Winter weather can keep even the most avid gardener from working outside. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up all gardening activities until spring. Instead, use this time to focus on planning for later in the year or to knock out a couple of garden-related tasks that can be done now. Once...

The U.S. housing market ended 2025 on a weaker footing than expected, raising fresh concerns about momentum heading into 2026 as buyers pulled back sharply from signing new contracts. Pending home sales -- a forward-looking gauge of closed transactions -- fell 9.3% in December 2025 from the prior month and were down 3% from a year earlier, according to data released last Thursday by the National...

It goes with the insanity of today’s U.S. housing affordability crisis that two rights can make a wrong. Two federal policies — each designed to lower the lifetime operating cost of owning a home — can instead combine to raise the barrier to entry so high that millions of households never get through the front door in the first place. The technical terms for these lose-lose-lose, vicious circle...

Detroit-based Rocket Companies was hit with a class-action lawsuit on Monday that accuses one of the nation’s largest mortgage lenders of steering consumers to their loan products, “even though Rocket Mortgage‘s terms are disadvantageous to the clients.” The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The plaintiffs are represented by Hagens Berman, a consumer...

The Jason Mitchell Group (JMG) said it has added mortgage brokerage LitFinancial to its network of business-to-business partners. LitFinancial was founded in 2024 and has closed more than $1 billion in client volume since launching — providing mortgage services and working with homebuyers nationwide. “JMG is proud to partner with LitFinancial, who provide a world-class service,” said Jason...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has ordered public housing authorities and property owners participating in federal housing programs to verify tenant eligibility as it relates issues including undocumented immigration. HUD Secretary Scott Turner said the directive is part of a broader effort to review eligibility and compliance in HUD-assisted housing. “We will leave no...

Transparency is sweeping the housing industry with everyone from trade associations and brokerage leaders to agents and consumers claiming they want more transparency in the home buying and selling process.  For agents looking to up their commitment to transparency, Housing Rebel by Selling Later, a group created by Consumer Policy Center (CPC) fellow Wendy Glich, has launched its “Transparent Agent...

Home renovation trends move quickly. What feels fresh, bold, and modern one year can start to feel tired (or outright dated) only a few seasons later. Designers see it all the time: brand-new spaces that already look like they belong to a specific era rather than feeling timeless. The problem usually isn’t renovation itself. It’s when choices are made to chase what’s popular online instead of what...

Some of the most expensive-looking homes aren’t impressive because of what was bought and displayed; they’re impressive because of how thoughtfully things were placed, scaled, and edited. Designers often rely on a set of small visual adjustments that cost little to nothing but dramatically change how a space feels. These aren’t renovation projects. They’re the kinds of tweaks that fix...

Save energy and reduce heating costs (while staying cozy!) with these expert...