Personal Finance Advice and Commentary

“Ugh!” is the first line of an e-mail I got from Anthony Sanders, professor of real estate and finance at George Mason University. He’s talking about mortgage purchase applications, which have fallen to puny levels last seen in December 1996. Sanders continues: “The Obama tax credit caused a blip in home purchases, but it seemed

An extension of the homebuyer tax credit could be passed and signed into law today. It’s not a sure thing, because now the ball is in the court of a dysfunctional Senate. Yesterday, the House passed a three-month extension of the deadline to close on the loan in order to qualify for the homebuyer tax

Congress, specifically the Senate, is looking at extending the first-time (and others) homebuyer credit yet again. Say it ain’t so! OK, it’s not a total extension. The latest proposal would be to give prospective buyers who had a contract in hand by April 30 until Sept. 30 to close on the sale. In case you