Cuba's once‑strong tourism industry -- long one of the island's biggest economic pillars -- is now facing a serious downturn. At the same time, recent geopolitics, including the United States' surprise military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, have thrown fresh uncertainty into U.S.-Cuba relations and the broader strategy across the Western Hemisphere. Tourism arrivals to...

A proposal aimed at providing full property tax reimbursements for senior citizens in Tennessee — with the state’s substantial budget surplus cited as justification for the plan — was recently unveiled by a local official.   Rob Mitchell, the property assessor for Rutherford County, said the Tennessee Golden Homeowners Tax Relief Program would cover the full amount of property taxes assessed on...

QXO, a leading distributor of roofing products and building materials, is nearing another acquisition as part of a game plan to disrupt and consolidate the fragmented $800 billion building products industry and reach $50 billion in annual revenue in five or so years.  By reshaping an unconsolidated marketplace and capturing a much larger share of distribution, QXO could gain market share from...

The mortgage industry recorded a modest increase in the number of producing loan officers in 2025 — the first annual rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to preliminary data from mortgage technology platform RETR. The number of LOs who originated at least one mortgage in 2025 reached 221,161, up slightly from 220,449 in 2024. “That’s the number of loan officers who were producing...

The California Department of Real Estate (CDRE) has entered into a settlement with agent education and training firm Real Estate Trainers Inc. (RETI) and its former president Lance McHarg, according to an announcement on Tuesday.  According to the CDRE, McHarg took the state’s real estate license exam numerous times without achieving a passing score. After concluding an investigation, the agency said...

American homeowners enter 2026 expecting higher insurance costs, growing climate risks and continued pressure on housing affordability. Data from Kin’s inaugural Homeownership Trends Report shows insurance costs now rival mortgage rates and home prices as a key factor shaping where — and whether — Americans buy, stay or move. Home insurance costs are rising faster than many other household...

“Modern” has never been a fixed idea in housing. What once felt futuristic can quickly feel dated, and what once felt radical often becomes standard without anyone noticing. Over the past 70 years, the definition of a modern home has shifted alongside technology, culture, economics, and everyday life. In some decades, modern meant efficiency. In others, it meant size, openness, or visibility. At...

Tucked into the rolling hills above Carmel, 53 Marguerite sits inside one of California’s most private and tightly held residential communities. Located within Tehama Golf Club, the nearly 12-acre estate offers seclusion, scale, and access to a landscape shaped as much by design as by nature. Tehama — the invitation-only community founded by Clint Eastwood — spans close to 2,000 acres and...

Set high on a bluff at Wing Point, this Bainbridge Island house reads less like a single residence and more like a carefully composed art installation. From the water-facing rooms, the view unfolds in layers: the deep blue of Puget Sound, the Seattle skyline centered across the bay, and — on clear days — Mount Rainier and the Cascade Range rising in the distance. What sets the property apart...

Learn the right way to protect your air conditioning unit this winter...