USA Today – The foreclosure crisis will drive 3 million former homeowners to rent single-family homes between 2010 and 2015, according to estimates by John Burns, CEO of John Burns Real Estate Consulting.

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Reuters – About a third of first time buyers in 2011 got either a gift (26 percent) or a loan (7 percent) from their families to help finance their home purchases, down slightly from 2010, but consistent with assistance levels seen during the last decade, according to data from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

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Washington Post – For many young professionals, buying a first home is part of the American dream.  But that dream now has to factor in a number of other moving parts about whether it will pay off as an investment.

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Smart Money – Some financial advisers are recommending their clients put some of their cash into buying a house.

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CNN Money – According to real estate website Trulia, buying was cheaper than renting in 74 percent of the country’s 50 largest cities in July.

CNN Smart Money - Sorry renters, but the days of low rents and lenient landlords are over — at least for now.

Nationwide, the average rate for apartment and home rentals is up 6.7% from June 2010, according to a new report from housing search engine HotPads.com. Prices for studio apartments are up 14.3%, and a five-bedroom home is 12.1% more. One- and two-bedrooms got off relatively easy, with average increases of 2.3% and 2%, respectively. Tenants will see the bulk of rent increases this year, predicts listing site Rent.com, but can expect another 3% jump when it’s time to renew in 2012.

At the heart of the increases: vacancy rates have dropped from about 8% to 6.2% nationwide over the past year. “That’s a really steep decline in a 12-month period,” says Christina Aragon, a spokeswoman for Rent.com. The drop indicates pent-up demand from people who made-do with roommates or stayed with family during the recession. Nearly half of property managers say they have also seen an increase in applicants moving from a foreclosed property, according to a recent survey from credit bureau TransUnion. “Landlords have the power right now,” Aragon says.

In past years, renters could negotiate a lower rent or other concessions, like a waived pet fee or free parking. That’s largely disappeared, leaving consumers little recourse but hunting around.

Renters have a glimmer of hope for better deals in coming years. Landlords are so thrilled with the market that they’re starting to take out permits to build new multi-family buildings, Aragon says. Prices may loosen somewhat once those properties come in the market, as early as 2013.