Tom Kelly

The cost of homeowners insurance rose 36 percent from 2003 to 2010 -- nearly double the rate of inflation, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Foreclosures have been falling in recent months, but two government agencies warn that the foreclosure crisis isn't over yet.

Skyrocketing home prices in a few markets have some analysts concerned that prices are on the rise too fast and could ultimately hamper the housing recovery, but the Seattle area did not enter the conversation.

The Treasury Department announced that it is extending the Making Home Affordable Program, a refinancing program that has helped homeowners lower their monthly mortgage payments and obtain loan modifications.

Investors are picking up shares in companies that specialize in appliances, building materials, and even pickup trucks in betting on a widening housing recovery, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Just because the seller gets the asking price doesn't mean the price is too low. On the contrary, the seller and agent usually have found the fair-market value and the public is responding accordingly. If you don't like the selling price, raise it but be prepared to wait longer to sell. A good deal has to be good for all parties involved, not just the seller. It is not a time for greed to set in, although human nature always tweaks the sellers with "what if?"

Single women make up the second largest segment of home purchases, with one out of every five homes purchases by a single woman, according to the National Association of Realtors.

In 2012, 72.6 percent of salespeople who used social media for selling out-performed those who weren't using social media, according to new research conducted by Jim Keenan, founder and partner of A Sales Guy Consulting.

Despite increasing prices, nearly one-third of all Seattle-area homeowners with mortgages owe more than the value of their homes, according to a new survey by Seattle-based Zillow.

In the second quarter of 2013, 41 percent of buyers said they're willing to offer more, up from 34 percent in the first quarter, according to a survey of more than 1,300 homebuyers in 22 major markets by Seattle-based real estate brokerage Redfin.

A new ULI survey of about 1,200 Millennials showed that the group will continue to prefer more compact, urban homes, even later in life. ULI researchers also note that this generation is more likely than older generations to live in apartments and in downtown areas.

The ability-to-repay rule, which first was greeted with positive reaction, now has some lawmakers and community banks concerned that it may cause lending to tighten even more at smaller banks, The Wall Street Journal reported.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes ticked up last month to the highest level in three and a half years, helped by a jump in the number of houses for sale.

Mortgage applications last week dropped 10 percent after rates soared to their highest level since March, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported in its weekly mortgage market survey for the week ending May 17.

In a housing market characterized by a short supply of properties and by bidding wars, some buyers are hoping to get a competitive edge by writing sellers short notes about why they are so right for home and want to become its new owners.

Stringent mortgage standards have kept many potential homebuyers on the sidelines the last few years.

A recent article in U.S. News and World Report suggests seniors and baby boomers consider turning their homes into an annuity by using one of the least tapped avenues of a reverse mortgage.

Purchasing real estate in Mexico has been a confusing for proposition for people looking to leave the rain or for those seeking a less expensive place to retire.

Would-be borrowers who have credit scores below 620 are increasingly being denied a mortgage, struggling to meet lenders' more stringent underwriting standards, Elizabeth Duke, member of the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve System, told attendees at the recent Housing Policy Executive Council.

Fannie Mae announced that it will pay $59.4 billion in dividends to the U.S. Treasury, helping to reduce the net cost of its taxpayer bailout to $21.1 billion, Reuters reported.