John Mulkey, Housing Guru

As the April 15 tax day approaches, there is still some confusion surrounding the First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit.  And while there were thousands of fraudulent claims made by those attempting to cheat the government, a large number of taxpayer legitimately failed to understand how the tax credit...

  New Guidelines for the Remediation of Chinese Drywall Only Add to the Confusion   Several months ago I posted a BLOG describing how government bureaucrats were avoiding involvement with the issue of tainted drywall; and a couple of agencies have now acknowledged their responsibility to provide ...

  As home prices continue to decline, in many cities it’s cheaper to buy than rent.  A recent study done by Deutsche Bank shows that for the first time in more than 2 decades, buying a home costs less than renting, especially for those purchasing in large metropolitan areas.  And while it’s unlik...

  When I ran my own homebuilding company—following a couple of unpleasant experiences—I developed a rule that I would only build or remodel for “nice” people.  Building or buying a home should be fun, and it can be if the right choices are made up front.  Having previously spent more than a decad...

Reverse mortgages, through heavy advertising on TV, have become quite popular in the past few years; but they fail to disclose that reverse mortgages can take a bite out of your assets.  Just as any other type of loan, there are pitfalls and dangers to the uninformed.  That’s why anyone consider...

  With the economy continuing its struggle and the housing market lacking stability, is now a good time to invest in a home?  While the past decade saw many reap huge benefits from the sale of their homes, the answer to the question is: a qualified maybe.  Housing in general isn’t a great investm...