Like real estate, it appears that foreclosure activity is a local phenomenon, too.

As reported by RealtyTrac.com, more than half of all foreclosure-related activity in 2009 came from just 4 states:

California Florida Arizona Illinois

More than 1.4 million filings made in 2009 are attributed to the above [...]

As the housing market improves across the country, certain cities are emerging as relative bargains. Some areas, like Miami, were hit hard by the recession, and other areas are buoyed by good school systems and strong labor markets.

In this 5-minute video from [...]

Despite the headlines, it’s important to remember that December’s jobs report wasn’t all bad news.

Sure, the economy shed 85,000 jobs last month and the Unemployment Rate failed to dip below 10%, but for home buyers and rate shoppers , the news was just fine.

The soft employment [...]

If you’ve ever used a plastic Chip Clip and been miffed that your chips went stale anyway, you have to see the Banana Seal. Its beauty is its simplicity.

Similar to the tongue-in-groove seal created by zip-top bags, the Banana Seal creates an airtight seal on bags of all sizes. Chips stay crunchy, vegetables stay [...]

FHA home loans are federal assistance mortgages made by lenders, and backed by the government. The FHA doesn’t make loans to homeowners — it insures loans made to homeowners by federally-qualified lenders.

By all accounts, FHA home loans are surging in popularity.

2006, FHA insured 3.3% of all mortgages [...]

Both mortgage rates and home affordability took a turn for the better Wednesday after the Federal Reserve released its December 15-16, 2009 meeting minutes.

The Fed Minutes is a follow-up piece to the post-FOMC meeting press release. But whereas the press release is succinct and to-the-point, the minutes are lengthy and often meandering.

As a [...]

Just one month after touching a 3-year high, the National Association of Realtors® Pending Home Sales index plunged in November. A “pending” home sale is a home that is under contract to sell, but has yet to close.

The 16 percent drop marks the first retreat in [...]

2010 is just a few days old and already the “experts” are making predictions for the year.

Housing calls and mortgage rate predictions run the gamut:

Home prices will fall in 2010 Home prices will rise in 2010 [...]

Self-watering plant containers are the ultimate in laziness or convenience, depending on your perspective. You can buy them on Amazon.com for $26 a piece, or you can watch this 3-minute, step-by-step video from Video Jug and [...]