In the wake of massive wildfires that destroyed 16,000 structures in Los Angeles County in January, hundreds of banks and mortgage companies agreed to let borrowers delay their monthly payments for 90 days, without demands for full repayment at the end of the forbearance period. Others simply pledged relief and relocation assistance. California’s state-run mortgage relief program, announced in...

In a move to overhaul how California manages its housing and homelessness response, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed to divide the state’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency into two distinct entities — the California Housing and Homelessness Agency (CHHA) and the Business and Consumer Services Agency. With no veto coming from the California State Legislature before a July 4 deadline, the...

The Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) has launched a new bilingual, voice-activated home search tool designed to make real estate listings more accessible to a wider range of users, including people with disabilities. The platform — called Finding Homes — allows users to search listings using natural speech through Alexa-enabled devices or apps. It’s available in both English and Spanish...

The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) gave Americans a huge tax cut that critics say primarily benefits the wealthy. But the law contains a rare reversal from President Donald Trump on a key issue — the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. What the deduction does is all in the name. It allows taxpayers to deduct what they owe in state and local taxes from their federal income taxes....

Not every job is made for sweltering heat and high humidity levels. Save these projects for winter and discover the ones to do...

This is the project that grew and grew. What started out as a simple refurbishment of a rural cottage in West Sussex, England, became a comprehensive renovation, an addition and a landscaping job. “It was an absolute joy,” says Paul Duffy, the architect responsible for the transformation. “It...

The Orlando housing market showed signs of cooling in June 2025, with new listings, pending sales, and total transactions all edging lower amid still-elevated interest rates and constrained inventory levels. According to data released by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association (ORRA), new home listings fell 8.4% from May to June 2025, with 3,854 properties hitting the market last month compared to 4,208...

Learn how to meet contractual obligations, create goodwill with a buyer, and avoid closing delays by cleaning your home before you move...

In a week marked by discussions of the potential firing of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and inflation data, mortgage rates remained relatively calm, thanks to improvements in mortgage spreads. Mortgage spreads have improved significantly since 2023, leaving us just 0.49% from normal levels, based on the data we use. This means we can achieve near 6% mortgage rates without the 10-year yield...

Delicate, beautiful, and wildly unforgiving—here’s what I learned (the hard way) about installing grasscloth...