While watching a lopsided college basketball game on television four days after Christmas, I began searching the Internet for creative recreational-property house plans.  more...

Various segments of the housing industry have floated "what-if" balloons regarding possible solutions for the national mortgage mess.

The latest has been the Bush administration's roundtable discussion with lenders about the possibility of extending lower, introductory rates on mortgages to borrowers with poor credit histories who were either misled into taking on a risk they could not afford or genuinely did not understand the consequences of an upwardly adjusting loan in a down market.  more...

Inflation floats all boats. If this was not the reality of the housing industry the past decade, it was certainly the perception.

How can you ask consumers to use caution in their home-buying decisions when one respected gauge – the S&P/Case Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index – showed that single-family homes gained 84 percent in value from 2001 through 2006?

This astounding run-up led to over-building, over-lending, over-borrowing and over-selling. All caution flew out the door.  more...

The neighborhood kids all arrived, bundled in holiday scarves and hats, plus patent leather shoes usually reserved for weddings and Sunday Mass at St. Theresa's.

Our old house, a large in-city place jammed with the craziness and crayons brought by four young people, was the designated gathering spot -- especially for one famous day each year. And, on that day, we were more than the most popular house in the neighborhood.

We got to host Santa ... before Christmas Eve.

Why us?  more...

'Tis the season for all kinds of company.

If you are among the 76 million baby boomers in the United States who soon will be expecting that special visitor in the big red suit, it might be wise to take the time not only to "kid proof" but also to "parent proof" your home for the holidays.

Hosting parents or older guests, especially those scheduled to stay overnight for the first time, requires particular preparation.  more...

What's new in Puerto Vallarta condos? Want to see the latest San Diego high rise?

No longer do you have to wait for a national road show to get a feel for new developments around the world. Cliff Bowman, the Vancouver, B.C.-based marketing expert who has turned pre-selling condominium buildings into an industry art form, has taken his online condo idea to retail stores.  more...

If you could rename the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation what would it be?

We asked readers that question a couple of months ago and received more than 100 suggestions and comments. The reasons for the initial inquiry vary, but the main point is that many seniors simply don't like to be called "seniors." In addition, seniors and baby boomers are now largely commingled to include any person over the age of 55, while there are different buyer types such as move-down, empty-nest, last-time, retirement and second-home.  more...

A financial planner once told me that people did not really concentrate on saving for retirement until they paid off their home mortgage. The reason was that discretionary income was so precious after all mandatory monthly obligations were satisfied that consumers spent what little was left on a wanted treasure, trip, or recommended stock or bond.  more...

Sixty-two, 61, 60 -- The age requirements for one reverse mortgage product just got "younger."

Melville, N.Y.-based Lender Lead Solutions recently introduced Simple60, a new reverse mortgage product available to homeowners aged 60 and older. Reverse mortgages offered to date require that borrowers be at least 62 years old.  more...

The National Association of Mortgage Brokers is so concerned that recently proposed legislation would crush its revenue model that it scheduled national teleconferences and prepared sample letters for members to mail to their respective congressmen.

In an e-mail to all NAMB dated Nov. 1, Denise Leonard, the organization's government affairs chairperson, wrote:  more...

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- While the subprime market crisis is affecting credit markets around the world, baby boomers and retirees can still find funding for their second homes, especially in countries with a stable political environment and solid infrastructure.

According to experts gathered for the recent Latin America Real Estate Conference, the desire to seek vacation and second homes abroad has just begun, even though some potential buyers are stymied by the flat or dwindling values of their primary home.

Dr.  more...

The additional $30 million recently scored by online real estate site Zillow.com not only pushed the Seattle startup to the front of the venture-funding pack but it also resurrected a couple of the more famous notions in the residential sector.

Will the popular site, known for its real estate estimations, seek to become "the lion over the hill" in the residential arena? Will it try to accumulate all possible listings and match for-sale homes with its individual estimates? How deep will Zillow go with its plans for home improvement data and mortgage programs?  more...

If you decide that you are going to spend your remaining years in your primary residence or your second home -- and an overwhelming number of seniors would prefer to stay put -- what will you do to make those homes more comfortable?

That topic will be the prime focus of National Aging in Place Week (Oct. 1-7) as home modification experts, geriatric care managers, financial planners, home care workers and other experts in senior living gather to provide residents the information they need to find products and services to continue to live in the home of their choice.  more...

Last week's Latin America Real Estate Conference in Florida was jammed with interesting news on the number of baby boomers investigating a purchase south of the border, the impact of the subprime markets on international funds, and how the U.S. construction slowdown has affected the "remittances" foreign workers send back home.

In the middle of pursuing at least three news stories, I received word that longtime real estate columnist and colleague Bob Bruss had passed away at age 67. The news stunned and saddened me and temporarily moved everything else to the back burner.  more...

(This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Read Part 1, "Mortgage-interest tax break lacking in benefits.")

When the last week of August quickly slipped into Labor Day weekend, the Cashen kids decided the time had come to take over the loan payments of the family cabin from their parents.  more...