In a decision that could have significant impacts on the fees that consumers pay in real estate transactions, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that “unearned” fees charged by lenders and other service providers do not violate federal law as long as they are not split with anyone else.

Have you ever noticed that no matter how good or bad things are, some people always have a positive mindset while others are constantly negative? If you’re finding that you’re feeling helpless or out of control, a few simple steps may be all you need to break this negative pattern.

As I see it, there are a couple of flavors of behavior that could be counted as open-house crashing. If the definition of crashing is for someone to attend and participate in an event other than its intended participants, then under the strictest construction of what open houses are for, you could call anyone other than people who are currently in the market to buy a home — and are qualified to purchase a home in the price range of the home being held open — an open-house crasher.

Connecticut was freed May 29 from the strictest mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind education law after enacting a sweeping public school overhaul that won strong praise from the nation’s top education official.

Average U.S. rates on 30-year and 15-year fixed mortgages dropped to record lows again this week, with the 15-year loan dipping below 3 percent for the first time ever.