While reverse mortgages in the U.S. have struggled to push beyond their current market penetration rate for the past several years, their international equivalents don’t always have the same challenges. Lenders in other countries who make use of home equity tapping in a similar way can have different perceptions and market activity in their territories — and some U.S.-based lenders have taken...

Designer Christy Mancera envisioned a fairy tale when pulling together the look for a Nevada bathroom shared by two young girls. “We wanted to make this bathroom a sweet dream space for these little girls,” she says. Butterfly wallpaper, a pale pink vanity, scallop motifs and...

A huge reason many people don’t get around to tackling a decorating project is because they’re afraid to make a costly mistake. To give you the confidence to start your own dream design, here is a list of seven major design mistakes that can affect your entire project, along with photos of rooms...

Every May, one of London’s most creative neighborhoods hosts a week of innovation and design, and this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week (May 20-22) was the biggest yet. Visitors wandered the area to discover installations, new products, exhibitions and talks. Houzz visited the venues and showrooms to...

A new report from CBRE reveals that New York City is undergoing a dramatic surge in office-to-residential conversions, signaling a transformative shift in the city's real estate landscape. The trend is particularly pronounced in Midtown Manhattan, where underperforming office buildings are being rapidly acquired and repurposed into residential properties. According to the report, approximately 8.3 million...

The broader mortgage industry and the reverse mortgage subset have worked through a period of elevated interest rates for longer than anyone may have been expecting. Following a post-pandemic boom in volume fueled by Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) refinances, higher rates have served to restrict HECM volume, according to industry professionals and analysts. In response, many lenders have leaned...

Millennials are the only generation showing increased interest in buying a home in the next six months, according to a new survey by Realtor.com. The survey, conducted this spring, found that 23% of millennials plan to buy a home, up from 15% in September 2024. By contrast, 69% of Americans across all generations said they are not planning a real estate transaction in the next six months. High...

The Tinka Ellington Group — a prominent real estate team specializing in coastal and waterfront properties in South Florida — has joined Compass. Led by Ellington, the group has closed more than $254 million in sales and brings 25-plus years of combined real estate experience. The seven-member team serves Sunshine State areas including Lighthouse Point, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Highland Beach,...

Mat Ishbia, the president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), said last week he doesn’t think that releasing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship is a major focus for the Trump administration — and he isn’t sure “whether it should be.”  One thing he is confident about: If ending the conservatorship results in higher mortgage rates, it’s unlikely the government will move...

As the preference to age in place continues to dominate among those planning out their later lives, people actually living with the preference may find they need to make adjustments to certain parts of their routines to accommodate costs, access services and maintain social relationships. One key tool that might be able to assist with all three things for those seeking to age in place is the use of...