According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, monthly foreclosure filings fell 2 percent in May to just under 215,000 filings nationwide. Foreclosure counts have now dropped over 16 consecutive months, dating back to January 2010.

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Retail Sales rose for the 11th straight month in May. Excluding cars and auto parts, sales receipts climbed to $322 billion last month. It’s an all-time high and another example of the U.S. economy’s resiliency.

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Mortgage rates have dropped 8 weeks in a row. Not even last year’s Refi Boom produced an 8-week winning streak. This season’s streak is historic.

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If you have a flair for home decoration projects, Better Homes & Garden has some terrific ideas for you on its website.

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In this back-to-basics interview, you’ll learn some mortgage planning basics to help you get smarter with your next home loan — purchase or refinance.

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It’s a fact: It’s more expensive to live in some cities than others. Beyond just the costs of buying a home, different cities also carry a different Cost of Living. For households relocating across state lines, the change in “life costs” can be jarring.

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If you live in a high-cost area, keep an eye on your calendar. Effective October 1, 2011, temporary conforming loan limits will be lowered nationwide. Perhaps by as much as 14 percent.

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Hurt by foul weather and a soft market, the Pending Home Sales Index plunged 12 percent in April.

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In a recent BusinessWeek analysis, it was shown that one-third of the nation’s 50 most expensive small towns experienced a median price increase between 2010 and 2011.

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The March Case-Shiller Index was released this week and it corroborates the findings of the government’s most recent Home Price Index — home values are slipping nationwide.

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