Real Estate

Slowly, the manufactured home is gaining respect. Could it be because the houses, with all their perks and benefits, are less expensive than traditional homes, too?

By John Perritano

The mortgage crisis has forced many homeowners into foreclosure, and this comes with an added risk: Con artists use a variety of fraud schemes that target the people and lenders involved in foreclosure. What are some examples of this fraud?

By Matt Cunningham

REITs generate income from real estate, and distribute dividends to the shareholders. Learn how REITs make money in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

You can invest in real estate without buying a property yourself. Learn about the pros and cons of REITs from this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

If you did your homework before getting your pet, you probably budgeted out how much per year it would cost you. But did you realize simply owning an animal can reduce your home's value?

By Danielle Fisher

Selling a home is hard enough, but selling a home with pet damage is even more difficult. So before you list your home, there are several repairs you definitely have to make before buyers ever step foot inside.

By Danielle Fisher

The Federal Housing Administration changed the way Americans buy their homes.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

A certificate of appropriateness must be issued by a historic preservation committee to approve any additions or changes to a building in a historic district. Learn about certificates of appropriateness in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

A sandwich family is a family in which a couple is "sandwiched" between their young children and their aging parents. Learn about sandwich families in this article

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Presentation and first impressions mean everything when selling a home, and real estate agents know that neutral colors can be safest. But do you have to use only neutral paint colors when selling your home?

By Matt Cunningham

First impressions are everything when selling your home, and it's critical that your decor puts the house's best foot forward. So, what are some paint colors that can help with the sale?

By Matt Cunningham & John Perritano

As you get closer to retirement age, it might feel like it's too late to buy a home. While this might be true in some cases, there are times when it still makes sense to buy. But are you ever too old to buy your first house?

By Becky Striepe

There's no point in falling for a house in a neighborhood you can't stand. And if you realize after you move that the area's not for you, it's too late. Find out what to look for to find the perfect neighborhood before you look for your next house.

By Danielle Fisher

Maybe you've recently won the lottery and are in the market for a private island. But you have no idea where to begin. We'll tell you everything you need to know about buying your own island getaway.

By Beth Brindle

Buying a vacant lot can be complicated, not to mention expensive. There are several things you should know before you make such a major purchase. We've outlined 10 of them to help simplify the process.

By Wesley Fenlon

It's reasonable to feel slighted when a co-op board rejects your application or oversteps the bounds of its written rules. But do you have a valid reason to sue the co-op board?

By Garth Sundem

Believe it or not, but a deed restriction could be the roadblock to your dream home. But what exactly are some of the most common ones, and how can they sideline your big build?

By Matt Sailor

Maybe you've seen ads for raw land at low prices and think this could be a good investment. Before you buy any, read our 10 tips so you won't be left high and dry with some useless swampland.

By Jodie Schneider

Most of the water we drink and use is groundwater coming from rain or snow that has collected in the ground. The groundwater level on your land can impact the type of house, complex or well you're planning to build. We'll show you how.

By Jodie Schneider

Restrictive covenants help enforce standards and uniformity in neighborhoods. But they can also ban you from building fences, adding a pool and even cutting down trees. So how can you get out a restrictive covenant?

By Matt Sailor

There are many sneaky pitfalls that can hurt your chances of being accepted by a co-op board, because they have the legal right to be rather arbitrary. What are some things that might cause the board to reject you?

By Garth Sundem

You've hired a real estate agent, and you're well into the selling process, but things aren't going well. What can you do if you're worried that your agent might not be able to sell your home after all?

By Rebecca Fairley Raney

The value a home appraiser sets can make or break the sale of your home. So what can you do to assure your home appraises at the price you want?

By Terri Briseno

Home staging is the process of transforming your house from a home into a show-worthy work of art. It can reduce time on the market and add to your eventual takeaway. So what's the best way to stage your home?

By Jacob Clifton

Pricing your home for sale can be tricky. When looking at such high numbers, it's easy to be blasé about 10k here or there. On the flip side, you don't want to price your home out of the market entirely. So how do you set a price for your home?

By Garth Sundem