Readers vent gripes with mortgage lenders

MARKETWATCH FRONT PAGE

Angry readers tell Lew Sichelman their horror stories in dealing with mortgage lenders. See full story.

Home improvement spending expected to rise

Home improvement spending is expected to improve in 2012, as the economy gets better and the housing market shows signs of recovery, according to a measure from the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. See full story.

Existing home sales climb 5% in December

Sales of existing homes rose 5% in December, NAR data show, to mark a positive close to another tough year for the U.S. housing market. See full story.

The L-shape of the U.S. housing market

There are some signs of optimism in the housing market, but a look at 2011 data as a whole shows there�s barely any movement since the bubble burst. See full story.

30-year fixed-rate mortgage hits record low

Interest rates on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit another low this week, averaging 3.88% in Freddie Mac�s survey of conforming mortgage rates. See full story.

MARKETWATCH COMMENTARY

Instead of acknowledging that banks have become a part of government, we keep pretending they are private institutions, writes David Weidner. See full story.

MARKETWATCH PERSONAL FINANCE

Banks are stepping up the relationship business and if you spurn the advance you�ll probably be slapped with more fees. See full story.