All posts by Mark K. Hicks

More than 230 assistance programs in California can help home buyers overcome a top obstacle to home buying - the down payment. But finding them can be a dilemma. That's

The sun's rays can warm you all over - from your head to your toes and to your pocket book in between. Solar energy systems - typically solar panels

Welcome to National Fair Housing Month. On April 11, 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, an expansion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The

The housing recovery is here to stay, according to a survey of some 330,000 ActiveRain members who say 2013 will prove them right. The surveyed real estate agents said: •

Struggling homeowners are getting a big break this summer from Freddie Mac's and Fannie Mae's Streamlined Modification program. Eligible borrowers won't have to submit documentation, but can accept a

Your dog's a pig, your lawn is scrub land, your driveway looks like a campground and your garage band sounds like someone is banging on all that junk

Movoto looked at California's 10 largest cities (by population) to get a better idea of what caused the state's turnaround from a buyer's market to a seller's market

When searching for a real estate agent, make sure he or she is tech savvy. You are. The point person in your quest for your dream home should be

If your journey for love is on its last legs and being on the make has been so unproductive that you're moved to leave town to hook up,

There's a strong correlation between high home prices and towns that produce Super Bowl teams. RealEstate.com says among the 10 National Football League (NFL) teams that have appeared in

Perhaps the real news would be the answer to this question: "Why won't mortgage servicers simply abide by the original Independent Foreclosure Review order, give borrowers their due

Realtor-complaints.com is no longer offering a recently launched online service, purportedly for consumers to file reviews and complaints about real estate agents. An investigation by real estate trade association

You can't or don't want to sell your existing home. You can move to another home for less than the income you could get for renting your home.

Your home is likely your largest investment you'll ever acquire. Knowing exactly what you're paying for it is mandatory. Unfortunately, when people map out the life of their mortgage, they

When looking for a home to buy, first determine how much you can afford and budget for additional costs. Then hire a real estate agent, bring a friend along

An alternative for "unloanable" buyers to overcome the stiff underwriting rules of tight-fisted lenders is to find a cash-rich seller looking to make a deal. In an owner or

Buying a home is typically the most expensive, emotionally trying and potentially rewarding purchase many will ever completed. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) 'Profile of Home Buyers and

Quality construction, neighborhood safety and floor plans they can live with are the three most important features buyers want in a newly built home, according to Builder Homesite’s

• Price your home for sale too high and the price has no where to go but down. • Don't round off your listing price and it could be