Tom Kelly

Potential homebuyers are racing to apply for loans, but many incorrectly answer basic mortgage questions, according to a new survey by Seattle-based Zillow.

In a recent column, I explained why one of our nephews decided to walk away from his home loan. While he questioned if the move was "morally right" when he first contemplated the decision, the unwillingness of his lender to respond to his numerous requests for an interest rate reduction eventually changed his outlook.

More and more retirees looking to obtain a home loan may find that solid retirement accounts and a sterling credit rating are not enough.

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will begin next year to purchase only loans that meet new "qualified mortgage" requirements, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced.

The chief executive officer of a New York City brokerage says employees who get an inked logo of the company on their body will earn a raise.

A Colorado State University study looked into home prices in conservation developments, where residential real estate is limited and usually 50 percent to 70 percent of the land is set aside as open space.

Mortgage applications climbed 2 percent last week as several key interest rates dropped, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported.

Blackstone Group, the nation's largest private real estate owner, has bought up 24,000 homes across the country in just one year.

Some local buyers are submitting offers to purchase homes only to discover that the seller already has lined up a preferred mortgage lender.

Where buyer demand is high, some builders are holding lotteries to determine who gets to purchase homes in their developments.

Our nephew, a high school teacher and coach in southern California, decided to stop paying on his mortgage a year ago.

Seventy-five percent of renters say they own pets, yet many are not able to find enough pet-friendly rental options, a new survey of 1,100 renters by Apartments.com shows.

Some home shoppers say they are willing to spend thousands of dollars more than the asking price of the home in order to have certain interior features.

Home prices will likely climb 10 percent in 2013 and 8 percent in 2014, according to Barclays analyst Stephen Kim, who recently upgraded his view of the housing market from neutral to positive.

An immigration bill filed last week by a handful of bipartisan senators could trigger widespread change for the housing market if passed.

Rental costs have been on the rise, outpacing stagnant salaries and widening the affordability gap, according to a new study by DePaul University.

Short sales and loan modifications have grown to help offset foreclosures, but banks are also turning to deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure.

More homeowners and buyers are ranking energy-efficient and environmentally friendly home features high in surveys.

A second home used to be reserved for getaways within an easy drive of the family home and rarely rented out - let alone to complete strangers.

Twenty-four percent of married couples surveyed aged 18-to-34 said they had purchased a home before they were married. Of married couples aged 45 and up, only 14 percent said they had purchased a house before marriage.

Banks began to compensate 4.2 million borrowers last week for past mistakes in processing foreclosures, but a few borrowers say the checks they were sent wouldn't clear.

Soaring production of apartments pushed nationwide housing starts beyond the million-unit mark for the first time since 2008 in March, according to newly released figures from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau.

Lenders are responding to the collective sigh brought by rising home prices and household income with of variety loan programs - some new, others familiar offerings not promoted in years.