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WASHINGTON - Mortgage rates around the country edged down this week, with rates on 30-year home loans sinking to their lowest point in a month, good news for prospective buyers.

Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.68 percent. That was down slightly from 6.69 percent last week [...]

WHAT: One-level condominium in downtown San Mateo; 2 years old; 2,440 square feet; three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, library, gourmet kitchen with center island; two deeded parking spaces in security garage; 228-square-foot storage room; shared fitness center, terrace and gardens.

WHERE: 222 Sixth Ave., Unit [...]

WASHINGTON - A major credit card company is ending a longstanding, controversial practice that critics say raised many of its customers’ borrowing costs when they applied for home mortgages and equity loans.

Capital One Financial, based in McLean, Va., says it will now report all cardholders’ credit limits to the [...]

SALEM, Ore. - Aside from being Oregon’s capital city, Salem doesn’t have much to boast about. Most downtown restaurants close by 7 p.m. and Lefty’s - the only cool bar in town, according to local college students - is known for its karaoke fundraisers.

But the real [...]

Q I’ve been sitting on the sidelines for years watching the boom and now the slowdown of the housing market. How do I know when it’s the right time to buy a house?

A Buying a house is more than timing the market. [...]

Q We have observed an increase in the number of homes being sold at auction and are considering investigating this as a means to find the right home at a bargain price. What are the risks involved? Will we really save money by buying a home this way?

[...]

WHAT: Two-level, French-country-style house on one acre; 19 years old; 4,457 square feet; four bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, family room with wood-burning stove, kitchen with center island and casual breakfast area, office/library, exercise room; outdoor kitchen, mountain and city-light views, three-car garage.

WHERE: 21427 Continental Circle, [...]

A look at various online real estate-related features offered by Silicon Valley giants Yahoo and Google.

Listings search on Yahoo Search for-sale homes listed on the Multiple Listing Service (presented by brokerage Prudential California Realty), in the Yahoo classified ads, or new homes. Search apartment listings from Apartments.com., ApartmentRatings.com and other [...]