2025

If you’ve been thinking about becoming a real estate agent in Connecticut, you’ve landed on the right page. You’ll need to complete 60 hours of pre-licensing education to be eligible to sit for the real estate exam. After you’ve passed, post-licensing and continuing education courses will be required to keep you at the top of your game. From initial licensing to maintaining your license, our...

Seeking to align with recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced on Wednesday the publication of a new mortgagee letter (ML) that restricts qualification for FHA-backed mortgages to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The measure applies to all Title II single-family mortgage programs, including the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage...

While many measurements of retirement readiness suggest that older Americans will fall short of maintaining their quality of life after completing their careers, the overwhelming majority of retirees (92%) report in surveys that they are either “moderately” or “very” satisfied. This disconnect may mean that retirement satisfaction surveys may not be the most helpful tools for those seeking...

Under the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) new Multiple Listing Options policy, the trade group is allowing listing agents, with the signed consent and direct permission of their seller client, to delay publicly marketing a listing through Internet Data Exchange (IDX) feeds and syndication.  While this means delayed marketing listings will not appear on listing portals that use IDX feeds,...

A plumbing expert explains why pouring coffee grounds down the drain is a bad idea—and what you should do...

In 1961, an engineer constructed a modern house on a sloped, wooded lot in Greenville, South Carolina. Over the next 60 years, vinyl siding covered the original exterior, a Craftsman-style kitchen was added and other period-inappropriate renovations crept in. But when a couple with a fondness for...

Shrink Extra Space Storage facility in Upland, California. Photo courtesy of Extra Space Storage. Expand Extra Space Storage facility in Upland, California. Photo courtesy of Extra Space Storage. The self-storage REIT is ramping up third-party management and bridge loan...

The latest Daft.ie House Price Report reveals that housing prices across Ireland rose by an average of 3.7% in the first quarter of 2025. The national average listed price reached €346,048, reflecting an 11.6% increase compared to the previous year and a 35% rise since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This rate of inflation is the second-highest recorded in the decade since the implementation of...

Elon Musk and his team in the White House reportedly plan to lay off a substantial portion of employees in the U.S. Department of Treasury as part of their ongoing effort to reduce the federal workforce. In a court filing Tuesday surfaced by Bloomberg Law, the Treasury’s Deputy Assistant Secretary Trevor Norris stated that the department is finalizing plans to comply with President Donald Trump’s...

Today’s report on new home sales reveals a slight shortfall in sales estimates. However, it also emphasizes a more critical issue: the currently elevated supply of new homes. This surplus has significantly contributed to the stagnation of housing permits for some time. By addressing and reducing the excess inventory, homebuilders can work toward creating a more balanced market and fostering a revival...