2024

As tempting and refreshing as the fresh, juicy fruit is on a steamy summer day, a full melon contains a *lot* of flesh! Annie Schlechter Summer doesn’t quite feel like summer until we’ve savored a bite from a sweet, juicy wedge of watermelon. As much as we consider this one of our favorite seasonal fruits—and even though we adore and frequently make these sweet and savory watermelon...

We finally have six weeks of numbers that hit my housing inventory growth model perfectly in 2024. Last year, with higher mortgage rates, we had zero weeks at this level so I am now giving 2024 inventory growth a grade of A.Low inventory has plagued the housing market since the pandemic, plummeting to all-time lows in March of 2022 when we only had 240,000 single-family homes available for sale. Today that...

These tried and tested tips from vintage issues of BHG are still some of the best methods for cleaning your home. Better Homes and Gardens While the world has certainly evolved since the 1940s, some of the cleaning advice from that time period remains as relevant and effective today as it was back then. In fact, we've found plenty of cleaning tips in vintage issues of BHG that are definitely...

Shop mirrors, side tables, accent chairs, and more. Better Homes & Gardens If you’re looking to add simple, modern decor to your home or a functional piece of furniture, our Better Homes & Gardens line at Walmart features something for every style. And right now, you can score discounts of up to 34 percent off on a wide variety of pieces. Shop sneaky storage, such as this tufted...

Plus everything you need to know about this sleek, minimal design. Emily Followill You’ve likely seen it, but might not know it by name, so we're here to formally introduce you to the Crittall style making waves in entryways, on windows, in baths, and more. “Crittall style is something that everyone has seen, but not many people know its proper name,” says Drew Michael Scott, interior design...

Here's how to get rid of ticks in your yard without the use of harsh chemicals. John Merkl The warm summer weather means more opportunities to spend time outdoors, but it also means more disease-bearing pests are hanging around, such as ticks. Fortunately, there are plenty of expert-recommended solutions for how to get rid of ticks in your yard and avoid tick bites this summer. Here’s how to...

When you see your pepper plant leaves curling, it's a sign of stress that could reduce your harvest. Helen Norman Curling leaves is a relatively common plant problem that’s usually not fatal to pepper plants. However, when you see pepper plant leaves curling, it typically indicates that the plant is stressed—by pests, diseases, or an environmental factor—and plants might not produce as much...

The plot this Surrey, England, house sits on might be huge — 7 acres — but the idea behind its design was surprisingly compact. “The owner said, ‘Make it eco-friendly and make it more interesting,’” says Kenn Daly of Sustainable Landscapes, who masterminded the project. “That was all. It was very...

Julia Gordon, the commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and a leading voice at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will be returning for the third consecutive year to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association‘s (NRMLA) Annual Meeting and Expo that will take place in San Diego in September. Julia Gordon The announcement was made by NRMLA in an email...

Late last month, Ginnie Mae released a term sheet for one of the most anticipated new developments for the reverse mortgage industry — a new Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)-backed Securities (HMBS) product referred to as “HMBS 2.0.” The new term sheet details several differences from the current HMBS program, including a reduction in the HMBS pool size to 95% of the loan’s total unpaid...