Easy and efficient watering solutions for gardens of all sizes. Better Homes & Gardens / Alan Schultz When thinking about lawn care, perhaps one of the most important tools to hydrate your lawn with is a reliable lawn sprinkler. However, with so many styles out there, it can be difficult to decide which is best suited for your needs. The first thing to consider when shopping around for the...

This Trending Now story features the most-saved bathroom photos uploaded to Houzz between March 15 and June 15, 2024.Determining a layout and selecting finishes are important steps in every bathroom renovation. Looking at what’s popular among other homeowners — and...

The scent of dinner sizzling on the grill and the joy of eating in the open air — cooking and dining outdoors are simple summer pleasures that deserve to be enjoyed more often. Here are 10 reasons to bring your crew outside for dinner (or breakfast or lunch) more often this season and...

Image CEO Raul Martinez Solaris discussed the REIT’s growth plans and commitment to sustainability...

Japan's financing environment remains generally accommodative in 2024 Contrary to the conditions in Europe, the U.S., and many other Asian countries, the real estate financing environment in Japan remains favorable. Data from the Bank of Japan (BoJ) indicates that outstanding loans to the real estate sector by Japanese financial institutions, including domestic banks and Shinkin banks, reached JPY 129...

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago) and consumer credit scoring system VantageScore announced on Tuesday that the bank is now accepting mortgage collateral using VantageScore 4.0, an updated version of the scoring system using trended credit bureau data. “ember financial institutions can now pledge mortgage collateral using VantageScore credit scores as an alternative to the...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Tuesday announced that it has published updated policies for its 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program, in an effort to “modernize the program and enhance its usefulness for individuals and families seeking affordable financing for renovating or rehabilitating a single-family home when purchasing or refinancing it.” The updates...

Over a quarter (26%) of retired investors continue to pay off their mortgage, and precisely one-quarter of the cohort are continuing to pay down credit card debt, according to a new survey from the Nationwide Retirement Institute. The U.S. retirement population is getting older at a faster rate and are also confronted with inflation as an impediment to making ends meet. According to the survey, 22% of...

In the May 2024 reverse mortgage rates report, we discussed how reverse mortgage borrowers might benefit from higher interest rates over the life of the loan. While this is counterintuitive, one must often think about reverse mortgages in…well, reverse. Of course, the reason for this is because the unused principal with an adjustable-rate Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) grows at the same rate...

As expected, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell did not set a timeline for lowering interest rates during his semiannual monetary policy report to Congress on Tuesday morning when participants complained about the effects of a tightening monetary policy in the housing market.  Powell indicated that Fed officials are not there yet, but suggested a better balance of inflation and employment in the...