10 Lies Homeowners Tell Buyers

Forget the market and climb inside the seller's head

(NEWSER) - It's not always the economy, stupid. Even in a weak market, buyers should consider a homeowner's situation before hurling a lowball bid, writes Daniel McGinn in Newsweek. One real estate broker offers five sure signs that a seller is ready to deal:

1. Nobody's home. Sellers who have moved on, or will soon, probably want to unload the property fast.

Times are tough, but your house won't sit on the market for long in these towns

(NEWSER) - The housing market overall isn't good, but luckily for some, there's an exception to every rule. Forbes points you toward 10 towns where sellers can still finish with smiles on their faces.

1. Raleigh, NC
2. San Francisco
3. Austin, Texas
4. San Antonio, Texas
5. St. Louis

'Equity strippers' deceive borrowers behind on their mortgage payments

(NEWSER) - A new form of fraud is thriving in the declining housing market, targeting desperate homeowners who are late on their mortgage payments. Known as equity strippers, companies cold-call burdened borrowers, promising a reprieve from their financial woes. In the end, they profit, and the owners end up losing their home anyway, reports the New York Times. More»

49 states sign on to deal with nation's top 5 banks

(NEWSER) - America's five biggest banks have hammered out a $26 billion settlement for their role in causing the mortgage meltdown, reports the Wall Street Journal . The deal—the biggest of its kind since 1998's $206 billion settlement with the tobacco industry—was hammered out during almost a year of negotiations between the banks and all 50 state attorneys general, reports the New York Times . The money will go to some 2 million homeowners affected by the crisis. More»

Has financial stake in limiting refinancing for struggling people

(NEWSER) - Freddie Mac was designed to help homeowners—but in 2010 and 2011 it wagered billions against them. The company invested in security packages that meant more cash for Freddie when homeowners couldn't refinance their mortgages. But Freddie itself regulates refinancing—and in fact has been increasingly denying refinances to struggling homeowners—prompting questions over a conflict of interest, reports NPR and ProPublica . "We were actually shocked they did this," says an exec at a firm that trades in mortgage-backed securities. "It seemed so out of line with their mission, out of line with what Congress wanted them to do." More»