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RISMEDIA, July 13, 2010—(MCT)—Packing your belongings and moving is often fraught with high emotions and involves a to-do list a mile long. So, it's tempting to give only passing attention to hiring a mover and the related incidental costs. That could be a mistake—for your wallet and your peace of mind. Moving can be quite expensive. A typical full-service interstate move costs about $4,300, while the same in-state move might cost about $2,500, according to the American Moving & Storage Association.

RISMEDIA, July 12, 2010—(MCT)—Timm Freeman's Santa Monica apartment has 17-foot ceilings, granite countertops and collector guitars hanging on the wall. He's got a built-in microwave, dishwasher and central air conditioning. All in 350 square feet. Freeman's coffee table is also his dining table. His desk is three steps from his sitting room and three paces from his stove. "Everything is within three steps of the next thing," said Freeman, a graphic designer.

RISMEDIA, July 10, 2010—(MCT)—The explosion of remodeling shows on TV and makeover spreads in magazines has whetted America's appetite for glamorous rooms brimming with the latest furnishings, appliances and color schemes. Kitchen remodels are among the most popular, according to a report in the August issue of Consumer Reports and online at consumerreports.org. And the economic slowdown means there are outstanding deals on everything from cooktops to countertops. It also means kitchen designers and building contractors are eager for work and willing to negotiate.

RISMEDIA, July 7, 2010—With so many homeowners facing tough decisions about their mortgages in or approaching default, questions abound about how to best handle the complex situation with the bank lenders they're indebted to. To help clarify such confusion and shed light on optimal homeowner options, real estate finance expert Marian Anthony, author of Short Sale RUSH, sheds light on the five most common questions homeowners in default are asking.

RISMEDIA, July 6, 2010—Following a surge driven by the home buyer tax credit, pending home sales fell with the expiration of the deadline for qualified buyers to sign a purchase contract, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator, dropped 30% to 77.6 based on contracts signed in May 2010 from a reading of 110.9 in April, and is 15.9% below May 2009 when it was 92.3. The falloff comes on the heels of three strong monthly gains as home buyers rushed to take advantage of the tax credit.

RISMEDIA, July 2, 2010—(MCT)—Scott Katzer owes about $200,000 more than his Fort Lauderdale home is worth. Unable to sell anytime soon, he wants to reduce his monthly mortgage payment by refinancing to a lower interest rate. Katzer doesn't qualify under a government refinancing program because the value of his home is so much lower than what he owes. Private lenders turn him down for the same reason and he's ineligible for assistance from a state-run program because he has a job and can pay the mortgage.

RISMEDIA, June 30, 2010—(MCT)—For countless Americans struggling to make their mortgage payments, the problems have just begun. Although a loan modification or foreclosure might allow them to put their housing problems behind them, millions will be dogged for years by the aftermath—a credit score so tarnished by the housing debacle that lenders will want to avoid them. And if they are able to obtain loans, high interest rates are likely to strain their budgets.

RISMEDIA, June 26, 2010—(MCT)—When the going gets tough, the houses get smaller. Or at least that's what data from the U.S. Census Bureau are suggesting. The average size of a new single-family house shrank significantly from 2008 to 2009, the census figures show. According to the data, the national average decrease was 51 square feet, to 2,422 square feet. In the Northeastern United States, the change was more dramatic: House size diminished by more than 200 square feet, to 2,529 square feet.

RISMEDIA, June 25, 2010—(MCT)—Taking aim at homeowners who are able to pay their mortgage but decide it's not worth it, Fannie Mae plans to go after them in court and to limit their access to home loans for seven years.

RISMEDIA, June 25, 2010—(MCT)— More borrowers dropped out of the Obama administration's foreclosure prevention program last month than were added, but many of those homeowners found private help from their mortgage companies, according to

RISMEDIA, June 24, 2010—State Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Nevada can begin to use $1.5 billion in "Hardest Hit Fund" foreclosure-prevention funding under plans approved recently by the Obama Administration.

RISMEDIA, June 23, 2010—Existing-home sales remained at elevated levels in May on buyer response to the tax credit, characterized by stabilizing home prices and historically low mortgage interest rates, according to the National Association of Realtors. Gains in the West and South were offset by a decline in the Northeast; the Midwest was steady. Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.66 million units in May, down 2.2% from an upwardly revised surge of 5.79 million units in April. May closings are 19.2% above the 4.75 million-unit level in May 2009; April sales were revised to show an 8.0% monthly gain.

RISMEDIA, June 22, 2010—Last month, we brought you part one of a story about Ronald Black, a man who purchased a government-auctioned home in Lakeland, Florida, for just over $37,000 and then used monies from the FHA’s 203k loan program to significantly renovate the home. After closing on the home at the end of February, Black began renovations using Lowe’s services in mid-March. Contractors began the extensive work that included new electrical wiring of the entire home. “The home’s electrical system was nowhere near modern-day codes,” Black explained recently. “It would never have passed inspection.”

RISMEDIA, June 22, 2010—

RISMEDIA, June 21, 2010—Fannie Mae recently announced that the company will institute a new, national policy that provides relief for homeowners who have problem drywall in their homes. Under the company's broad "Unusual Hardships" policy, Fannie Mae will