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An "Open House" sign is displayed in front of a new home being readied for sale in Little Rock, Ark.
(Danny Johnston/The Associated Press)
Welcome to the Front Porch Open House, an occasional roundup of real estate news and information for home buyers and sellers. I'll be checking the comments throughout the day Friday, so leave your real estate questions or links to real estate news stories I missed.
How far would you commute for a cheaper home? U-T San Diego reports on people who move 65 miles from their job to find what's considered affordable ($350,000) new homes in Southern California. Are these homes worth a 65-mile commute?
For perspective, here's a map that shows a 65-mile radius from The Oregonian headquarters in downtown Portland. The Oregonian's Joseph Rose wrote about the growing number of extreme commuters in Oregon last year — most because their jobs moved but they couldn't.
The New York Times looks at Chinese nationals buying real estate in Seattle's suburbs. The United States has become a popular place for wealthy Chinese to park money offshore. In Suburban Seattle, New Nests for China's Rich
Portland isn't a top market for either buyers or sellers, according to Zillow. But I suppose there's something to be said for a Goldilocks-friendly medium. Top Metros for Homebuyers and Sellers
This interactive map shows more than a decade of mortgages across the United States by race. The takeaway, the Urban Institute says, is that African American and Hispanic households are disproportionately affected by today's tight credit standards. A new view of the housing boom and bust
The U.S. housing secretary says the nation's Hispanic population will increasingly drive the housing market. Castro: Hispanics key to US housing sector future
A real-estate consultancy says student debt will curb home sales by about 8 percent this year. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, John Burns Real Estate Consulting suggests 414,000 households weren't formed this year because of student debt loads. Student Debt Could Reduce Home Sales 8% This Year, Report Says
American Public Media's Marketplace reports on a service that lets homeowners or renters lease extra space — like a dining room table or desk — to a worker for the day. That extra chair in your home office? Rent it out
The Wall Street Journal says policymakers are asking: Is the drag on housing due to tight credit standards, or just weak demand? Should Mortgage Lending Standards Ease?
Portland, seeing a need for higher-density, family-friendly infill housing, once held a competition to promote courtyard-style housing developments. But now those projects are rare, Seattle-based environmental think tank Sightline Institute says, in part because zoning code and economics tend not to support them. Courting Families in Portland
Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are using outdated FICO credit score models, The Washington Post's Kenneth R. Harney writes. That can make it harder to qualify for a home loan for certain consumers who don't make much use of traditional credit — disproportionately the young and minorities. Fannie, Freddie block mortgages for many by relying on old FICO models, critics say
-- Elliot Njus