Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community say they fear discrimination when buying a home and try to seek LGBT-safe neighborhoods if they were to buy, finds new research from Freddie Mac of more than 2,300 consumers.Surveyed LGBT community members were largely positive about homeownership. Three-quarters of LGBT renters said they believe owning is a good financial investment, and 72 percent said they want to own a home in t
Higher rent costs are prompting some tenants to take part in rent strikes, which are often seen as renters’ last option to not get priced out. During a rent strike, tenants withhold their rent checks in an attempt to pressure landlords to negotiate rents and typically to improve building maintenance, too.The move forces landlords to comply or take each of the tenants who are striking to eviction court individually to argue their case. That mov
Amazon is partnering with homebuilders to bring its Alexa voice assistant to more new housing units as a standard smart-home feature. The online retailer recently announced it has partnered with Plant Prefab, a California-based company that uses sustainable materials to build prefabricated single-family and multifamily homes. The move comes after Amazon introduced more than a dozen Alexa-controlled smart-home devices, including a microwave oven a
Loud music, voices, and parties are the most annoying disturbances that make homeowners complain about their neighbors, according to a new survey conducted by home improvement website Improvenet.com. The site surveyed 2,500 consumers from 24 of the nation’s largest cities to find what they call the most offensive traits in their neighbors. Overall, the most annoying neighbors can be found in Dallas; Miami; Austin, Texas; Philadelphia; and Los A
High-income millennials are the force behind a nearly 10 percent decrease in the amount of time homes spend on the market in the most popular areas of the country, according to a new realtor.com® report. Young adults are driving demand for homes in smaller, more suburban locales, and realtor.com® pinpointed the following as the hottest ZIP codes: Kentwood, Mich. (49508); Peabody, Mass. (01960); Boise, Idaho (83704); Rochester, N.Y. (14624); and
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has proposed a bill that sets out to make homes more affordable for low-income and middle-class Americans. The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2018 calls for construction of new homes and more renovations of existing ones by removing some red tape for builders on regulatory costs and offering more incentives for them to build more affordable homes.For example, the bill proposes giving local government
The fall season is cooling down more than the temperature outside; it's also putting a much-needed chill on hot housing markets, where home prices have become unaffordable to the average buyer. More than one in four home sellers dropped their asking price last month, according to a new report by real estate brokerage Redfin. With inventory starting to inch up, sellers are facing stiffer competition in the market and adjusting their price expectat
Home shoppers are unwilling to negotiate on certain amenities, and prime among them are central air conditioning and a private patio or backyard, according to a new survey of more than 1,000 homeowners conducted by remodeling site Porch.com. On the other hand, prospective buyers are less likely to consider stainless steel appliances or a swimming pool as deal-breaking must-haves.Renters and homeowners differ quite a bit in their priorities, the s
More spiders will likely be building their webs inside homes this fall. The arachnids from gardens and backyards often creep inside when the weather turns colder. But they also may already be there and just more willing to show themselves in the fall to homeowners.Homeowner Nicole Photianos in Georgia’s Paulding County told WSB-TV 2 that when she moved into her new home she found dozens of venomous brown recluse spiders all over the house. Even
The suburbs dominated this year’s list of top places to live in the country. Money magazine teamed with realtor.com® to identify its top picks of towns with populations of 50,000 or more. They factored in more than 135,000 data points, including economic health, public school performance, local amenities, housing, cost of living, and more."For someone who’s starting from scratch, this is a list of areas with great quality of life, healthy
This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.
