Obama’s housing scorecard

In the days ahead, the Obama administration is expected to announce yet another initiative to help rescue the housing market.

How to rescue the housing market: Foreclosures!

If the Obama administration really wants to save the housing market, it should speed up the foreclosure process — not prolong the inevitable, experts say.

Home prices rebound, but market still struggles

Home prices made a comeback during the second quarter, but the struggling housing market isn’t out of the woods yet.

Hurricane Irene: Insurance nightmare awaits homeowners

As Hurricane Irene bears down on the East Coast, many Americans are preparing for the worst. But whether they are covered for the ensuing damage is another matter entirely.

Foreclosure settlement: Spat among the states

A deal to help victims of improper foreclosures has been slow going, in large part because of infighting among state attorneys general over giving banks a free pass from future lawsuits.

Best Places to Live in your state

See the best places to live in your favorite state.

What bubble? 25 Best Places with priciest homes

Homes in Manhattan Beach, Calif., went for a cool $1.4 million last year. What other Best Places still have high median sales prices?

New-home sales dip in July

New-home sales fell once again in July, the third straight month of declining sales for hard-pressed home builders.

Number of troubled mortgages on rise again

In another hit to the beleaguered housing market, a report out Monday found that the number of delinquent mortgage borrowers — those who have missed at least one payment — rose during the three months ended June 30.

Brad Pitt puts his bachelor pad up for sale

The star of “Seven” and “Ocean’s Eleven” recently listed his four-bedroom Malibu Beach bungalow for $13.75 million.

Shadow inventory improves but still threatens housing recovery

An ominous cloud is hanging over the housing market: Millions of distressed properties could be put up for sale at any moment, potentially adding to the glut of unsold homes that are already on the market and depressing home prices even further.

Mortgage rates at record lows

Mortgage interest rates hit record lows this week, sending housing affordability soaring.

Best places for affordable homes

Residents who live in these growing towns see their incomes go the furthest.

Burt Reynolds faces foreclosure in Florida

Burt Reynolds could lose his waterfront mansion in Florida after failing to make mortgage payments for almost year.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Homes in Manhattan Beach, Calif., went for a cool $1.4 million last year. What other Best Places still have high median sales prices?

New-home sales dip in July

New-home sales fell once again in July, the third straight month of declining sales for hard-pressed home builders.

Number of troubled mortgages on rise again

In another hit to the beleaguered housing market, a report out Monday found that the number of delinquent mortgage borrowers — those who have missed at least one payment — rose during the three months ended June 30.

Brad Pitt puts his bachelor pad up for sale

The star of “Seven” and “Ocean’s Eleven” recently listed his four-bedroom Malibu Beach bungalow for $13.75 million.

Shadow inventory improves but still threatens housing recovery

An ominous cloud is hanging over the housing market: Millions of distressed properties could be put up for sale at any moment, potentially adding to the glut of unsold homes that are already on the market and depressing home prices even further.

Mortgage rates at record lows

Mortgage interest rates hit record lows this week, sending housing affordability soaring.

Best places for affordable homes

Residents who live in these growing towns see their incomes go the furthest.

Burt Reynolds faces foreclosure in Florida

Burt Reynolds could lose his waterfront mansion in Florida after failing to make mortgage payments for almost year.

Buying is cheaper than renting in most U.S. cities

Home prices have taken such a beating and demand for rental units has increased so much that it’s now cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than to rent one in most major U.S. cities.

Top 25 big-money towns

Great Falls, Va., residents pull in more than $360,000 a year. Which other places in our Best Places database have high incomes?

New home construction slumps in July

After showing some strength just a month before, new home construction slumped in July, according to two key measures released by the government Tuesday.

Mortgage rates keep falling: 30-year nears record

Just when it seemed mortgage rates weren’t going to get any lower, they started testing new lows.

America’s Best Places to Live

These terrific small towns — even now — boast great job opportunities, top-notch schools, safe streets, economic strength, and more. See Money’s top 100.

Foreclosures fall for 10th straight month

Foreclosure filings dropped once again in July, hitting their lowest level since November 2007, as processing delays and foreclosure prevention measures enabled a larger number of delinquent borrowers to remain in their homes.

Home prices take another dip

Housing markets struggled through another tough quarter, this time during the spring buying season, the strongest time of year for home sellers.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

Mortgage interest rates hit record lows this week, sending housing affordability soaring.

Best places for affordable homes

Residents who live in these growing towns see their incomes go the furthest.

Burt Reynolds faces foreclosure in Florida

Burt Reynolds could lose his waterfront mansion in Florida after failing to make mortgage payments for almost year.

Buying is cheaper than renting in most U.S. cities

Home prices have taken such a beating and demand for rental units has increased so much that it’s now cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than to rent one in most major U.S. cities.

Top 25 big-money towns

Great Falls, Va., residents pull in more than $360,000 a year. Which other places in our Best Places database have high incomes?

New home construction slumps in July

After showing some strength just a month before, new home construction slumped in July, according to two key measures released by the government Tuesday.

Mortgage rates keep falling: 30-year nears record

Just when it seemed mortgage rates weren’t going to get any lower, they started testing new lows.

America’s Best Places to Live

These terrific small towns — even now — boast great job opportunities, top-notch schools, safe streets, economic strength, and more. See Money’s top 100.

Foreclosures fall for 10th straight month

Foreclosure filings dropped once again in July, hitting their lowest level since November 2007, as processing delays and foreclosure prevention measures enabled a larger number of delinquent borrowers to remain in their homes.

Home prices take another dip

Housing markets struggled through another tough quarter, this time during the spring buying season, the strongest time of year for home sellers.

Find the best pro for your paint job

Done right, an exterior paint job is a smart investment: It will protect your home from the elements, help defer costly repair work, preserve your property value, and add curb appeal. Plus, if your existing paint is peeling, cracking, or bubbling, delaying the job will only cost you more.

Housing recovery slips out of sight

Any glimmer of hope that the housing market will stage a recovery in the upcoming months has vanished, thanks to the recent spate of bad economic news that has been making headlines over the past several weeks.

Protect your home (and finances) from disaster

The season for natural disasters, it seems, is now year-round. Floods and a record number of tornadoes have already caused billions of dollars of property damage across the nation in 2011. Come fall, forecasters expect an unusually active hurricane season. Moreover, experts believe crazy weather is here to stay.

What downgrade means for your mortgage

At least one fear was not realized amid Monday’s meltdown: the concern that mortgage rates would immediately shoot higher in response to Standard & Poor’s downgrade of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored entities that are the 800-pound gorillas of the mortgage market.

Home ownership hits lowest level since 1965

As the foreclosure crisis continues to wreak havoc on the housing market, a source of national pride has taken a sour turn. Home ownership is on the decline and, according to a recent Morgan Stanley report, the United States is fast becoming a nation of renters.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

As the foreclosure crisis continues to wreak havoc on the housing market, a source of national pride has taken a sour turn. Home ownership is on the decline and, according to a recent Morgan Stanley report, the United States is fast becoming a nation of renters.

Mortgage rates plunge

As Congress and President Obama hammered out a debt deal over the past week, mortgage rates plunged, flirting with new lows in some instances.

Responsible homeowners left out in the cold

Borrowers who have good credit and make their payments on time are being told that the only way they can refinance is if they start defaulting on payments.

Foreclosures fall in most U.S. cities

Foreclosures declined in more than 84% of U.S. metro areas during the first half of the year, according to the latest report from RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed properties. But that doesn’t mean these markets are staging a turnaround.

Home prices dip 4.5%

May home prices in 20 major cities dipped 4.5% from one year ago, marking a continued decline in the already battered housing market.

New home sales slip again in June

Sales of new single-family homes slipped for a second month in a row in June, falling short of estimates.

Countrywide borrowers to get $108 million in refunds

The FTC said nearly half a million consumers who were overcharged for services and fees by the mortgage lender will receive refund checks.

America’s ugliest homes

HomeVestors, the company that buys beat-up homes, fixes them up and resells them, is looking for the nation’s ugliest home. Here are six candidates.

Zillow shares pop in IPO

Shares of real estate site Zillow shot up 120% early in its public debut Wednesday, though they cooled a bit as the day continued.

Existing home sales dip in June

Sales of existing homes dipped in June as buyers unexpectedly backed out of contracts, according to the Realtors group.

Short sale fraud plagues housing market

Scammers are ripping off mortgage lenders by tens of thousands of dollars — sometimes in a matter of hours.

Formula 1 heiress buys Spelling mansion for $85 million

One of the most expensive homes of all time, the 56,500-square foot Spelling Manor, sold for a very steep discount Thursday — $85 million — or 43% off the original asking price.

False hopes for the housing market

RealtyTrac’s latest data shows a 29% drop in foreclosure filings, but the housing market is far from staging a recovery.

10 best cities to buy a rental property

Low home prices and relatively strong rents are expected to make real estate investors in these cities some healthy profits over the next few years.

Seinfeld asks $18 million for Colorado mansion

The comedian put his 14,200-square foot Telluride, Colo. vacation home on the market.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

>> Take Action Now

Frank, we feel strongly that you as a future buyer or seller needed to know this information.  It’s a fact: many hardworking, credit-worthy Americans have a difficult time saving for the down payment to buy a home. If enacted, the new regulation will make it even more difficult for many Americans to buy their next or first home.

>> Take Action Now

What can you do? Join us and take action now. Regulators in Washington need to hear the voices of homeowners as they make public policy. This is why your input is so important. We’ve made it easy for you to send a letter to the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to ask that they drop the proposed 20% down payment requirement. It takes just a few seconds of your time. We have already drafted the letter for you with optional space for personal comments.

>> Take Action Now

Thank you! We hope you will join us in our ongoing efforts to help current and future homeowners protect the most important investment you will make.

About the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has been a champion of home ownership rights and opportunities for more than a century. Helping consumers become more informed, responsible home owners is important to the stability and value of the housing market – and your overall enjoyment of your home.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

May home prices in 20 major cities dipped 4.5% from one year ago, marking a continued decline in the already battered housing market.

New home sales slip again in June

Sales of new single-family homes slipped for a second month in a row in June, falling short of estimates.

Countrywide borrowers to get $108 million in refunds

The FTC said nearly half a million consumers who were overcharged for services and fees by the mortgage lender will receive refund checks.

America’s ugliest homes

HomeVestors, the company that buys beat-up homes, fixes them up and resells them, is looking for the nation’s ugliest home. Here are six candidates.

Zillow shares pop in IPO

Shares of real estate site Zillow shot up 120% early in its public debut Wednesday, though they cooled a bit as the day continued.

Existing home sales dip in June

Sales of existing homes dipped in June as buyers unexpectedly backed out of contracts, according to the Realtors group.

Short sale fraud plagues housing market

Scammers are ripping off mortgage lenders by tens of thousands of dollars — sometimes in a matter of hours.

Formula 1 heiress buys Spelling mansion for $85 million

One of the most expensive homes of all time, the 56,500-square foot Spelling Manor, sold for a very steep discount Thursday — $85 million — or 43% off the original asking price.

False hopes for the housing market

RealtyTrac’s latest data shows a 29% drop in foreclosure filings, but the housing market is far from staging a recovery.

10 best cities to buy a rental property

Low home prices and relatively strong rents are expected to make real estate investors in these cities some healthy profits over the next few years.

Seinfeld asks $18 million for Colorado mansion

The comedian put his 14,200-square foot Telluride, Colo. vacation home on the market.

Obama’s housing scorecard

The Obama administration has announced yet another initiative to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Getting a mortgage with so-so credit

Getting a mortgage can be tough these days — even people with near-perfect credit have been rejected for loans. But for some lucky borrowers, things aren’t as bad as the doom-and-gloom crowd says.

Average home price in Manhattan: $1.4 million

High-end buyers came to Manhattan to spend money during the second quarter, helping to lift average prices for homes.

Home prices rise, snapping 8-month drop streak

The downward cycle in home prices broke in April after eight consecutive months of decline, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Advice on Home Repair & Improvement, Home Loans and Mortgages. Copyright ©. All Rights Reserved.

May home prices in 20 major cities dipped 4.5% from one year ago, marking a continued decline in the already battered housing market.

New home sales slip again in June

Sales of new single-family homes slipped for a second month in a row in June, falling short of estimates.

Countrywide borrowers to get $108 million in refunds

The FTC said nearly half a million consumers who were overcharged for services and fees by the mortgage lender will receive refund checks.

America’s ugliest homes

HomeVestors, the company that buys beat-up homes, fixes them up and resells them, is looking for the nation’s ugliest home. Here are six candidates.

Zillow shares pop in IPO

Shares of real estate site Zillow shot up 120% early in its public debut Wednesday, though they cooled a bit as the day continued.

Existing home sales dip in June

Sales of existing homes dipped in June as buyers unexpectedly backed out of contracts, according to the Realtors group.

Short sale fraud plagues housing market

Scammers are ripping off mortgage lenders by tens of thousands of dollars — sometimes in a matter of hours.

Formula 1 heiress buys Spelling mansion for $85 million

One of the most expensive homes of all time, the 56,500-square foot Spelling Manor, sold for a very steep discount Thursday — $85 million — or 43% off the original asking price.

False hopes for the housing market

RealtyTrac’s latest data shows a 29% drop in foreclosure filings, but the housing market is far from staging a recovery.

10 best cities to buy a rental property

Low home prices and relatively strong rents are expected to make real estate investors in these cities some healthy profits over the next few years.

Seinfeld asks $18 million for Colorado mansion

The comedian put his 14,200-square foot Telluride, Colo. vacation home on the market.

Obama’s housing scorecard

The Obama administration has announced yet another initiative to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Getting a mortgage with so-so credit

Getting a mortgage can be tough these days — even people with near-perfect credit have been rejected for loans. But for some lucky borrowers, things aren’t as bad as the doom-and-gloom crowd says.

Average home price in Manhattan: $1.4 million

High-end buyers came to Manhattan to spend money during the second quarter, helping to lift average prices for homes.

Home prices rise, snapping 8-month drop streak

The downward cycle in home prices broke in April after eight consecutive months of decline, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Even in a troubled economy, some parents of means are willing to spend significant — if not eye-popping — sums on playhouses for their children.

On Location: A House Built on Trust

In the Virginia woods, a former nomad settles down in a 1,000-square-foot dream home designed by her lifelong best friend.

In the Garden: In Philadelphia, Going Green or Growing Wild?

The landscape designer Margie Ruddick received a summons for her unkempt-looking yard, but there’s logic in its wildness.

Domestic Lives: Back Home, via France

The author tracks down those who helped rescue her father-in-law in France during World War II, and finds a substitute home.

A Cube With a Clever Layout

For her $150,000 home outside Charlottesville, Va., Alison Threatt made a descriptive “mind map,” and the architects interpreted from there.

Playhouse Proud

High-end playhouses for children, which can cost as much as $200,000, come in a variety of styles, including replicas of real houses and fantastical creations like treetop hideouts.

Houses Made of Sticks and Stones

Meticulously and gorgeously wrought, Clark Sanders’s stone house and straw-bale structures in the Catskills are his calling cards.

Currents | Q&A: Designing a House in Which Every Surface Is Skateable

With the skateboarders Pierre-André Senizergues and Gil Le Bon Delapointe, a Los Angeles architect created a prototype of a house in which everything can be skated on.

Currents | Furniture: A Half-Century Later, a Wegner Chair Is Reborn

Hans J. Wegner’s Oculus chair, designed in 1960, has been relaunched by the furniture maker Carl Hansen & Son.

Currents | Audio: $22,100 for a Stereo (That’s the Budget Model)

Steinway Lyngdorf’s S-Series promises unbelievably crisp sound in a package that’s portable.

Currents | Events: A Short Film on Living Together, Apart

“Two’s a Crowd,” an affectionate 20-minute documentary, follows two 50-somethings as they move in together after four years of marriage.

Currents | Goods: Karim Rashid Recasts the Post-It

The company 3M asked the designer to rethink the delivery of the sticky note, as well as that of another classic — Scotch tape.

Currents | Deals: Sales at Garnet Hill, Ochre and Others

Discounts on bedding, furniture, lighting and more.

On Location: In Germany, Minimalism and Transparency

A woman in Berlin falls in love with an apartment once lived in by the chief architect for East Berlin.

International Real Estate: House Hunting in … Santiago

The Chilean housing market and economy in general have withstood the financial crisis.

Scammers are ripping off mortgage lenders by tens of thousands of dollars — sometimes in a matter of hours.

Formula 1 heiress buys Spelling mansion for $85 million

One of the most expensive homes of all time, the 56,500-square foot Spelling Manor, sold for a very steep discount Thursday — $85 million — or 43% off the original asking price.

False hopes for the housing market

RealtyTrac’s latest data shows a 29% drop in foreclosure filings, but the housing market is far from staging a recovery.

10 best cities to buy a rental property

Low home prices and relatively strong rents are expected to make real estate investors in these cities some healthy profits over the next few years.

Seinfeld asks $18 million for Colorado mansion

The comedian put his 14,200-square foot Telluride, Colo. vacation home on the market.

Obama’s housing scorecard

The Obama administration has announced yet another initiative to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

Getting a mortgage with so-so credit

Getting a mortgage can be tough these days — even people with near-perfect credit have been rejected for loans. But for some lucky borrowers, things aren’t as bad as the doom-and-gloom crowd says.

Average home price in Manhattan: $1.4 million

High-end buyers came to Manhattan to spend money during the second quarter, helping to lift average prices for homes.

Home prices rise, snapping 8-month drop streak

The downward cycle in home prices broke in April after eight consecutive months of decline, according to a survey released Tuesday.

San Francisco’s rent riot

FORTUNE — Whether we’re living through another tech bubble remains hotly contested, but there’s no denying its impact on one market: rental apartments in San Francisco. With Twitter, Zynga, and numerous other local startups hiring in droves, all those newbies need somewhere to live. In the trendy SoMa and South Beach neighborhoods, says Paul Hwang of Skybox Realty, there may be up to five applications for every apartment listing. Most places are renting at an average of 10% to 20% higher than just six months ago; a $2,400-a-month one-bedroom can now top $2,700. “The last couple of years, people were happy to have a job,” says Hwang. “Now all I hear is, ‘I’m going to start my own thing.’ All that can be reflected in rent.”

Price of the new American dream home

Coldwell Banker compiled average home prices of four-bedroom homes in 2,300 towns across North America. See how your home compares.

Dreaming of a bigger home

When Wyonnie and Kwame Flaherty bought their two-bedroom apartment in Queens, N.Y., in 2008, they thought it was the perfect stepping-stone.

New home sales slip 2%

Sales of new homes fell 2.1% in May, after rising for two months in a row, as the housing market continues to struggle.

Winery for sale: Can you afford the good life?

From affordable properties for wine hobbyists to multimillion dollar estates for serious connoisseurs, here’s a look at 7 vineyards that are up for sale.

It’s a fact: many hard-working, credit worthy Americans have a difficult time saving for the down payment to buy a home. This proposal would create a high down payment hurdle for first-time and low-income home buyers and make refinancing much more expensive for credit-worthy home owners too. Everyone will suffer. 

Please make your voice heard. You can help keep the Dream of Home Ownership Alive. Simply fill in your name and address in the provided on this page  and hit "Send this message".

HUD’s comment period closes August 1, 2011 so please act before the deadline.

Learn More About Qualified Residential Mortgages and our efforts to repeal the requirement

TAKE ACTION NOW

Click here to send message by going to this page!

About the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has been a champion of home ownership rights and opportunities for more than a century. Helping consumers become more informed, responsible home owners is important to the stability and value of the housing market – and your overall enjoyment of your home.

NAR is North America’s largest professional association, representing over one million members. NAR created the Home Owner Action Center to alert home owners across the country about a critical decision that will be made soon by the Federal government that will seriously affect down payment rules on home mortgages.

The ability to buy, sell and own property has defined our nation throughout its history. Numerous studies have shown the value Americans place in home ownership. According to the 2010 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, first-time homebuyers cite the desire to own a home as the primary reason for their recent home purchase, and in the March 2011 Allstate-National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll nine out of ten home owners say they would buy their homes again. Americans still have a deep attachment to home ownership.

Please take a minute now to read more about the effort by NAR and more than 40 coalition partners to keep the Federal government from requiring a 20% downpayment on home mortgages. Requiring a 20% downpayment would shut the door to creditworthy homebuyers and threaten our economic recovery for years to come.