Sep 21st 2011 8:45AM
The news that 2011 may go down as the worst year in the past 50 for construction of new homes brought out many a weeping violin. Sorry, the strings on mine must have popped. Yes, I understand that construction jobs -- the ones that are created when builders build new homes -- are a good thing for the economy. But the... Continue Reading »
Apr 1st 2011 7:00AM
If you're trying to sell your home, you know it's a buyer's market out there. According to BusinessWeek, there is an 8.6-month supply of homes on the market. That's on top of a shadow inventory of 1.8 million homes that are delinquent or under foreclosure proceedings, equating to an additional nine-month supply. With so... Continue Reading »
Mar 16th 2011 12:30PM
Even if you're just renting a place for a short time, it's important to personalize it with the style and conveniences that make you feel at home. If you'd like to make home improvements but hesitate because of longer-term living plans, consider projects that can move with you. "I'm a big proponent of 'make it yours,'... Continue Reading »
Mar 10th 2011 5:30PM
Big talk about your next home improvement project may be exciting, but don't skip the step of securing a formal, written contract from your contractor if you want to make that dream a reality. Verbal contracts with home improvement professionals may be binding by law, but the details can be hard to enforce if there's a... Continue Reading »
Mar 10th 2011 7:00AM
After a winter like the one we've just had, a lot of people are fed up with utility bills. The most recent forecasts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration put the cost of home heating for 2011 at $2,400 if you heat with oil--a 26% increase over last year. On average, U.S. households can expect to shell out about... Continue Reading »
