Laura Whetstine

The last newsletter covered equity-increasing home improvements, but not all renovations and repairs add value. Here's how to check for poorly done construction during your house tours.

How to Spot Shoddy Renovations While House Hunting A home's listing may advertise a new heater and fresh paint, but not all renovations and updates are professional quality. Here's how to tell whether the seller's improvements are quality work or cheap, rushed renos.

They say insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome. So why do we keep buying houseplants when we struggle to keep them alive, and why do they die so easily?

Americans kill nearly half their houseplants. So why do we still spend billions on them each year? A social media craze and lockdowns drove up houseplant sales in 2020. But an estimated 70% of plants die in the supply chain and customers' homes.

Housing intelligence uncovers vacation destinations nationwide that saw impressive equity gains last year. The findings noted that key 2021 regions were projected to boom in value as far back as 2018.

Vacation Locations Saw Large Home Equity Gains in 2021 The Mountain-West region is the hottest housing market in the country, and according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index, Phoenix had the fastest year-over-year appreciation. Denver and Boise, Idaho, also showed up as desirable locations.