Free granite countertops, swimming pools and landscaping aren’t going to convince anyone who’s afraid of losing a job to buy a home. But what about a promise to pay your mortgage if you get laid off?

via Lost your job? Builders offering plans that pay your mortgage | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press.

Plunging prices are creating bargains not seen in years, increasing sales that are starting to shrink the outsized number of homes for sale. But there’s still a long road ahead before prices stabilize in South Florida’s battered housing market.

via A bumpy real estate road remains – Business – MiamiHerald.com.

Property-tax notices due in August could bite harder because of questionable higher appraisals.

via Foreclosures and fraud distorting home values – Front Page – MiamiHerald.com.