Home values are the biggest indicator as to when we can say the foreclosure crisis and mortgage crunch will soon be over. Once home values stabilize lenders, investors, and home owners can all breathe a collective sigh of relief…and that day may soon be here!

Home price declines are now so severe they have erased all home equity for more Americans than ever before. Home equity numbers have been recorded starting at the end of World War II and are now at there lowest level in history. For many home owners, their mortgage debt actually exceeds their home’s value…what is called negative home equity.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, was recently listed by USA Today as one of the experts to listen to when it comes to the housing market. After his most recent ridiculous statements after the largest slide in home prices since the Great Depression, I beg to differ.

Divorce property division can be one of the hardest things about your divorce. Divorce property decisions are additionally clouded by the anger, hurt, and resentment you feel at one of the lowest times in your life. Dividing up the marital property in a divorce seems so cold and heartless even without these emotions mixed in.

When it comes to house selling tips, the best advice I can give is on how to find a good real estate agent. Most house selling tips come from self-serving listing agents. Mine do not.

I wrote an extensive article on how NOT to choose an agent a year or so ago. I thought I’d revisit the topic from a positive perspective rather than the negative…and just hit the big points!

I get the question: Is Selling My Home After I Buy Dangerous? a lot these days. Since the resale existing home market has weakened it just maybe too risky for most home owners.

I got a typical email where the writer says:

Getting the right real estate help is imperative when attempting to sell your home. However, for most Americans finding the right real estate agent is not an easy process.

I can’t tell you how many times over my 15 years in the mortgage industry when I ask potential clients how they decided on their real estate help, I hear, “Oh, my brother-in-law is an agent”.

The idea of “staging” a home to make it look alluring to buyers has become a necessity. The goal of home staging is to create an increased demand for your home selling it faster and for more.

Home staging is a must if you are to sell your home in this current tough market.

New home buying is filled with traps and tricks designed to put you at a disadvantage. So take a minute to learn about new home buying traps so you can easily turn the tables on the builder.

Contract negotiation from the buyer’s side should be simple, but it’s not. New home builders play games with lot premiums, custom add-ons, and incentives to completely baffle their prey…YOU!

The Mortgage Scam Checklist is 37 tip-offs you’re being lied to, scammed, or conned. Each tactic or statement is a mortgage scam designed to separate you from your money.

I’ve often been asked the question, “How can I tell a mortgage scam when I hear one?”