The numbers: The construction industry’s outlook improved in February amid better foot traffic from home buyers, even as the cost of building homes increased. The National Association of Home Builders’ monthly confidence index rose one point to a reading of 84 in February, the trade group said this week. The modest increase comes after two consecutive months […]
Category Archives: Featured
Is 2021 a good time to buy a house?
he 2020 housing market was plagued by low inventory, rising home prices, and endless bidding wars, making it hard for some would-be homeowners to get their foot in the door. Will 2021 be any different? Or, will it be a good time to buy a house? If you’ve been eyeing a home purchase but have […]
7 Tax Benefits of Owning a Home: A Complete Guide for Filing This Year
What are the tax benefits of owning a home? Plenty of homeowners are asking themselves this right around now as they prepare to file their taxes. You may recall the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act—the most substantial overhaul to the U.S. tax code in more than 30 years—went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. The […]
Superbly Snug, 5 Cozy Living Room Decor Ideas That Are Perfect for Lounging
With six more weeks of winter still ahead (thanks for nothing,Punxsutawney Phil!), what better time to make your living room the cozy haven it’s meant to be? If your great room could use some comfort and warmth, never fear—we’re here, as always, to provide you with much needed decor therapy. We scrolled through what’s trending on […]
Where Home Design is Headed
By Sue Bady My previous blog post explored two current developments in real estate, i.e., higher demand for housing in the suburbs and a higher percentage of adaptive reuse activity, where existing buildings are renovated as apartments. In this post, three leading American architects call out specific modifications in housing design that buyers are beginning to […]
25 Creative Ways to Bring Style to Your Hallway
Believe it or not, your hallway doesn’t have to be an eyesore. While it’s a space that’s often overlooked, a few decorating tricks can make it work harder and look more stylish in an instant. When it comes to design choices, the possibilities are endless. You can install wallpaper, go for two tones with paint, arrange […]
Good Riddance to Open Floor Plans and Cabinets Galore: Top Kitchen Trends of 2021
Homeowners forced by the coronavirus pandemic to hole up in their homes for much of the past year are changing a few things about their homes. For starters, COVID-19 exposed the flaws of the open floor plans touted on HGTV and other design shows—finding a quiet space to jump on that Zoom meeting with the […]
Bring on New Beginnings With These 5 Beautifully Bold Bedroom Design Trends
A new year is the perfect time for new beginnings, especially when it comes to your home decor. And what better space to refresh than the room where you start each new day? To provide you with inspiration for your decor endeavors, we turned to Instagram (as we do every week) and we scrolled through […]
What Is New-House Smell? A Reality Check on the Risks, and How To Get Rid of It
While most of us are familiar with new-car smell—that distinct scent of a brand-new automobile—home buyers might have caught a whiff of another scent entirely during their home-shopping spree: new-house smell. What exactly is new-house smell? Also known as new-construction smell, it’s essentially a combination of smells given off by the many materials that go […]
Avoid These 5 Mistakes When Buying a Home Sight Unseen
Buying a home sight unseen might seem like a massive gamble: plunking down hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of dollars on a property you’ve never set foot in, your fingers crossed it looks just like the photos and doesn’t have major issues! So how lucky do you feel, anyway? But during the pandemic—when stay-at-home restrictions made […]