With full-fledged sellers’ markets underway in dozens of metropolitan areas around the country, new research has found curious statistical patterns emerging: Even in cities where listings get multiple offers within days or hours, significant numbers of homes are sitting on the market for six months, 12 months or more with no takers. more

They’re back after barely a decade: Escalation clauses in real estate contracts, “naked” contingency-free offers and lowball-priced listings designed to pull in dozens of bidders and turn routine sales transactions into auctions. more

Bill Bohmbach, founder and president of Portsmouth-based Home Healthsmith, recently earned the National Association of Home Builders’ certified aging-in-place specialist designation. Bohmbach has more than 30 years of experience in adaptive-mobility equipment and previously served in the Navy as an electrician. He founded Accurate Elevator and Lift in 1994, which he sold in 2010 to a major international elevator company. Bohmbach is currently pursuing his certification for home modifications through the University of Southern California. more

Are large numbers of homeowners who have negotiated short sales with lenders at risk because of a startling omission in the American credit system? Do their credit reports and scores indicate that they were foreclosed upon, rather than having negotiated a mutually agreeable resolution with their lender? more

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes climbed in April to the highest level in more than three years even as the market remained constrained by a lack of inventory and strict borrowing rules. more