Real Estate
Housing market coverage, home buying and selling, mortgages, rentals, and property investment. From market trends to the practical decisions involved in owning or renting.
Latest in Real Estate
Connecticut’s heating aid opened September 1 and sets each amount by household size, income and fuel type
Connecticut households can apply now for winter heating help through the 2026-2027 Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, known as CEAP. The state Department of Social Services...
A one-person Ohio household can earn up to $2,295 in 30 days and still get winter crisis heating help
A one-person Ohio household can have up to $2,295.62 in income over 30 days, or $27,930 over the past 12 months, and still be under...
Cook County veterans rated 30 to 49 take $2,500 off their assessed value, and 50 to 69 take $5,000
A Cook County veteran rated 30 to 49 percent disabled for a service-connected condition takes $2,500 off the equalized assessed value of the home, and...
Existing homes sold at an annual pace of 3.99 million in September, the National Association of Realtors says
Existing homes sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.99 million in September, the National Association of Realtors reported October 13. That is up...
Cook County veterans rated 70 or higher can take up to $250,000 off their assessed value
Cook County veterans with a VA-certified service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or higher can take up to $250,000 off the equalized assessed value of...
Ohio’s winter crisis program pays up to $1,200 for bulk fuel from November 2
Ohio households that heat with kerosene, propane or fuel oil can get up to $1,200 toward a bulk fuel delivery once the state’s Winter Crisis...
Ohio’s reconnect help can be used once a heating season, runs to April 16 and sets no income limit
Ohio customers of state-regulated electric and natural gas utilities can get service restored or kept on for no more than $175 plus a reconnection charge...
Minnesota pays $200 to $1,400 toward heating bills, with applications open to May 31
Minnesota’s heating-aid plan for the 2026-2027 winter sets primary heat benefits between $200 and $1,400 per household, and the state says applications are due by...
Maine bars electric companies from disconnecting homes from November 15 to April 15 without state permission, and a violation costs up to $2,500 paid to the customer
Maine’s winter shutoff protection for electric customers begins November 15, 2026, and runs to April 15, 2027. Under state law, a utility cannot cut off...
Federal rent ceilings for housing vouchers took effect October 1, except in 13 areas that kept last year’s
HUD’s new fair market rents for housing vouchers took effect October 1, but not everywhere. Thirteen areas, including Milwaukee, Madison, San Jose and Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine,...
Fannie Mae opened VantageScore 4.0 to every approved lender
Mortgage lenders that sell loans to Fannie Mae no longer need written permission to use VantageScore 4.0, and as of October 1 the pricing for...
FHA will accept newer credit score models on case numbers from January 1
Loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration will be scored on a wider menu of credit models next year. For case numbers assigned on or...
Homes listed for sale rose to 1.60 million in September, a 4.8-month supply, NAR reports
The number of homes on the U.S. market rose to 1.60 million in September, enough to last 4.8 months at the current pace of sales,...
Freddie Mac retires its standalone energy-efficiency mortgage for applications received January 25 or later
Freddie Mac is retiring GreenCHOICE, the standalone mortgage it created to finance energy-efficiency improvements. The cutoff is a lender’s application received date of January 25,...
Texas Farm Bureau Mutual has filed to cut homeowners rates for 133,000 policyholders
Texas Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company has filed a 5.2% homeowners rate decrease with the Texas Department of Insurance, a change that would reach 133,000...
Idaho homeowners 65 and older with 2026 income up to $40,030 can apply January 1 to April 15 to cut their 2027 property taxes
Idaho homeowners 65 and older whose 2026 income comes in at $40,030 or less can apply to cut their 2027 property taxes starting Jan. 1....
California disabled veterans who file for the low-income property tax exemption by December 10 can still get 90% of their 2026 break after missing February 15
California disabled veterans who miss the February 15 deadline for the low-income property tax exemption still have until December 10 to file, and a claim...
Qualifying Massachusetts homeowners and renters 65 and older can get a refundable Senior Circuit Breaker credit of up to $2,820 for 2025 taxes
Massachusetts residents 65 and older can claim a refundable Senior Circuit Breaker credit of up to $2,820 on their 2025 state income tax return, whether...
Former owners and heirs of homes Washington County, Oregon, took for unpaid property taxes since 2017 can claim surplus equity by Nov. 30 from a $1.5 million settlement
People who owned homes that Washington County, Oregon, foreclosed for unpaid property taxes, and the heirs of those owners, have until Nov. 30 to claim...
More than 30,000 Liberty Mutual homeowners policies in Connecticut are getting rate cuts
Connecticut regulators say more than 30,000 Liberty Mutual homeowners policies are getting a rate decrease, averaging about 5%. The Connecticut Insurance Department announced the filing...