The downward cycle in home prices broke in April after eight consecutive months of decline, according to a survey released Tuesday.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/GNrDrLoaz7U" height="1" width="1"/

It's an extreme buyer's market -- and home values could fall another 5% by year-end. Here's how to meet the challenge faster, cheaper and better.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/ZM0nVMhXYW4" height="1" width="1"/

FORTUNE -- Whether we're living through another tech bubble remains hotly contested, but there's no denying its impact on one market: rental apartments in San Francisco. With Twitter, Zynga, and numerous other local startups hiring in droves, all those newbies need somewhere to live. In the trendy SoMa and South Beach neighborhoods, says Paul Hwang of Skybox Realty, there may be up to five applications for every apartment listing. Most places are renting at an average of 10% to 20% higher than just six months ago; a $2,400-a-month one-bedroom can now top $2,700. "The last couple of years, people were happy to have a job," says Hwang. "Now all I hear is, 'I'm going to start my own thing.' All that can be reflected in rent."img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/jqiWPUNEnmE" height="1" width="1"/

Coldwell Banker compiled average home prices of four-bedroom homes in 2,300 towns across North America. See how your home compares.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/gSo4k-ZCzF8" height="1" width="1"/

Sales of new homes fell 2.1% in May, after rising for two months in a row, as the housing market continues to struggle.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/1rcPZRpdOZQ" height="1" width="1"/

When Wyonnie and Kwame Flaherty bought their two-bedroom apartment in Queens, N.Y., in 2008, they thought it was the perfect stepping-stone.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/P2iybbeRsHY" height="1" width="1"/

From affordable properties for wine hobbyists to multimillion dollar estates for serious connoisseurs, here's a look at 7 vineyards that are up for sale.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/dEa6tjitHu4" height="1" width="1"/

Sales of existing homes fell in May, as severe weather and high gas prices weighed on the shaky housing market.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/O4bXtEGXKFM" height="1" width="1"/

Amid the clouds of gloom hovering over the nation's housing market there is a silver lining. Steven Liberati sees it. The 28-year old heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems salesman and his fiancé are about to purchase their first home -- a co-op apartment in White Plains, New York -- for a fraction of what they thought it would cost just a couple of years ago.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/VcV9IWWgaZ8" height="1" width="1"/

Permits for housing construction climbed in May, signaling a glimmer of optimism among homebuilders about the future of the housing market.img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rss/money_realestate/~4/-2oGXCXjYu4" height="1" width="1"/