[at MarketWatch] - Pending home sales in July rose 5.2% from downwardly revised June levels, the National Association of Realtors reports, though the indicator shows the market for existing homes is still depressed after the expiration of a key tax benefit.
[at MarketWatch] - A growing number of homeowners are choosing to pay down their mortgages at a faster rate -- even if it means a substantial jump in their monthly payments.
[at MarketWatch] - An employee at a home-loan modification "law firm" offers a word of warning about the services offered by the company for which he works.
[at MarketWatch] - Rates on fixed-rate mortgages hit another low this week, after recent reports showed drops in existing- and new-home sales, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly survey.
[at MarketWatch] - The percentage of homes somewhere in the foreclosure process fell in the second quarter, Mortgage Bankers Association data show. It marks the first drop since 2006 and the largest quarter-to-quarter drop since 2005.
[at MarketWatch] - If you’re looking to save some money, look no further than your mortgage. After all, that loan is probably your biggest monthly expense -- and rates are at record lows.
[at MarketWatch] - A foreclosed home might be a good investment right now, but some housing markets are better than others for finding foreclosure gems.
[at MarketWatch] - A homeowner with three outstanding mortgage loans, including a home-equity line of credit, is wondering whether to pay off that credit line before or after the home sale goes through.
[at MarketWatch] - Rates on fixed-rate mortgages dropped this week, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey of conforming mortgage rates. It's the ninth week in a row that fixed-rate mortgages have met or set a record low, according to Freddie Mac's deputy chief economist.
[at MarketWatch] - The following is an edited transcript of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s comments to the conference on the future of housing finance.
[at MarketWatch] - The Fed issues a package of consumer-oriented rules and proposals for disclosures about mortgages, while announcing adoption of final rules on related matters.
[at MarketWatch] - Consumers looking for home loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration will face tougher hurdles and higher costs under new legislation and new rules that could take effect as soon as this month.
[at MarketWatch] - Putting Fannie and Freddie on a firmer foundation won’t be easy, and as anyone who has remodeled a house knows all too well, the job always takes longer than planned and costs a lot more than expected.
[at MarketWatch] - Mortgage rates are sliding, good news for home buyers but not for yield-oriented investors. Yet the best of mortgage-backed bond funds should be able to ride out the tough rate climate.
[at MarketWatch] - The volume of short sales have more than tripled since 2008, according to CoreLogic, a provider of consumer, financial and property information and business services. Also on the rise: the incidence of short-sale fraud.
[at MarketWatch] - One homeowner can't refinance because of the lawsuit his homeowners association is facing. Elsewhere, a condominium member wonders what course his HOA can take to deal with an owner who is flouting association rules.
[at MarketWatch] - Do you need or just want your Internet connection and an annual family vacation? What about your pet? For many baby boomers, those are all basic needs, not luxuries, according to a new survey.
[at MarketWatch] - When Karol Enferadi finally received a contract for her home-loan modification, she wrote “rejected” on it in large letters and mailed it back to Wells Fargo.
