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The Senate is expected this week to pass an extension of the credit that was originally going to expire Nov. 30. Buyers who sign a purchase agreement by April can now claim the credit.

—Chris Palmeri, Hot Property

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Home Heating Oil

The recent drop in oil prices is welcome news, but homeowners still face dramatically higher heating bills this winter. We'll look at whether they should prepay and lock in prices now.

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Viewpoint: Marc Roth

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When Will Mortgage Rates Go Up?

The tea-leaf indicators all point to a rise in interest rates—and therefore an increase in mortgage rates—by springtime

 

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Real Estate News

Checking the Health of the Housing Recovery

Waiting for the pain in residential real estate to end? BusinessWeek asked experts what to watch now

America's Best Place to Raise Your Kids

See which town ranked highest in BusinessWeek's fourth annual survey of the Best Places to Raise Your Kids. Hint: It's in Illinois

Housing Starts Decline 10.6%

The surprising drop represents builder uncertainty over the homebuyer tax credit and the sustainability of the housing market rebound

The U.S. Metros Least Touched by Recession

A combination of stable home prices and sizable sectors in health care, energy, government, and education kept these metropolitan areas relatively stable

You Have Real Estate Questions? We Have Answers

The direction and health of the housing market is on everyone's mind. We tackle the 25 biggest real estate questions

Jumbo Loan Rate Dips

The research firm HSH reports that jumbo loans—those for higher-priced homes—dipped below 6%

Bargain Homes in the Best School Districts

BusinessWeek worked with real estate portal Cyberhomes to find the 25 most affordable Zip Codes with the best public schools

Hope for Homebuilders?

Outside of the nation's pricey metros and suburbs, there are pockets where new building permits are surging

How Real Is the Rally in Real Estate Bonds?

Companies are jumping back into mortgage securities, but they may regret their moves

Where to Find America's Most Affordable Real Estate

With historic low prices, in years to come many Americans will look back on 2009 as the year they should have bought a new house

Why Rent When You Can Buy?

In 20 metro areas around the U.S., the cost of buying a home is only a little more—and in two metros actually less—than renting

The Strongest U.S. Housing Markets

Many U.S. markets that avoided the housing boom are now seeing the greatest growth in home values

Are Buyers Slowly Coming Back for Luxury Homes?

Ultra-luxury home sales are picking up, and some of the priciest homes are located in gold-standard beach-front locations

Homebuilders Think Small

To attract buyers, homebuilders are slashing costs and square footage. KB Home is offering a new house in Tucson for $89,999

The Best Affordable Places to Retire

You don't have to spend a fortune to retire—if you know the right places to look. If you're planning for your golden years, check out these 50 destinations

Where Housing Will Be in 2012

Home prices are likely to fall for the next year, then stabilize, with a rebound in 2012 as the overall economy takes off again

Housing Starts: Up Is Better Than Down

While single-family home starts remain at historic lows, May's 7.5% increase was the third consecutive monthly rise. Some see a bottom

Where Struggling Americans Can Find a Fresh Start

Looking to start over? Find a new job? A new house? Here are 20 U.S. markets where jobs are available and real estate is affordable

Foreclosures Drop in May

But rising unemployment and mortgage rates mean the decline is more an aberration than the start of a positive trend

Foreclosure Goes Upscale

Rising job losses and falling home prices are dragging down people who never dreamed they would get in trouble

Pending Home Sales Rise for Third Straight Month

Contracts signed show a big jump, especially in the Northeast, another indicator the market may be bottoming

Is California Real Estate Near a Bottom?

Tighter inventory and two consecutive months of home-price gains suggest it might be, but unemployment fears remain a factor

Good News on the Mortgage Mess

Mortgage bond prices have rebounded and refinancing is reducing problem securities. Now improved disclosure is identifying the worst loans

Is Living in a High-End Suburb Worth It?

Even residents of upscale suburbs are asking if they wouldn't be better off living somewhere with lower taxes and cost-of-living expenses

The Best Job Markets for Recent College Grads

BusinessWeek identifies the best markets in the U.S. where recent college grads can find jobs ranging from aerospace engineer to zookeeper

U.S. Cities with the Biggest Home Price Reductions

Houses in California, Florida, and Nevada have suffered the deepest cuts—but markets like New York and L.A. have also dropped dramatically

Want to Sell Your Home? Lower Your Price

The slight uptick in nationwide home sales is due to price reductions. The wise seller won't look for a premium these days

Struggling Vacation Home Market Offers Rare Finds

With the economy listing, now is an opportune time to pick up prime property in places like the Hamptons, Napa, and Cape Cod

The World's Best Places to Live 2009

From Southampton to Napa Valley, the economic downturn is having a terrible impact on the once-thriving vacation home market

Is Now the Time to Buy Global Property?

For buyers with strong stomachs and access to capital, this may be the best opportunity in decades to load up on property

Home Prices Edge Upward?

Despite a 3% drop in March existing home sales, there are early indicators that home prices could be rising

Where to Get the Most Rental Income for the Least Investment

Investing in rentals is increasingly affordable. Purchases made now will reap handsome rewards when the economy rebounds

Good News: Option ARM Resets Delayed

The bad news: Low home prices and high unemployment could still punish borrowers when the reset happens sometime next year

It's Now a Renter's Market

Across the U.S., desperate landlords are coming up with novel ways to attract new tenants and retain old ones

Housing: Signs of Life

Housing sales are picking up in some of the hardest-hit markets. Will confidence spread?

The Natural Disaster Stimulus Plan

When major floods or earthquakes hit, millions of insurance and federal dollars come in to rebuild, creating new homes and new jobs

Luxury Homes Are Lingering on the Market

Despite some recent good news from the bottom of the housing market, the upper end is likely to keep struggling

Jumbo Loans Could Make a Comeback

Luxury home sales could rise if rates lower for jumbo loans. But lenders are going to be stricter than ever

Where the Rich (Still) Live

From the Gold Coast of Long Island to the hills of Silicon Valley, there is still great wealth to be found in isolated—and protected—enclaves

Signs of Life from the Real Estate Market

In ZIP codes across the country, as once-inflated property prices bottom out housing sales are increasing dramatically

Recession Takes Its Emotional Toll on Cities

The economic downturn could lead to higher crime, divorce, alcohol and drug abuse, depression, and suicide

Best Affordable Suburbs in the U.S. 2009

BusinessWeek ranked the best affordable suburbs in the U.S. state by state. The overall winner? Pewaukee, Wis. Which is the winner for your state?

Home Prices Post Biggest Drop in 21 Years

The S&P/Case-Shiller National Home Price Index saw an 18.2% decline in the last quarter of 2008, and the 20-city index fell 18.5% in December alone

Bank of America Works Out Countrywide Mortgages

But BofA's huge effort to keep consumers in their homes does not necessarily offer safeguards against redefault

How Banks Are Worsening the Foreclosure Crisis

How the banking industry is undermining efforts to keep people in their houses

Boomtown Slowdown

Since 2000, hundreds of communities across the U.S. have seen unprecedented growth in new homes and income. Will they be able to survive?

How Far Will Housing Prices Fall in 2009?

A Berkeley economist predicts that mounting job losses could push home prices down an additional 7% this year

Even Once-Strong Housing Markets Stumble

Formerly resilient areas like Charlotte, N.C., and Boston are struggling, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index

Rents Drop Nationwide as Vacancies Spike

Good news for renters as landlords are forced to offer discounts to keep their properties occupied

Home Mortgage Foreclosure Relief Gathers Steam

Citigroup's endorsement has the financial-services industry fighting harder against a "cramdown bill" to let homeowners fight foreclosure

America's Best High Schools

A state-by-state look at the best-performing high schools in the U.S. Does your child already go to one?

Mortgage Rates Fall to Record Lows

Rates are at their lowest level in decades, but mortgages remain elusive for most homeowners and hopeful buyers

Inside the House of the Future

Green technology, wireless connectivity, and less ostentation are just some of the newest home-building trends

Mortgages: What You Need to Know in 2009

Mortgage rates are at historic lows and may be poised to go even lower next year. It's a great time to buy a home—if you can

States in Worst Budget Trouble

Is your state going broke? The economic crisis has gutted state coffers, forcing governors to raise taxes, slash services, or both

Real Estate Winners and Losers 2008

While some markets saw home values slide by as much as 40%, others rose. They weren't all wealthy enclaves either. Working-class Utica, N.Y., was up 7%

Should You Refinance Your Mortgage Now?

Today's new, lower rates could drop even further, says mortgage maven Keith Gumbinger. If you've got a jumbo ARM, you might want to wait

Housing: What the Experts See Ahead

An economist, consultant, academic, and fund manager try to locate the bottom of the market

Earning More, Commuting Farther

In the 15 largest U.S. cities, the more money you make, the more time you spend commuting to work

Small Towns with Big Money

From summer resorts to wealthy suburbs, a look at the most expensive small towns in the U.S.

Where Would You Relocate for a Job?

A recent survey identifies the 20 cities where Americans would most want, and least want, to relocate

FHA-Backed Loans: The New Subprime

The same people whose reckless practices triggered the global financial crisis are onto a similar scheme that could cost taxpayers tons more

Trading Down Is the New Real Estate Reality

For many people who once only dreamed of a $1 million home, today a $500,000 home is looking pretty good

The Star of a Real Estate Reality Show Takes a Housing Hit

Speculator Jeff Lewis of Bravo TV's Flipping Out scrambles to regroup in the downturn

The Best Places to Raise Your Kids

A Chicago suburb beats out thousands of other communities around the U.S. as the best, most affordable place to raise kids

Citigroup to Help At-risk Borrowers Stay in Homes

The bank says it won't move against borrowers who want to stay in a principal residence and have enough income to make payments

Campus Condos: The Payoff Is Shrinking

The calculus of owning off-campus housing has changed as home sales have slowed and expectations of fast appreciation have disappeared

From Park Avenue to Park Slope

If your net worth has taken a hit, it might be time to relocate. Where are you going to go?

Foreclosures: Feds to the Rescue?

Banks may be required to offer interest rate relief for strapped homeowners. But it's unclear who will qualify and if the plan would put a dent in foreclosures

The Housing Crisis Spreads to China

Beijing is scrambling to loosen credit even as home prices plummet, buyers reconsider, and developers flee

Will Demand for Solar Homes Pick Up?

Builders find the savings from cheap power is making solar homes more attractive

The Worst U.S. Condo Markets

From Miami to Manhattan and across the country, the once-hot condo market is in freefall

Some Cities Will Be Safer in a Recession

Cities with a strong presence in health care, education, law, energy, and the government will feel the impact of a downturn less

The Feds' Next Step After Rescuing Banks

Many argue that after the $250 billion bank capital injection the government must then stem the surge in foreclosures

Vultures in Miami's Real Estate Market

They're flocking to the city to make lowball, all-cash offers for batches of properties

States with the Worst Budget Shortfalls

California needs to be bailed out to the tune of $7 billion. Find out which other states are close behind

Towns That Could Be Hit Hardest by the Financial Crisis

The upheaval shaking Wall Street will hurt privileged enclaves as well as working-class neighborhoods from coast to coast. Find out which will fare the worst

Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods: Great Buying Opportunities

Want to know where the next hot real estate markets will be? Watch where the artists are living now

Even in the Most Expensive Zip Codes, Prices Are Down

Home values in enclaves such as Beverly Hills and Greenwich have slipped, but houses are still far from a bargain for most buyers

Where Homes Are Selling Fastest

But even real estate in the best Zip Codes are spending longer on the market than in 2007

Affordable Housing Exists, If You Know Where to Look

Most Americans can't afford housing as easily as they once did. Take a look at where the most and least affordable homes can be found

Vacation Homes Without All the Expense

If you're in the market for a vacation home, falling home prices and desperate landlords make it a great time to rent

Strong Rental Markets in a Weak Economy

Foreclosures are up, and home prices are down nationwide, but in many metro areas the rental market has improved since 2007

The Unraveling of the Suburban Fringe

Most of the overbuilding during the housing bubble took place in outer-ring suburbs. They are also likely the places to be hit worst by the downturn

Are Downtowns in Danger of Going Downhill Again?

Many ambitious programs to revitalize downtowns of cities across the U.S. could stall as the economy slows

Are You in the Best City for Your Job?

A high salary goes only so far if the cost of living is even higher. If you want your dollar to go further, maybe it's time to relocate

Slide Show: The World's Best Places to Live 2008

Mercer Consulting's annual roundup of the global cities with the best quality of life is here, and Zurich once again comes out on top. The best place in the U.S.? Honolulu at No. 28

Are You Overpaying for Where You Live?

As the economy stumbles, even residents of affluent suburbs are feeling pinched by basic costs that never bothered them before

Best Houses of the Week

Mass. Appeal

Vermont Values

Great Estates in the Granite State

The Maine Thing

Real Estate Lists

The Best and Worst Housing Markets 2007

Where New Homes Are Selling Worst

How Housing is Holding Up Around the World

Countries with the Most Millionaire Households

IN YOUR FACE: PURSUE YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL DREAM

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Reader Bobbie Goheen Writes:

"Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs? Evaluate and adjust your assumptions monthly until your business is up and out of the red."

Tell Us: Best Advice for a Startup in Today's Economy?