Home Buying

Attention, second-home buyers
The case for buying a second home in the United States is growing stronger.

Although prices in some regions are still dropping, the pace of decline is generally levelling off, notes Sal Guatieri, an economist in Toronto at BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. More >

The number of U.S. home buyers who signed contracts to purchase previously owned homes fell slightly in February, a reminder that the housing market’s recovery remains uneven. More >

Hedge fund manager Edward S. Lampert, who has a major stake in Fort Lauderdale’s AutoNation,is buying a 17,000-square-foot estate in Indian Creek, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have reported. More >

Buying a home in the UK is more than a £100 a month cheaper than renting, according to research by Halifax. The typical monthly cost of buying a three-bedroom house in the UK was £600 in December 2011: £116 (or 16%) lower than the average monthly rent of £716 paid on the same property type. More >

Only falling house prices failed to prevent first time buyer numbers slumping to an all-time low this year despite home ownership becoming more affordable than it has been for eight years.

Fewer than four years’ average earnings are now needed to buy the typical first-time buyer property in just under half of local authority districts, according to new figures released by the Halifax. More >

Renting’s financial edge over homeownership — at least by one measure — is at a record low in Orange County. More >

HOME buying in Sydney is increasing, with auction clearance rates rising and a surge in first-home buyer activity. Last weekend, 572 properties were listed for auction, the same number as the previous weekend and almost the same as the 588 listed for auction at the same weekend last year. More >

Despite widespread volatility within the housing market and five consecutive years of home value declines, more than two in five (42 percent) of polled prospective home buyers believe home values typically appreciate by 7 percent a year, according to a recent survey by leading real estate information marketplace Zillow. More >

GOOD news first home buyers – the Government is still offering a boost for your hip pocket. The key to maximising the benefits is knowing exactly what you’re entitled to – and for how much longer. More >