From water damage cover-ups to dismissing small foundation cracks, homeowners may be trying to hide certain household issues. But a little routine maintenance can help prevent some situations from becoming bigger issues.Home inspectors recently chimed in on Apartment Therapy with the most prevalent maintenance mistakes they see in properties all of the time, including:1. Painting over water damage.A fresh coat of paint can help work wonders in a
Young adults may need more resources for learning about mortgages and homeownership. More than half—55%—of young adults recently surveyed say that they’re lacking knowledge on homeownership and mortgages. That confusion has prevented them from becoming a homeowner, according to a new survey of 1,000 consumers between the ages of 23 and 38 conducted by LendEDU, a personal finance resource.Homeownership preparation is not typically
On average, home buyers move only 15 miles from their current residence. But some metros offering affordability, strong employment, and large boomer populations may be enticing some Americans to move further away, a new study released Wednesday from realtor.com® shows.Realtor.com® researchers ranked metros on which areas received the most out-of-state views on realtor.com® during the second quarter of 2019. Among the areas topping the list las
The appeal of outdoor living continues to be important to homeowners, and the outdoor kitchen is at the center of that. The latest American Institute of Architects Home Design Trends Survey shows that outdoor kitchens are among the most wanted kitchen features in new architectural projects.Nearly 50% of the architect respondents surveyed reported the popularity of outdoor kitchens is still growing. The popularity is seen in markets across the cou
Some design mistakes may be making rooms in a property look smaller or less inviting. These can be deal killers if you’re trying to sell the home. Design experts at Houzz recently weighed in on some of the most common decorating mistakes they see, and how to fix them, including:Overcrowded shelvesOpen shelves that are crowded with mismatching items can be a distraction. Empty the shelves and then organize them using professional organizer Marie
New-home construction for single-family homes saw an improvement in July, despite builders’ concerns about affordability headwinds. Single-family housing starts rose 1.3% to 876,000 units last month, the Commerce Department reported. The largest regional increases in single-family homebuilding last month occurred in the South.But a decline last month in multifamily production for condos and apartments led to an overall decrease in total housing
The number of green homes is rising, with LEED-certified properties jumping 19% since 2017. Green homes have reached a record-high number of nearly 500,000 single-family, multifamily, and affordable housing units globally. More than 400,000 of those units are located in the U.S., according to a new report released by the U.S. Green Building Council, which created the LEED green building rating system.LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Envir
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continued to hover near historical lows this week, lowering borrowing costs for home buyers and refinancing homeowners. Freddie Mac reported that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.60% this week, unchanged from last week’s average.“The sound and fury of the financial markets continue to warn of an impending recession; however, the silver lining is mortgage demand reached a three-year high this week,”
Home builders are starting to lower their prices to better reach out to the growing demand for smaller, more affordable homes. Sales prices of new homes dropped 0.5% in the second quarter of this year from 2018 levels.Prices for new homes reached a median of $372,900 in the second quarter, while the median sales price of existing homes was $309,700.Builders appear to be shifting their focus to less expensive homes. “While this change was a clea
A lush lawn can help improve a home’s aesthetics. But it’s not always easy to do, says William Moss, a horticultural educator known nationally as the “garden boss." Moss says he sees several common mistakes that homeowners are making with their lawns, including:Watering ErrorsMany homeowners water too frequently for short periods, such as daily for 15 minutes or so. Instead, Moss says it’s better to water for a longer period of time every
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