Pending home sales rise in June but stay below year-ago

Pending sales of existing houses nationwide rose slightly in June from May, but they remain 12.3 percent below the level of June 2007, the National Association of Realtors reported Thursday.

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Real estate Q&A

Q. I recently read your column where you addressed some questions about homeowner's associations, or HOAs. To whom does one complain if you feel like your HOA board is not doing things correctly or following the rules - and how do you find out what the "rules" are?

Protect yourself from soaring prices for materials

The materials used to construct a house aren't rare - wood, steel, concrete, shingles, copper. Like all commodities, their prices fluctuate.

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Pending home sales rise 5.3 percent

A measurement of pending home sales rose in June in a rare piece of positive news for the beleaguered market.

Conn. sues Countrywide over lending practices

Connecticut sued Countrywide Financial Corp. on Wednesday, becoming the latest state to take the mortgage lender to court over its lending practices.

Freddie Mac swings to 2Q loss

Freddie Mac on Wednesday posted a second-quarter loss that was more than three-times larger than Wall Street expected as a huge number of borrowers with good credit fell behind on their exotic and risky mortgages.

Treasury hires Morgan Stanley on Fannie, Freddie

The Treasury Department said Tuesday it had hired investment firm Morgan Stanley to help the government assess the risks facing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

WCI Communities files for bankruptcy

Carl Icahn's WCI Communities became the latest casualty of the housing market crisis Monday, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the home builder failed to get additional financing in the face of massive losses.

Technology provides more tools to find dream home

Around-the-clock Internet access, and a wealth of information online, quickens the pace at which consumers decide to buy - whether it's a handbag, vacation or a house.

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Virtual house tours start to click with buyers

You don't have to show up at Chuck and Pat Yahnke's Brookfield, Wis., townhouse for a house tour.

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