Buying a home now is a no-brainer

Buying a home now is a no-brainer Source: money.cnn.com With a few exceptions, if you have 20% to put down and good credit, now is a great time to buy. That's been the case all year, and I'd argue that we're probably closer to the end than to the beginning of the really great time.

Emerging markets? They've already emerged Source: money.cnn.com China, India, Brazil and Russia may present great long-term opportunities for investors due to sluggish growth in the U.S., Europe and Japan. But you need to be cautious.

At Legal Fringe, Empty Houses Go to the Needy - CNBC

At Legal Fringe, Empty Houses Go to the Needy - CNBC

Redefault on Mortgage Modifications

22% of private mortgage mods redefault Source: money.cnn.com Troubled homeowners who have their mortgages modified under the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention plan are twice as likely to keep up with their payments as those who receive help from their banks.

LOST DECADE: THE NEW THREAT

Lost decade: The new threat to the U.S. economy Source: money.cnn.com Threat of a double-dip recession is getting most of attention but economists say prolonged period of weak growth would hurt even more.

Short sales are tax free?

Think short sales are tax-free? Not so fast Source: moremoney.blogs.money.cnn.com Short sales are heating up now that the Obama administration has increased the amount of cash handed out to help people move and to encourage lenders to make deals. Having just wrapped up a story about the options available to underwater borrowers, I learned some interesting things about the tax ramifications ...

Foreclosed? Here comes the tax man

Foreclosed? Here comes the tax man Source: money.cnn.com Did you lose your house this year? Did your lender forgive some of your mortgage debt because you owned more than it was worth? If so, you could be facing a big tax hit.

March jobs report shows growth

March jobs report shows growth Source: money.cnn.com Employers add 162,000 jobs to their payrolls in March, the biggest jump in three years and only the third month of any gain since start of recession.

FHA FLORIDA FIASCO

FHA's Florida fiasco Source: money.cnn.com The state dominates the list of troubled metro areas for Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages. In fact, 16 of the top 25 locales with the highest default rates are in Florida, with tiny Punta Gorda on the Gulf Coast leading the chart at 22.7%. The poor performance of Florida's FHA loans has helped drag the agency down to its lowest point in decades, raising concerns that taxpayers will have to bail it out.