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A loan program was set up to boost energy efficiency. Instead, it’s being used to build ‘granny flats’

As stories piled up of homeowners being smooth-talked into taking home improvement loans they couldn't afford, defenders of the PACE program cited its safety features.

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Kendall Little: I tried to get my savings in shape with a no-spend week – here’s what I learned

I like to think I'm pretty good with my money, but I'll admit I'm not always the most mindful spender.

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Singles who own homes may be more attractive to potential partners

Forget cheesy pickup lines. The sexiest thing you can say to a potential mate in 2019? "I own my own house."

In just over a decade, short-term rental company Airbnb has redefined the way Americans travel and lease their properties. Yet the Economic Policy Institute cautions against looking at Airbnb's potential for moneymaking without a healthy dose of skepticism.

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Spectacular skylines can also be bird killers. Here’s how a proposed Chicago ordinance is trying to help.

Glass-sheathed modern buildings make for spectacular skylines, but they're also bird killers, especially in Chicago.

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Housing meant for the Bay Area’s poorest residents is slowly vanishing

As Bay Area communities struggle to build enough housing for their poorest residents, one factor keeps threatening their progress: the affordable housing they already have is slowing disappearing.

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Houses are stolen from the deceased in ‘hot’ Philadelphia neighborhoods – as the city stands by

They are all dead. Yet if city records are to be believed, they all walked into the office of a notary public and signed away their homes, which just happened to be in gentrifying neighborhoods with soaring property values.

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The Mortgage Professor: Another desirable feature of a retirement plan: A set-aside

A recent column I wrote on retirement ("What should you look for in a retirement plan?") indicated that in order to assure that a retiree will not run out of money at an advanced age – a primary retirement objective – most plans should contain an annuity.

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Adrian D. Garcia: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez hints at hearing for credit score system

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the credit score system that contains data on 188 million Americans "very broken" in a series of social media posts over the weekend.

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Real estate Q&A: Can I cash in by selling my beachside condo as a timeshare?

Q: I have a great condo by the ocean, and I want to sell it as a timeshare because I think I can get more money doing it that way. Can I do this? – Mary

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Holly D. Johnson: 6 best online brokers for stocks in 2019

Technology has ushered in a new era in the investing world, including the ability to trade stocks from home and in real time. But what is the best online brokerage for stock trading in 2019? This can depend on the type of investor you are, the features you look for and how much you're willing to pay for top notch trading technology. Bankrate pored over all the features the major stock trading sites offer to help you find the best online stock trading platform for your needs. Here are our 2019 picks based on investing style and major benefits.

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Real-estate websites want to buy straight from homeowners. But is it really a good deal?

Less than 24 hours after receiving a flyer from real estate company Opendoor, Steven Drowlette of Winter Garden, Fla., was online filling out questions about selling his home.

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California warms to solar homes; other states may give a cold shoulder

California's first-in-the-nation requirement that all new homes have solar panels is a giant leap toward its goal of a fossil-free future, but the challenge of managing a surge of electricity to the grid could keep other states – even sun-soaked ones – from following suit.

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Housing finance agency confirmation hearing could involve dueling mortgage plans

The Trump administration's still undisclosed plans to end the federal conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be a focus of upcoming confirmation hearings for the nominee of the federal agency overseeing the two government sponsored enterprises.

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Natalie Campisi: Gen Z: 5 not-so-easy but worthwhile steps to homeownership

Gen Z is poised to be the largest source of homebuyers in the United States. The post-millennial generation, or those born after 1996, make up about 32 percent of the population. And, according to a recent report by Realtor.com, 80 percent of them want to own a home before they turn 30.

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The Mortgage Professor: What should you look for in a retirement plan?

A retirement plan has two major objectives. One is to provide assurance that you will not run out of money at an advanced age. Reflecting this objective, and because only an annuity pays you until you die, with few exceptions every retirement plan should contain an annuity.

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Real estate Q&A: I have a reverse mortgage – can I still sell my house?

Q: I have a reverse mortgage on my home. Am I allowed to sell my property to pay off the reverse mortgage and keep my equity or do the lenders just get the whole thing? If I die, can my son sell the property and keep any equity?

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