Cure for Dead Lawns at Foreclosures: Green Paint

SF study of 400 foreclosures could point to huge violations nationwide

(NEWSER) - Pervasive problems have been uncovered in home foreclosures in a detailed audit in San Francisco that could indicate similar wide-scale national issues. Almost every one of the recent 400 foreclosures studied involved either violations or suspicious documentation, according to officials. Some 84% of the foreclosures involved what appeared to be clear violations of law, and two-thirds had at least four violations or irregularities. More»

Columbus, Indiana, and Casper, Wyoming top employment list

(NEWSER) - Recession—that's a big-city thing, right? Several mid-size cities around the US are making an argument for their economic superiority, boasting job growth higher than the 1.5% national average in 2011. You may not know these cities well, but the Christian Science Monitor recommends them:

1. Columbus, Indiana: No, not Ohio's Columbus: Indiana's version had 10% growth from 2009 to 2010, making it the best economic rebounder during the Great Recession. Jobs are up 6.4%.

Texan's 'adverse possession' argument rejected

(NEWSER) - The Texas man who claimed the law of "adverse possession" allowed him to get an abandoned $340,000 home by paying $16 to file a claim is now looking for somewhere else to live. A judge decided that the current lien holder, Bank of America, had the right to force Kenneth Robinson out, ABC News reports. Robinson, who lived in the foreclosed home for eight months, says he has decided to leave the home in an upscale Dallas suburb without a fight. More»

Many struggling homeowners not covered in deal

(NEWSER) - The $26 billion mortgage settlement announced yesterday will be a boon for some—but the terms of the deal leave many homeowners out in the cold. Recipients of loans owned by the Federal Housing Administration, for instance, won't directly benefit from the settlement; nor will those with mortgages held by private investors, the New York Times reports. Millions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans—about half of America's mortgages—aren't part of the plan, either. More»

But most remain upbeat about their future: Pew survey

(NEWSER) - The economy is doing a number on those aged 18 to 34, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center :

• Half say they have taken a job they didn't want.
• More than a third have gone back to school because of the job market.
• Nearly a quarter have taken unpaid work to gain experience.
• About a quarter have moved back in with the folks.
• More than 1 in 5 have postponed having a baby, and about the same number have put off getting married.