The 5 things you need to know in the news this week

 

Housing Crisis to End in 2012 as Banks Loosen Credit Standards   dsnews.com - Capital Economics expects the housing crisis to end this year, according to a report released Tuesday. One of the reasons: loosening credit. The analytics firm notes the average credit score required to attain a mortgage loan... Trending within the following companies   Keller Williams Realty, Inc. RE/MAX Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage   Kitchens Sell a House   realtytimes.com - It's a tool used by house flippers all across the nation. Stagers know its power. Real estate agents push its importance. What is this not-so-well-kept secret of real estate? A kitchen can sell a house.   A kitchen is the heart... Trending within the following companies   Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage RE/MAX Keller Williams Realty, Inc.   What Happens When You Walk Away From Your Home?   finance.yahoo.com - Does it make sense to keep paying a massive mortgage, knowing that it might be decades before a home regains its prior value? Trending within the following companies   Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Keller Williams Realty, Inc. RE/MAX   Mortgage rates tumble to record low   msnbc.msn.com - The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage dropped to the lowest since records have been kept, creating a tempting target for people to refinance their homes. Trending within the following companies   Keller Williams Realty, Inc. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Vantage Point Bank and Financial Services   Those brass light fixtures send a message to buyers: C-H-E-A-P   inman.com - Rooms for Improvement. Don't get Steve Somogyi wrong. He doesn't hate all brass finishes -- just the really shiny, yellow-toned stuff that he thinks screams "Cheap!" when homebuyers notice it in light fixtures, switch plates.. Trending within the following companies   Keller Williams Realty, Inc. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Coldwell Banker