Home buying

New home sale numbers are out today from the U.S. Census Bureau. In a tight housing market, strong new construction numbers could be a boost to first-time homebuyers. Click the audio player above to hear the full story. 

Floodwaters have displaced hundreds of people and lead to several deaths in the Midwest. Now the damage assessment starts. The National Flood Insurance Program helps homeowners buy affordable flood insurance, but it’s $25 billion in debt. Congress has a chance…

The real estate site Zillow has launched a new tool aimed at first-time home buyers on realestate.com. It features a calculator that adds up the expenses of owning a home, like property taxes and utilities — the kind of things…

Existing home sales numbers for February are out today. January sales increased 3.3 percent to a 10-year high, but economists anticipate a dip for February, although that’s still up from last year. One factor: an improving job market.  Click the…

Builders are building, but too may owners are staying put.