Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words
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Can a landlord refuse your rent payment? Owning rental property comes with a long list of responsibilities and plenty of questions. One that often catches landlords and tenants off guard is “Can a landlord refuse a rent payment?” At first, it might sound counterintuitive. Rent is the foundation of every landlord’s income, but there are times when refusing a rent payment isn’t only legal — it’s the right thing to do. For tenants, a landlord turning down rent can feel confus...
What happens to mortgage rates in a government shutdown? As the government shutdown shows no signs of ending any time soon, many home shoppers are asking an important question: What does this government shutdown mean for my mortgage loan? How will it affect the housing industry in general? Online mortgage lender Better provides an explanation. What a government shutdown means for the housing industry The average mortgage loan weaves together services from private lenders and...
Los Angeles, CA - The Los Angeles residential real estate market experienced a significant upswing in September 2025, with closed escrow sales of existing single-family homes rising 20.9% from August, according to the California Association of Realtors (CAR). The increase, reported as approximately 21%, reflects a jump from roughly 4,800 homes sold in August to 5,800 in September, marking a 13.8% year-over-year gain from September 2024. The surge in sales is attributed to a...
Los Angeles, CA - The 20.9% month-over-month increase in residential sales across Los Angeles County in September 2025, driven by declining mortgage rates to 6.4%, has rippled into Westside neighborhoods like Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, and West Los Angeles. While countywide data shows a rebound from summer slowdowns, local trends reveal a mixed picture: robust sales volume in Santa Monica, luxury price growth in Pacific Palisades amid post-wildfire recovery, and steady...
Smart home facial recognition: How it works and what to know Your front door’s new digital bouncer Imagine this: You’re juggling groceries, your toddler’s backpack, and your phone is somewhere in the abyss of your bag. As you walk up to your front door, it scans your face and clicks open. No keys, no codes, no hands. Just a glance. This isn’t science fiction. Thanks to advances in facial recognition technology and edge computing, your smart home now has a new kind of welcome...
The 7 biggest mistakes all landlords make From the outside, becoming a landlord might seem simple enough. You buy or renovate a property, find a tenant, and collect rent every month. But don’t be fooled by dreams of easy, passive income — getting started can be surprisingly tricky. Even if you think you know what you’re doing, pitfalls abound. And while some are relatively harmless, just as many of those common landlord mistakes will cost you money and time in the long run. Tu...
Aerial view of Tampa suburbs. Gianfranco Vivi // Shutterstock Best places to live in America What makes somewhere an ideal hometown? The answer has changed throughout the decades. In recent years, southern states have welcomed an influx of new residents, but moving preferences may be trending toward the Midwest. According to Redfin's April 2025 analysis of Census Bureau data, states in America's heartland—including Texas, Ohio, and Michigan—saw a 2.65% population increase betw...
Why do foreign investors buy American farmland? Foreign investors own almost 46 million acres of farm land in the United States, according to data from the 1978 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA), a federal law meant to track international interest in American land. Foreign-owned farmland had a total estimated value of $82.6 billion in 2023, the last year of available data, the The Daily Yonder reports. Data map showing the number of agricultural acres owne...
America’s most expensive housing markets in 2025 As of May 2025, the median home sale price in the U.S. hit $368,751. But in some metro areas, it’s standard for single-family homes to sell for over $1 million. In these high-cost areas, price swings may carry major consequences, such as putting existing homeowners at risk of losing equity or potentially pricing out hopeful homebuyers. At the same time, wider trends over the past few years can help both residents and local gov...
Inside a stunning modern farmhouse kitchen with designer Anna Dinger Blending rustic charm with contemporary elegance, modern farmhouse design is at the center of this kitchen transformation by Philadelphia-based interior designer Anna Dinger. The kitchen is truly the heart of the home — and while a remodel can be expensive, it's well worth the cost. For one, Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report found that kitchen remodels can increase a home's resale value by up to $...
Here’s how much house $1M buys you across the US The number of American houses worth $1 million is at an all-time high, as home prices continue to hit new records. While million-dollar homes are out of reach for the vast majority of Americans, they are no longer just being bought and sold by the ultra-wealthy. In San Francisco, the median-priced home sells for more than $1.6 million – far above the national median of $441,000. Meanwhile, in Detroit, $1 million listings are...
The 10 most affordable and most expensive US cities to buy a house For many people, buying a house is simply out of reach today. Housing costs have reached record highs, pricing buyers out and leaving more homes on the market than there have been in years. The data backs this up: Nationwide, just 35% of homes are affordable to the average homebuyer — down from 60% in 2022. Affordability has dropped since the pandemic because house prices and mortgage rates rose in tandem. B...
Where homes are sitting on the market the longest and why In recent years, the only certainty in the housing market is uncertainty. From the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to unprecedented economic shifts, today’s market has seen plenty of changes. Early in the pandemic, for instance, many buyers sought to take advantage of low mortgage rates, leading to a seller’s market. Today, sellers still have a great deal of leverage in many places thanks to relatively low inv...
Top 20 US places where homes sell fastest When the time comes to put your home on the market, a host of questions need to be answered. The most pressing question is, “How long will my house take to sell?” This is also an interesting talking point from a home buyer’s perspective. It’s important to know how much time you’ve got to put an offer in on your dream property before it’s snapped up by someone else. The key statistic that matters in this context is Days on Market (DOM...
What exactly makes a place an ideal hometown? The answer has changed throughout the decades. In recent years, southern states have welcomed an influx of new residents, but moving preferences may be trending toward the Midwest. According to Redfin's April 2025 analysis of Census Bureau data, states in America's heartland—including Texas, Ohio, and Michigan—saw a 2.65% population increase between 2020 and 2024. Newcomers may be attracted to these locales for their aff...
HELOC debt nationwide increased by 7.2% in 2024, marking the third consecutive year that HELOC balances have grown after a decade of decline. Long overlooked as a borrowing method, it would appear home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) are in vogue once again. Responsibly used, HELOCs can have a few major benefits for homeowners with equity. Commonly, they're used to consolidate existing debts or to undertake home renovation projects, which are becoming more common as the...
The question of how to rent out your house might arise due to a move, financial reasons, or an emotional attachment to the property that keeps you from selling it. The process can be daunting, though. There are legal elements to understand, tenants to screen, and home improvements to ensure your rental is competitive and attractive to applicants. Don't let fear of the unknown stop you. There are tricks and tools available that make home rental a breeze. Below, TurboTenant...
If you're a small business owner, there's a good chance you practically live at your job. But can you live in a commercial property? The short answer is—it depends. Local zoning laws and insurance coverage make a big difference depending on your location. It's usually wise not to live in a commercial property unless your lease includes living on premises. You don't want to get evicted from both your home and business. Property owners insure their buildings for specific purpose...
The real estate market experienced notable transformations in 2024. RentCafe leveraged its data to provide renters with a comprehensive understanding of the latest market dynamics entering 2025. 2024 Rental Market Trends Recap: - America's rental landscape hit a historic milestone as apartment construction surged past 500,000 units for the first time. And with it, apartment sizes increased to an average of 916 square feet nationwide. - Minneapolis emerged as the most...
Filling a space with cheap furniture is easy. It's out there, it's shiny, and it promises all the bells and whistles for a fraction of the price. But "affordable" furniture isn't as budget-friendly as it seems. Beneath the glossy veneer and fake wood grain lie hidden costs that sneak up on our wallets, health, and the planet. House of Leon shares why investing in sustainable, well-made furniture is a choice that'll pay off long after that "bargain" couch bites the dust. 1....
Let's start with what we know.... President Biden's American Families Plan contains tax proposals with major implications for IRS Section 1031 like-kind exchanges. If adopted, they would land the following 1-2 punch: Limit the cumulative amount of gain to $500,000 an individual ($1 million a married couple) can defer from taxation on the increased value of exchanged investment property; Tax the undeferred portion at ordinary income rates for taxpayers with adjusted gross incom...
When buying a home, it's important to have a budget and make sure you plan ahead for certain homebuying expenses. Saving for a down payment is the main cost that comes to mind for many, but budgeting for the closing costs required to get a mortgage is just as important. What Are Closing Costs? According to Trulia: "When you close on a home, a number of fees are due. They typically range from 2% to 5% of the total cost of the home, and can include title insurance, origination...
The housing market keeps sailing along. The only headwind that could take it off course is the lack of inventory for sale. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that there were 410,000 fewer single-family homes for sale this March than in March of 2020. The key to continued success in the residential housing market is for more listings to come on the market. However, many homeowners are concerned that selling their homes could be challenging for several reasons....
Last Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a very encouraging jobs report. The economy gained 916,000 jobs in March – well above expert projections of 650,000 to 675,000. The unemployment rate fell again and is now at 6%. What does this mean for you? Our lives are deeply impacted by our nation's economy. The better the economy is doing overall, the better most individuals in the country will do as well. Here's a look at what four experts told the Wall Street Journal...
