Real Estate Investment Content Index - Page 10

Statement from U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner:

This afternoon, the Federal Reserve and the national banking agencies released the results of the stress tests - the most comprehensive, forward looking review of our nation's largest banks ever undertaken. These tests will help ensure that…

When you own a primary residence and turn it into a rental property you will be unable to take the same tax deductions as you would if it were a primary residence. If you later decide to change the property ownership from yourself to an LLC - a limited liability company - that will also affect your taxes, on both a federal and local level. How can you make a rental property be a lucrative investment and also bring you tax benefits? How can you protect yourself from liability if someone gets hurt on the property while you have it rented to a tenant? Learn what to consider when running and structuring a rental property investment.

Home prices continued to fall in February, although at a slower pace than in January, according to Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller Index which tracks home prices for single-family homes.

“While the declines in residential real estate continued into February, we witnessed some deceleration in the rate…

What can you do if you're retired and your investments plummeted during the financial crisis? One option may be to get a reverse mortgage, where a mortgage lender either pays you a lump sum or a monthly payment based on your home equity. To repay the loan, it must be repaid either through a home sale or with other money. The older you are the more money you can tap through a reverse mortgage, but be aware that fees tend to be high.

When you apply for a mortgage you allow the mortgage lender to access your credit history and other financial data. But how long can a mortgage lender pull these records? In many cases, a mortgage lender may access your credit history indefinitely in order to screen you as a customer for other products. Screening customers using their credit histories is similar to what credit card companies do. Can you put a time limit on how long a mortgage lender can access your credit history or other financial data?

With mortgage rates at record lows and the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit many Americans are thinking about buying a home. What should you consider when you're buying a home? What financial calculations could you make to decide between buying and renting? While renting does appear more cost effective if you don't plan to be somewhere for a long time, buying a home does ultimately lead you to greater wealth.

As that April 15 tax deadline edges closer and closer, the IRS has released a list of top tax scams to watch out for. Whether you've already sent off your return or you're one of the last minute filers, make sure you don't get trapped by any of these scams:

Beware of IRS’ 2009 “Dirty Dozen” Tax Scams…

On Monday, MoneyWatch.com launched. The site is owned by CBS. Here's a press release that explains what MoneyWatch is. I hope you'll check out my Home Equity blog. Feel free to respond to comments there.

CBS CORPORATION UNVEILS CBS MONEYWATCH.COM

New Personal Finance Web Site Helps People Understand…

When you like to take an annual vacation you may decide to consider buying a timeshare. Is buying a timeshare worth it? When you're trying to decide whether to buy a timeshare, you should consider how much it will cost and how much you spend on a vacation on an annual basis. You can consider a timeshare an investment but keep in mind you may later want to sell it and what it takes to sell a timeshare.

In 2008, second home sales, among new and existing home sales, declined by more than 30 percent from 2007, announced the National Association of Realtors today.

In many cases, second home buyers who bought vacation or investment properties paid cash. NAR stated that 4 in 10 investment property buyers…