Getting Transferred? Securing a Mortgage Could Be Harder.

Kenneth R. Harney, www.washingtonpost.com, Saturday, June 20, 2009
Real estate may be showing signs of a turnaround in many local markets, but the nation’s largest mortgage players are continuing to ratchet up their underwriting rules, making home purchases more difficult for some buyers. READ MORE

Spike in Interest Rates Could Choke Recovery

Neil Irwin, Washington Post Staff Writer, June 12, 2009
Rising long-term interest rates are making it more expensive for home buyers, corporations and the U.S. government to borrow money, threatening to further stifle an already weak economy. READ MORE

Closing Cash From Uncle Sam

By Kenneth R. Harney, www.washingtonpost.com, June 6, 2009
The Obama administration has put out the official word: Starting soon, first-time home buyers will be able to turn their $8,000 federal tax credits into cash for use at closing if they use Federal Housing Administration mortgage financing. READ MORE

The Cash That’s Left

By Elizabeth Razzi, www.washingtonpost.com, Saturday, June 6, 2009
It’s the rare home buyer who doesn’t walk away from the closing table feeling exhilarated but close to broke. Most have scraped together every dollar they could find to make a down payment and cover the closing costs. READ MORE

‘Jumbo’ Loans, Down-to-Earth Rates

By Dina ElBoghdady, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, May 30, 2009
Looking for a mortgage that exceeds $729,750? Not long ago, you would have been charged about 8 percent interest on a loan that large — if you could find a lender willing to grant you one. READ MORE

First-Time Home Buyers Can Turn Tax Credit Into Cash

By Kenneth R. Harney, www.washingtonpost.com, Saturday, May 23, 2009
The $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home purchasers is about to morph into a ready-cash down payment source, thanks to a federal policy change. READ MORE

Have We Hit Bottom? Watching the Economy for Signs of Recovery.

By Ilyce R. Glink with Samuel J. Tamkin, The Washington Post, Saturday, May 16, 2009
How do you know you’ve hit rock bottom in a recession? Time is the lens through which we see economic cycles. We call the beginning and end of a recession in hindsight, after companies report their inventories and sales and the government tells us how many people are still employed. READ MORE

Programs Offer Housing Help, but Who’s Buying?

By Mara Lee, The Washington Post, Saturday, May 16, 2009
In most of the Washington area, it’s gotten cheaper to buy a townhouse, condo or house. However, the increased affordability has complicated government programs to help moderate- and low-income families own homes. READ MORE

A Return to Basics: Buy Low, Fix, Rent

By Alejandro Lazo, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, May 2, 2009

While it may seem crazy to bet on real estate for a steady retirement income these days, that is exactly what Edward and Olivia Green are doing. READ MORE