Blog
Preparing for Summer Guests
Now that it’s officially summer, and the kids are all on vacation, people are starting to travel. And traveling people means one thing for sure — house guests! Good Morning America has put together a list of 5 expert tips for providing great hospitality to your...
How Much of A Rate Hike Would It Take for You to Stop Shopping?
Yesterday, Laura Kusisto wrote a fairly extensive piece on the current and projected state of the housing market in light of the likelihood that interest rates will continue to rise for the foreseeable future. It’s a good read, and this is oversimplifying, but, to put...
Life or Death: Do You Have Sprinklers in Your Home?
If not, you may want to consider having them installed. These days, the world changes so quickly, things can become “normal” before we even know that they’re a thing at all. This article was written in St. Pete, Florida, but the changes they’re talking about are...
Get Out Into Your Backyard!
One of the great things about owning a home is the ability to go out in the back yard, grab your favorite beverage, and watch the sky do amazing things. Over the next two weeks, Venus and Jupiter are converging, and you’ll have a chance to watch them get closer and...
Women, Are You Being Treated Fairly by Your Lenders?
Later today, the Woodstock Institute is scheduled to release a report which claims that in the Chicago Area, women are less likely to receive a mortgage than men. But since the report isn’t out, it’s hard to say either how credible it is, or how much one can...
A Simpler View on Bonds, Mortgage Rates, and The Fed
Following on to yesterday’s article about changes in bond yields, mortgage interest rates, and the likely future of Fed decisions, it’s worth taking a look at this article by Consumer Affairs. It does two things well. First, it summarizes recent trends in mortgage...
Mortgages, Bonds, and The Fed
With bonds selling off, it’s possible that the Fed could ease off their plan to increase interest rates this summer. If the 10-year treasury yield goes over 2.75% anytime soon, and the Feds continue to hint at tightening monetary policy, then a repeat of the 2013 hit...
Weekend DIY for The Summer
It’s hard to believe, but Spring is almost over — just two more weeks (well, to be honest, given the weather, it kind of feels like Summer is almost here). And while summer weekends are perfect for BBQ and swimming, let’s be honest, you want to get some work done...
Picking The Right Remodels
Whether you do it yourself or contract it out isn’t going to make a whole lot of difference if you start down a road of remodeling, which is going to cost you more than it’s worth. So far this year, the average return on investment for remodeling projects is 63%....
Have You Been Saving Your Receipts?
This blog has been looking at home improvement from a few different angles recently, but there’s one that can stand to get a little more depth: taxes. As the market continues its recovery from the 2008 crash, many people are once again in a position where their homes...

