Americans experienced rising housing costs for 2006, despite signs of a slowdown in the housing market, according to figures made public today by the United States Census Bureau. The housing data describe the buildup of economic pressures before the recent wave of foreclosures, as lenders allowed home-buyers to borrow more money relative to their earnings and consumers borrowed or refinanced as if the market would never fall. Fourteen percent of mortgage-holders spent at least half their income on housing in 2006, up from 13 percent last year, while among renters there was little change. In both years, 25 percent of renters spent half their income on housing. Real Estate Investing for Dummies

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