There's a natural inclination at the beginning of the year to look forward. The new year offers us a fresh start and a great time to set goals. For a lot of us, one of those goals will be to buy a house. But what should we expect out of …

If you're like most Americans, your monthly mortgage payment will be among your biggest bills. That's why it's important for prospective home buyers to crunch the numbers before shopping for a house. Knowing how much you can comfortably afford will help you avoid buying a house that causes you financial …

These days, housing market conditions are fairly easy to understand. There are fewer homes for sale and, because of that, home prices continue to rise. It's simple supply and demand. When there are fewer homes for buyers to choose from, the ones that are available go for a higher price. …

According to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Applications Survey, average mortgage rates fell to a four-week low last week. Rates were down for loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with both conforming and jumbo balances. The decline helped push refinance activity up 2 percent from …

Home buyers faced a lot of competition this year. Elevated demand and fewer homes available for sale meant interested buyers had to be ready for a bidding war or risk losing a good house to a better prepared buyer. This was certainly true during the spring and summer markets. In …

When thinking about buying a house, most of us look at home prices and mortgage rates. Together, they can provide a rough idea of how much home we can afford. They aren't, however, the only factors that determine whether or not we're ready and able to buy. One metric that …

Americans are concerned about the economy, according to Fannie Mae's most recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index. But while concerns about economic conditions have reached a 10-year high, they haven't diminished perceptions of the housing market. In fact, Fannie Mae's index – which measures Americans' feelings about home buying and selling …

Work has a big impact on how and where we live. It determines what we can afford and where we need to be on a day-to-day basis. So when the pandemic began and more Americans started working remotely, it also led to some significant changes in home buying patterns. Where …

Some of homeownership's benefits are constant. Stability and the freedom to customize your living space, for example. Others depend a lot upon the ups and downs of the market. Equity is one of them. And these days, because of the market's continuing strength, homeowners are reaping the benefits in a …

Whether you just bought a house or are thinking about buying a house, home improvement projects may be on your mind. After all, unless you're moving into something newly built, there are bound to be things about your home you'd like to fix or change. It's natural. We all want …