House on Little Balboa Island is a mix of modern and Mission

Modernist architect Irving Gill wasn't known for designing houses with the main rooms on the second floor, but some touches inspired by...

HUD scrutinizes 'admin fees'

Does it matter whether a real estate agent charges you a flat commission rate -- say 6% -- or quotes you a flat rate but adds hundreds of...

You don't need to spend big bucks to make your home greener

Homeowners who believe they've been left out of the so-called green movement have every reason to feel that way.

Kept awake by neighbor's lights

Question: I live in a town house complex where all the units have indoor open-air atriums. My next-door neighbors' unit directly...

KB Home ex-CEO tried to keep stock option scheme secret, an executive testifies

Former KB Home chief Bruce Karatz engineered a massive stock option scheme that made him millions of dollars and then fought to keep it...

More homeowners are opting for 'strategic defaults'

Wynn Bloch has always dutifully paid her bills and socked away money for retirement. But in December she defaulted on the mortgage on her...

Southern California home prices rise 10% in February

Southland home prices jumped 10% in February compared with the same month last year as foreclosure sales dropped significantly. San Diego...

Audition to buy Kara DioGuardi’s house

Prolific songwriter and " American Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi's Spanish-style home in the Hollywood Hills is on the market at $1,...

Contemporary serenity in Bel-Air

A sweeping view of the Getty Center and the Santa Monica Mountains can be seen from a contemporary home in Bel-Air that features a passive...

IRS tells homeowners how to get tax relief if a lender forgives part of their debt

With the Obama administration and private lenders actively considering mortgage-principal-reduction programs to help financially...

Car alarms and beeps: What boards and owners can do about the noise

Question: I have been on my homeowner association board of directors off and on for more than 15 years. With more than 40 town...

Permanently modified mortgages grow by 45%, government says

The Obama administration Friday said its mortgage modification program continued to make progress, with the number of homeowners receiving...

Average 30-year mortgage rate drops to 4.95%, Freddie Mac says

The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 4.95% this week from 4.97% last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Fewer homes enter foreclosure process in February

The number of homes caught up in some stage of the foreclosure process in February fell 2% from the previous month to 308,524, a real estate...

Interest in buying state offices in California is building

Efforts to sell 24 state office buildings have drawn lots of interest from potential buyers -- as well as the ire of some former public...

KB Home backdating case has high stakes for prosecutors

Two months after the federal government's criminal cases against Broadcom Corp.'s top executives collapsed, the U.S. attorney's office is...

Braving a dismal apartment market

It's a cold winter for apartment investors in Los Angeles County: Rents are down, prices have fallen and vacancies are way up.

A haunting beauty in Montecito

A gracious old Montecito home, familiar to viewers who regularly watched the opening credits of the late '60s television comedy series...