Yahoo Inc. has subdivided its Web site to include a home foreclosure center to help bargain hunters capitalize on the slumping real estate market.

The new section unveiled Wednesday is similar to an array of other Internet services like foreclosurefreesearch.com, foreclosuredeals.com and realestateforeclosures.net that identify homes that have been repossessed by lenders.

But Yahoo’s foreclosure feature will likely have more mass appeal because the Sunnyvale-based company’s Web site consistently ranks among the busiest online destinations.

Besides pinpointing the locations of foreclosed homes, Yahoo’s section also provides buying tips and other relevant market information.

March 30, 2007 - April 05, 2007
Provided by Commercial Real Estate DirectChicago Loop Retail Market Remains Strong
The Chicago Loop’s retail market is expected to stay strong as vacancies continue to fall and rents rise, according to a report from Stone Real Estate Corporation, a Chicago real estate firm. The Loop’s retail vacancy rate dropped to 14.6% last year from 16.7% in 2005 and Stone predicts the numbers will continue to fall in 2007 as retailers demand more Loop space.

Regarding the problem of stiff clothes that are line dried, here’s how I solved the same problem when line drying my husband’s blue jeans. After completely drying the clothes on the line, put them in the dryer on the fluff cycle for a few minutes and they will soften up as if they had been dried by machine.
Bonnie B.

Liner paper for cabinets is very expensive. A great liner for cabinets is wallpaper. You can buy rolls cheaply at yard sales for 50 cents or $1, or you can even find it at discount stores. The patterns are really beautiful and can really brighten up your kitchen for a tremendous savings. You can also use them to line drawers.
Joan W.

Although mortgage rates were up only slightly this week, tomorrow’s labor market report should provide a better idea of where interest rates are headed, Freddie Mac and Bankrate.com reported today in their weekly surveys.

In Freddie Mac’s survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage edged up to an average 6.17 percent from last week’s 6.16 percent, and the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage gained from 5.86 percent to 5.87 percent. Points, which are fees lenders charge for loan processing expressed as a percent of the loan, averaged 0.4 on the 30-year and 0.5 on the 15-year loans.