Daily Financial News - Mortgage | Real Estate | Stock Market

Dow carves out new 18-month high - CNNMoney.com -- The Dow Jones industrial average ended at a fresh 18-month high and the rest of the market churned Tuesday as investors weighed a rise in consumer confidence, more weakness in the housing market and a stronger dollar.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 11 points, or 0.1%, closing at 10,907.42, the highest finish since 11,143.13 on Sept. 26, 2008. The S&P 500 index was little changed. The Nasdaq composite added 6 points, or 0.3%.

30 days and counting: Homebuyer tax credit expires - Attention shoppers: You have barely a month left before the homebuyer tax credit expires. But depending on where you live, you might not want to rush out to buy.

First-time homebuyers may qualify for up to $8,000, while those who are trading up could get as much as $6,500. But either way, buyers have to ink sales contracts by the end of April and close before July 1 to see the refund.

And this is absolutely, positively your last chance to claim the credit (Probably.) So don't wait, thinking the credit will be extended for a third time.

Home price dip extends to 4th month - CNNMoney.com -- The market seems to have pulled the rug out from under housing industry hopes for a sustained early recovery.

After a five-month run-up in home prices starting last spring, prices have now fallen for four consecutive months, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index of 20 cities, a gauge of market values, released Tuesday.
In January, prices were down 0.4%, compared with December and have fallen 0.7% from a year earlier.