How long will housing slump last?

The decline, which has seen the median price of a home drop 1.7% over the past year, could extend into summer 2007, experts say.

S. Florida home sales keep falling

South Florida's housing market continued to struggle in August. Nationwide, the price for existing homes went down for the first time in 11 years.

Lennar CEO, Stuart Miller, keeps building despite cooling housing market

Miller plans to ''keep the conveyor belt running'' and finish building new homes in projects already underway. He also plans to offer sales incentives and slash prices to get the homes sold.

3 Simple Steps to Reel In Buyers

Think like a potential buyer and your mission becomes clear, an expert renovator says. That means fixing what can be seen (or, ugh, smelled) first.

10 real estate deal-wreckers

Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, the old proverb goes, so as the real estate market marks time before firing up again in the spring, it's a good time to mull over some of the more common things "not-to-do" to clear a trail for a happy home sale or purchase.

Here are my picks for 10 mistakes to avoid in 2006:

Soaring insurance costs threaten Florida's real estate industry, survey says

Florida's property insurance crisis threatens the state's commercial real estate market and ultimately, Florida's economy, an industry survey by the University of Florida Center for Real Estate Studies says.

When homeowners are desperate to sell

Sellers are offering perks like car leases and granite countertops to drum up interest. If that fails, they may try to sell for less than they owe on the home.

How low will real estate go?

No one's arguing that the boom is over. But just how far prices may drop is much less certain. Here's what some economists expect nationally, along with predictions for 15 metro areas.

Determining values in a cooling market is not easy

In cooling real estate markets, it's the hottest question: How do you value a specific piece of property when local home sales are down 20 percent to 40 percent from last year, inventories of unsold homes have ballooned by 200 percent or more, and all the trend lines are pointing negative?

Making your house ready to sell in a slowing real estate market

If for-sale signs have sprouted like weeds in your neighborhood and the grass is growing up around them, it's no time to panic, say real estate experts.

Owners of old homes take hit on insurance

Many insurers are adding steep surcharges to policies that cover homes more than 20 years old -- even if they have been updated to meet the code.

Help me claim it!

Help Me Claim It!™ is the residential property owners’ concise, step-by-step insurance claim handbook. We address everything from household storm preparation, pre-storm and post-storm documentation, as well as building and personal property claim preparation. Most importantly, we have included guidelines for you to follow when communicating and negotiating with your insurance company. Understanding the claim process and having a course of action at your fingertips when you need it the most should increase your chances for a more equitable insurance claim outcome.

Show me the money!

200 people protest at county commission chambers about the housing agency’s problems and a lack of affordable homes.

8 signs you're ready to buy your first home

With home prices cooling off and apartment rents heating up, is now the time to buy your own place? Here are the ways to know when it makes sense financially to purchase your first home.

Home prices up despite slowdown

Average U.S. home prices rose 1.17 percent in the second quarter, even though this increase marked the biggest slowdown in three decades.

7 creative ways to buy your first house

So you want to buy a place of your own but can't figure out how to pull together the necessary cash and financing? If you're willing to think creatively, there are several offbeat ways to buy your first home.

Boom to bust, almost overnight

"Nothing is moving unless you give it away."