Control4 is a wireless system for homes that digitally connects all of your in-home electronics. With the press of a button, you can control climate, lighting, music, televisions, and security within your home’s walls.

Advances in wireless technology have simplified networking a home since 1995 when Bill Gates’ “digital” home was completed. Wikipedia [...]

Mortgage industry trade magazine Inside B&C Lending pegs the 2006 dollar volume of new sub-prime loans at $640 billion. According to the Real Estate Charts chart above, 78% of those dollars were in 2-year adjustable loans.

A loan of this variety is often called a 2/28 (“two twenty-eight”).

A 2/28 originated in 2006 will [...]

Windows are the most elegant part of a well-crafted home. Whether they are oak-trimmed craftsman-style lights from a century ago or more modern expanses of glass and light, windows can be the eyes and soul of a home.

As a view to the outside, windows also provide a view to the inside. For privacy [...]

The past several weeks have been rough on the mortgage market. By extension, of course, the issues are hitting real estate markets, too.

As a quick recap from the first 13 days of August:

The nation’s 10th largest mortgage lender declared bankruptcy High profile funds declared their assets worthless, or halted withdrawals of cash [...]

Any security — stock, bond, or otherwise — has a specific risk associated with it. Based on that risk, an investor decides whether or not the price is worth paying. If the security is a “good value”, an investor will buy it. If not, the investor will pass.

Until recently, mortgage bonds were considered a [...]

“If only I knew what my street was like before I bought the house!”

Ignore the statewide statistics, forget the city figures. Phooey to the neighborhood. Reinforcing the notion that all real estate is local, meet Street Advisor, the definitive guide to America’s many streets.

Unfortunately, there just hasn’t been enough helpful information [...]

The Fed left the Fed Funds Rate unchanged again today for the ninth time in a row after 17 consecutive hikes.

The Fed once again highlighted inflation containment as its chief concern while noting that pressures on the economy appear to be moderating. This is good news for holders of home equity lines of credit [...]

Don’t have time or the money for a big vacation? Why not try a mini-vacation?

The goal of a vacation is to get away from the daily grind for a bit and clear your head. There are always plenty of places right around the corner, if you just spend some time looking.

After Labor Day, [...]

Last week, several high-profile mortgage lenders closed their doors, but not all news was bad. For many mortgage rate shoppers, in fact, mortgage rates edged lower for the third consecutive week.

If you only watched the news, or market commentary on CNBC, you may have the wrong idea about what is really going on within [...]

Several high-profile mortgage lenders, including American Home Mortgage, closed their doors this week and stopped funding loans. Others dramatically limited their list of “eligible” borrowers.

Many buyers and sellers across the country have been stranded at the closing table without funds this week, only adding to the confusion.

Because the story is not getting much [...]