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The article discusses considerations for homeowners who choose to keep exotic animals on their property. Information is presented on relevant U.S. state and local laws, the costs of keeping such animals, and complications that can arise when the property is put up for sale. Details are offered about the circumstances of Christine and Barry Janks, who own tigers, cheetahs, and a giraffe, and Sara Marley, who breeds a type of rodent called capybara.

The article discusses the performance of the CWABS 2006-7 subprime mortgage bond through a financial crisis in the 2000s and up until September 2013. Topics include the loan provider Countrywide Financial Corp., the experiences of homeowners such as Carolyn Culbreth, and the housing finance company Freddie Mac.

The article cites data from the credit-reporting firm Equifax indicating that U.S. homeowners who took out home-equity lines of credit (Helocs) in 2004 were having difficulty paying the principal as of mid-2015. According to the article, borrowers who took out Helocs in 2004 were 30 or more days behind on $1.8 billion of balances after four months of principal payments. The article discusses the potential impact on the banking industry and presents comments from Equifax deputy chief economist Dennis Carlson.

The article states that U.S. financial services firm Morgan Stanley was involved in negotiations with New York State attorney general Eric Schneiderman concerning a possible $500 million settlement that would end an investigation into Morgan Stanley's possible misleading of mortgage bond investors during the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The article said that financial assistance to struggling homeowners would comprise over half of the potential settlement.

The article discusses a rise in U.S. mortgage activity sparked by a decline in mortgage rates. During one week in January 2015 mortgage applications rose 30% relative to the year-ago period. Although the number of homeowners who could benefit from refinancing their mortgages has fallen, it is said refinancing activity could enjoy an upsurge if rates continue to fall. Still, Doug Duncan of mortgage-finance firm Fannie Mae says the housing market won't improve until income growth does.

The article discusses the conflict between homeowners and housing developers in the countryside of England regarding the construction of new homes. Topics include details on the housing crisis and demand in England, mention of homeowners' attitudes regarding the peace and privacy of countryside homes, and mention of housing development's effect on historic towns and villages.

The article discusses the Golden Oak gated community of homes that is located within the boundaries of the Walt Disney World Resort of the Walt Disney Co. in Orlando, Florida, focusing on the design of the homes as well as the services provided for owners. Topics include regulations from the community homeowner's association, homeowners such as Sam Bergami, and the inclusion of images of the fictional character Mickey Mouse in interior decoration.

The article examines how people in the Northeast are preparing for the possibility of being hit with up to six major hurricanes in the 2013 season after Hurricane Sandy in 2012 caused major damage to cities in the mid-Atlantic states. Topics include how Northeast residents are preparing for emergencies by installing generators and taking classes on home-survival, why many homeowners were not prepared to file insurance claims, and why more hurricanes have been traveling further north.

The article discusses open-air structures at vacation homes on coastal areas in Southeast Asia, such as the home of filmmaker Alan Kozlowski on Koh Samui island in Thailand, which are exposed to native animals such as snakes, geckos, and bats. Foreign homeowners in Asia such as Allison Dilallo and Indraneel Datta are mentioned, as well as architect Popo Danes, pest control companies, and weather effects on homes.

The article discusses the relocation of mansions as of May 31, 2013, with a focus on how an 8,300 square foot home on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts is being moved to save it from an eroding sea shore. Topics include how the family who owns the home purchased an adjacent lot to relocate the mansion, similar endeavors to relocate historic homes, and estimates by the International Association of Structural Movers.

The article discusses the prospects for U.S. homeowner of selling their houses as of February 23, 2013, offering tips on how to receive the highest price for their home. An overview of the U.S. housing market is provided. The author suggests, that homeowners interview multiple real estate agents, use the Internet and plan ahead for the appraisal of their houses.

The article presents a profile of poet Maya Angelou's three homes in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Topics include how Angelou bought her two houses in North Carolina following her reading at U.S. President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993, photographs from her Harlem brownstone and her second home in Winston-Salem, which serves as a guest house, and why she checks into a hotel room when she is writing.

The article considers homeowners who share backyards or other outdoor property for gardening or recreational purposes. Advantages and disadvantages of such shared space are considered, particularly its impact on gardening and landscape design and possible conflicts over maintenance of the shared space. Real estate agents express concern over the effect of shared space on house selling. INSET: YOURS, MINE AND OURS.

The article focuses on the Rural Housing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an agency which offers mortgage loans and guarantees of bank mortgage loans to rural homeowners. The debt collection practices of the service, which has the legal authority to seize U.S. benefits and tax refunds before and after foreclosure, are discussed.

The article examines an increasing inability of U.S. banking industry firms to process mortgage loan refinancing requests from homeowners in a timely manner. A backlog of applications in 2012 is attributed to increased demand due to record-low interest rates for mortgage loans, more rigorous processing procedures by banks and consolidation in the mortgage market in which a smaller number of banks have increased market share.

The article reports that Bank of America Corp. has introduced a pilot program known as "Mortgage to Lease" in which it will offer homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure the option of returning ownership of the property to the bank in return for a lease agreement allowing them to rent the homes. The program is considered an alternative to traditional restructuring of mortgage loans.

The article reports that a side agreement to the settlement between large U.S. banks and the U.S. over foreclosure practices calls for Bank of America Corp. to allow as many as 200,000 homeowners to reduce the principal of their mortgage loans to the market values of their homes. The agreement could result in Bank of America avoiding $850 million in penalties that are part of the settlement.

The article considers the economic effect of a $25 billion settlement between five large U.S. banking industry firms and U.S. and U.S. states related to the banks' abuses of foreclosure. Elements of the settlement including cash payments to homeowners wrongfully foreclosed and the ability of some homeowners to refinance mortgages which are for more than the market values of their homes are discussed in terms of their possible positive impact on the housing market.

The article examines a trend in which financial services companies which specialize in loans for automobile purchasing are issuing loans to consumers who have either experienced a foreclosure or who are past due on mortgage loan payments. It is noted such firms traditionally have been reluctant to grant loans to homeowners behind on mortgage loans. Companies cited as examples include Ally Financial Inc., General Motors Financial Co. and Mitsubishi Motor Credit of America Inc.

The article discusses a subdued outlook for housing prices in the U.S. Survey data from over 100 economists show they expect home prices to decline 2.5% in 2011, then grow by 1.1% each year through 2015. Such a development would leave millions of homeowners with little or no equity in their homes. Ara Hovnanian of home builder Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. said there was little reason to think the housing market would improve in the near future.

The article discusses a civil complaint filed by Larry Ellison, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of computer software company Oracle Corp., against a married couple who are his neighbors in San Francisco, California. The action charges that Ellison has suffered a loss in the value of his property because the growth of large tree's on his neighbors' property has obstructed the views from his house of San Francisco Bay.

The article considers housing prices in Canada. A sharp increase in housing prices in that country since the global financial crisis and a corresponding increase in the total amount of consumer debts are discussed. The possibility that a real estate bubble has been created, threatening what are otherwise favorable economic conditions, is examined.

The article reports that stock prices of major U.S. banks fell in response to worries over a possible crisis involving foreclosure on mortgage loans held by homeowners. Foreclosures have been suspended by several banks in response to reports that the documentation of many mortgage loans was improperly or illegally created and used in the foreclosure process.

The article reports that commercial real estate development companies such as Macerich Co. and Simon Property Group are increasingly defaulting on mortgage loans for buildings and properties they own which are worth less than the cost of the mortgage due to the collapse of the real estate bubble. These decisions are contrasted with the fierce objection by banks and other financial services companies when homeowners do the same with residential mortgage loans.

The article discusses the mixed emotions that can accompany a visit to one's childhood home. Visits can occasion disappointment when a property has been substantially remodeled or torn down. In some cases unresolved psychological issues may re-emerge. A major hurdle to such visits can be summoning the courage to ask the current owner for a tour.

The article discusses the growing incidence in the U.S. of people defaulting on their home mortgages and moving to rental houses instead. Typically the rent they pay is substantially less than what their monthly mortgage payments were, thus freeing up cash for other uses. By one estimate 21 million homeowners will have mortgage debt that exceeds home value by the close of 2010.

The article reports that 23% of homeowners in the U.S. have mortgage balances that exceed the value of their homes. Data from First American CoreLogic show there are some 10.7 million such homes, which are more susceptible to falling into foreclosure. J.P. Morgan & Chase Co. economists don't think house prices will stop falling until 2011.

The article focuses on the real estate development company Bonita Bay Group of Naples, Florida. The company, which built a number of housing developments linked to golf courses in the region during the real estate bubble, is near collapse. Homeowners are in litigation demanding that the firm repay costly golf club memberships which were sold as part of their original house purchases.

The article discusses persons in the U.S. who have become reluctant landlords. Growing numbers who have moved to new homes continue to retain their old ones for various reasons including an inability to find a buyer, or an unwillingness to sell at a price deemed too low. Often the rental income does not cover existing mortgage obligations.

The article discusses a program announced by the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama aimed at assisting homeowners struggling with mortgage payments. Among features of the plan are financial incentives for mortgage-servicing firms to relax terms for borrowers confronting financial hardship

The article examines the use of so-called sale-leaseback agreements, housing finance deals by which distressed homeowners seek to avoid foreclosure. Financiers purchase the home and rent it to the homeowner, promising to eventually assist them in repurchasing it. The agreements are extremely risky for the homeowner, and can result in eviction from their former property along with the loss of all capital.

The article examines homeowners who have so-called "jumbo" mortgage loans of over $417,000-$729,000 depending on the housing market in their community. Holders of those loans do not qualify for the refinancing and homeowner assistance plan announced by U.S. President Barack Obama. The mortgages are too large to be legally guaranteed by government housing finance agencies.

The article reports that the continuing fall in U.S. housing prices has resulted in an increase in the number of first-time home buyers. The National Association of Realtors estimated that over 40 percent of buyers in the final quarter of 2008 were first-time buyers. Home prices have fallen by an average of 25 percent since their peak in 2006.

The article examines the role of consumer behavior in commodities futures prices for natural gas and home heating oil. Prices for those commodities usually rise in the winter months due to consumers' need to heat their homes, but have fallen in February, 2008. Investors believe consumers are keeping their houses colder than in past winters in response to the recession.

The article discusses home remodeling projects. Although such projects can increase the value of a home, they seldom do so by an amount equal to their cost. Homeowners looking to remodel should balance needs and desires, avoid trying to maintain standards set by neighbors, and seek to economize wherever possible.

The article offers the author's insights on the challenge posed to homeowners in Columbia County, New York including Will Yandik by a proposal to build power lines in the area which could split its forest to accommodate metal towers and wires with high-voltage.

The article reports that the U.S. government program called Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) has become a problem of some homeowners in the country who wanted to sell or refinance their homes due to their loans under the scheme.

The article reports on the call for a special legislative session to improve federal aid for homeowners who were victims of historic flooding in South Carolina and the Pulaski County Circuit Court's order to release information about the supplier of lethal-injection drugs in Arkansas.

The article focuses on the insurance coverage of homeowners for cybersecurity breaches in the U.S.

The article reports that state officials and insurance companies in California are intensifying their efforts to encourage homeowners to get earthquake coverage.

The article reports the move by home-improvement chain Home Depot to raise its outlook for the second time in 2015 as homeowners in the U.S. spend on major upgrades like new appliances, water heaters and windows.

The article discusses growing support in the U.S. Congress for legislation that would give bankruptcy court judges greater latitude to modify the terms of mortgages facing foreclosure. By one estimate over 8 million homes in the U.S. will face foreclosure proceedings over the next four years. A program passed by the Congress in 2008 to help troubled homeowners has had little impact.

The article discusses why many persons who owe more on their homes than the properties are worth will still be able to avoid foreclosure. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America are among banks willing to work with distressed homeowners. The U.S. government is considering programs to help as well.

The article discusses signs of a reviving housing market in California. For the month of September 2008, sales of existing homes rose 65% compared to the year-ago period. However, as home prices continue to fall growing numbers of homeowners find their mortgage debts exceed their homes' values, thus providing little incentive to keep current with mortgage payments.

The article discusses commentary from U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) chairman Sheila Bair concerning the government's $700 billion bailout of the financial industry. Bair criticized the plan for not doing more to help homeowners struggling with their mortgages. While at the FDIC Bair has made consumer protection a top priority.

The article discusses efforts by Sheriff John Green in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to help people who are in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. Green has refused to schedule an auction of foreclosed homes that was ordered by a Court of Common Pleas. Local legislators have been prodded into action to alleviate the burden of distressed homeowners.

The article reports that the high-ceilinged "great rooms" popular in suburban home architecture since 1990 are falling from favor with homeowners. The two-story high rooms are expensive to heat and cool and difficult to clean. An increasing number of homeowners are renovating the rooms to create an extra room below the ceiling, a procedure that is cheaper than adding a room elsewhere in the house.

The article presents a first person account by a homeowner of the radon-reduction treatment she had done as a home improvement project. The cost of the project, about $1200, is compared to its undeniable safety benefits. Radon is a carcinogen, and it is estimated 1 in 15 existing U.S. houses have an elevated level of the gas.

The article reports that the London interbank offered rate (Libor), the interest rate banks charge one another for short-term loans, rose significantly for the second straight day. This could result in higher interest rate costs for homeowners and corporations. Approximately $10 trillion in mortgage loans and corporate debts worldwide have their interest rates pegged to Libor.

The article reports that mortgage lenders have been reluctant to participate in so-called "short sales," an alternative to foreclosure on a mortgage in default in which the homeowner sells the home for less than the amount of the loan, while the lender forgives the balance. Although such sales can halve the loss suffered by a lender due to foreclosure, the process is a lengthy one, and the securitization of mortgages has increased the number of parties who must agree to the sale.