In a perfect world, houses wouldn't deteriorate over time. In reality, the wear begins as soon as a house is built. Older houses tend to have more maintenance issues. But, even new homes can develop problems within a few years if they were poorly constructed.

Most homes are inspected for damage caused by wood pests -- such as dry rot,...

Last year, before the subprime crisis hit, a home buyer was on the verge of purchasing his first home. His mortgage broker told him that qualifying for a mortgage would not be a problem.

After reviewing the numbers of an attractive teaser-rate adjustable, the buyer had second thoughts. He called a knowledgeable...

Buyers aren't the only ones holding back in today's housing market. Many sellers are postponing putting their homes on the market because they are convinced that now is not a good time to sell. They would prefer to wait for a better market.

Waiting could be risky if you need to make a move within the next year or so. Most areas of...

Anecdotal evidence suggests that in some markets investors are buying foreclosure properties at bargain prices. These properties are located in areas that appear to have good growth potential, and they generate enough rental income to at least offset the holding and maintenance costs. The deal needs to make sense financially...

Borrowers assumed when the conforming loan limit increased from $417,000 to $729,750 in high-priced areas like New York City, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area that lower rates on jumbo financing would follow. Unfortunately, the conforming jumbos (also called jumbo lights) were initially priced considerably higher than the...

Getting an accurate sense of the current market value of your home is more of an art than a science. If you live in a housing development where all the homes are similar to one another, it's easier to establish value than it is if you live in an area with extreme variability in home size, style, quality, amenities and condition.

To...

In today's market, few buyers make contingency-free offers. A contingency is an event, like the buyer's loan approval, that must be satisfied in order for the transaction to close.

The purchase contract should specify a deadline for contingency removal. The time period is negotiable; it's whatever the buyers and sellers agree to. Sellers...

Most buyers and sellers feel relieved when the negotiations are done and the purchase agreement has been signed by all parties. It's a milestone. But, you might want to hold off celebrating until the transaction closes.

Current market conditions have complicated the home sale industry. Lender requirements for mortgage...

Homes take longer to sell today than they did in 2005. This is due to a slow home-sale market that has resulted in a build-up of the inventory of unsold listings. Although there are exceptions, this situation is expected to continue until late 2008 or 2009 -- at least. What options do sellers have whose homes aren't selling quickly enough?

Selling a home can be an emotional experience because most sellers have a lot more than money invested in their homes. So, it's understandable that sellers might be reluctant to respond to an offer that is for less than the asking price.

Most sellers have a difficult time being objective about their homes. But, detachment is...