Nearly every American dreams of owning a home. The freedom of being able to remodel, redecorate or expand one’s living space; landscape one’s own yard; or, even to own as many pets as one would like is the epitome of the American dream. Buying a home can also contribute to long-term life goals. Building wealth via equity and having a stable environment to start a family are just two of them. Tax benefits, such as being able to deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes, c

Correction: An earlier version of this article said assessed property values rose by $23 million, not billion. San Diego County assessed property values rose by $23 billion in the last fiscal year, the state Board of Equalization said in a report released last week. The 5.6 percent increase in the fiscal 2015 ending June 30 was 0.3 percent below the state average but reflected an overall trend of economic recovery. For five consecutive years, the assessed value of all Califor

CARLSBAD, CA-Nov. 13, 2015:RC Roofing Company roofers re-roofed a house in Carlsbad on Friday, November 13, 2015. Median home prices across San Diego County rose 2.5 percent to $468,100 in November. JOHN GIBBINS / San Diego Union-Tribune) — John Gibbins San Diego County home prices picked up in November despite sluggish sales, real estate data firm CoreLogic reported Wednesday. The median home price in the county rose 8.9 percent in the last 12 months to $468,100, CoreLogic’s

U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen listens to a reporter's question during a news conference to announce raised interest rates in Washington December 16, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst JONATHAN ERNST The two-story bungalow you have your eyes on in North Park will not drastically rise in price, or be more difficult to get a mortgage for, because of the latest moves by the Federal Reserve. Last week, the Fed increased a key rate by a quarter-percentage point that has play