was home to six of the leading 10 foreclosure cities in April 2007.

These cities were:

#1 Stockton
#2 Vallejo-Fairfield
#4 Riverside-San Bernardino
#6 Modesto
#7 Sacramento
#8 Merced

Stockton — as [...]

The American Consumer keeps spending.

This morning, the monthly Retail Sales report showed a larger-than-expected jump. Even after stripping out elevated gas prices, the sales increase was more than double the expected amount.

The economy surges ahead, fueled by everyday spending, and this does not bode well for the future of mortgage [...]

With so many different parties involved (and each charging a fee for service), closing costs can build up quickly on a home purchase. But that doesn’t mean you as a home buyer have to pay them directly.

For one, some closing costs are negotiable.

Your mortgage lender and title company of choice both have [...]

According to RealtyTrac, one out of every 783 homes in the United States filed for foreclosure in April. This is down one percent from March, but up 62 percent from one year ago.

If you are struggling to pay your mortgage and have not yet entered foreclosure, the best thing to do is [...]

The end of June can be the busiest time of the year for a moving company; buyers from the Spring Season are closing on their homes.

But not every home buyer uses a moving company — some use Moving Day to find out just who are their best and most reliable friends.

If you’re [...]

This is just a quick reminder to ignore national news stories about real estate. It may sound like strange advice, but real estate is a highly local phenomenon.

The “national scene” is comprised of data from:

50 states, with More than 30,000 incorporated cities, and with An innumerable number of neighborhoods

It also combines [...]

If you are an affordable housing candidate, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is on your side.

Listed state-by-state on its Web site, HUD provides links to local communities and the various programs they offer.

Some subsidies are based on maximum income qualifications (i.e. 20% below the area’s median income) [...]

Have you ever wondered how much your coffee habit is costing you?

Courtesy of software developer Hugh Chou, use the Coffee Calculator to calculate how much you pay for coffee each year, and how much money you forgo in savings because of it.

Did you know: If you buy a $1.87 grande drip [...]

Lawns, plants and landscaping can be difficult to maintain but when you are preparing your home for sale, it’s not a smart place to take shortcuts.

You may have an aversion to fertilizers and/or chemicals for environmental or safety reasons, but when creating the “perfect lawn” with maximum appeal is the goal, perhaps it’s time [...]