Today's Headlines

NEW YORK – Stung by falling stocks and sick of waiting for jobs to come back, Americans are in a sour mood about the economy. And it’s getting worse fast. Consumer confidence fell dramatically last month, adding to the evidence that the nation is in no mood to spend its way back to growth and raising fears of a double-dip recession. Businesses cautiously have been building up inv

The end of a federal tax credit program credited with boosting home sales will likely slow the market short-term, but the door won't be shut on its recovery if job creation continues, experts say. Low mortgage rates and improvements in the job market "will provide the necessary support" for the recovery to continue, said Lawrence Yun, National Association of Realtors chief economist.

Robert and Cia Johnson bought their first home Tuesday, securing a federal tax credit only a day before it was set to expire. The incentive, which offers an $8,000 credit to first-time buyers and a $6,500 credit to other qualifying buyers, had an April 30 deadline for buyers to sign a purchase contract and until today to close on the deal. The Johnson

Mortgage rates may be historically low, but whether that translates into helping homebuyers and homeowners is still up for debate. Some experts see high unemployment, home values under water, high foreclosure rates and other recession-related issues still stalling the real estate market, despite low rates for loans. A 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped to 4.69 percent last week, the lowest repo