Caught off balance

Caught off balance

Home prices dropping here, rising there and sluggish appreciation. Squeamish owners fear a sudden tumble. Experts predict a long slowdown.

WHETHER at the dinner table, Starbucks or just standing around the office water cooler, Question No. 1 for most property owners these days is this: Is my home's value tanking yet, and if not, when?

Mortgage

Mortgage Standards Tightened

U.S.-chartered lenders are discouraged from qualifying buyers based on low starter rates.

Federal regulators are casting a disapproving eye on mortgages that give borrowers low introductory rates but let them pile up more debt over the long run — a loan feature favored by hundreds of thousands of Californians.