The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 5.32 this week, below last week's average of 5.42 percent. Full story »

Federal prosecutors in North Carolina filed criminal fraud conspiracy charges against Beazer Homes USA on Wednesday, but they agreed to dismiss the case if the company complies with an agreement accepting responsibility for certain wrongdoing and pays millions to victims. Full story »

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In Ventura County, the median sales price of existing homes was $415,580 in May, up 5.3 percent from April, but down 14.8 percent from a year ago. Full story »

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 5.42 percent, up from 5.38 percent a week earlier Full story »

Though loan modifications are being worked out as parts of settlements and federal initiatives, that doesn't mean they're easy to get. That's especially true for homeowners who didn't get risky loans but have recently fallen on hard times, such as a job loss. Full story »

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Though loan modifications are being worked out as parts of settlements and federal initiatives, that doesn't mean they're easy to get. That's especially true for homeowners who didn't get risky loans but have recently fallen on hard times, such as a job loss. Full story »

To battle foreclosures, the Obama administration launched programs with hopeful names such as Making Home Affordable, but as many homeowners seeking assistance are learning, such programs have added more confusion than help. Full story »

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Californians are quickly laying claim to the money set aside for tax credits on the purchase of new homes. Full story »

Rates on 30-year home loans surged above 5 percent for the first time in nearly three months this week as investors pushed up rates on long-term government debt, which is closely tied to mortgage rates.
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The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes to foreclosure is still rising, but the annual increase in May was the smallest in nearly three years. Full story »

Josie Lowe bought a small house in Simi Valley about seven years ago with plans to live there “forever.” But the home needed a lot of work to turn it into a place where she, her mother and her son would be comfortable. She tiled and carpeted the floors, replaced windows and recently put in a small hair salon so she could work with clients at her home and still look after her mother, who is blind and needs full-time care. On May 12, her home was sold at auction with little warning. Full story »

In the first few months of this year, home sales picked up in Ventura County, though they remain far below sales levels during the housing peak. Home values have fallen sharply from a year ago, though the median sales price flattened out in February and March and rose in April. Full story »