Home insurance rates in Florida far outpaced inflation over the 18 months that ended on Dec. 31, but the rate of increase slowed in the fourth quarter of 2023 to its lowest point of the period.

And many insurance insiders are optimistic that rates will continue to stabilize this year and next, barring a big costly you-know-what.

According to ...Read more

LAS VEGAS — Bruce Hiatt is hoping the integration of artificial intelligence will help take his real estate company to the next level, and in turn, could require fewer in-person agents in the process.

Hiatt, a Las Vegas-based broker who is also the owner of Luxury Realty Group, is currently beta testing an AI conversational avatar that speaks...Read more

Debt consolidation can make repayment easier by consolidating multiple accounts into a single one. Consolidating debt also can save you money on interest and help you get out of debt faster, depending on your situation. Here are four ways to do it:

________

You can consolidate credit card debt

Paying down your monthly credit card balance on ...Read more

Ken Kahan makes a living building homes.

A specialty? Luxury apartment complexes in Los Angeles neighborhoods such as Palms and Silver Lake filled with mostly market rate units, but with a handful of income-restricted affordable ones as well.

It can be a good business, but lately less so.

"We have pulled back," said Kahan, the president of ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The owners of Television City have scaled back their plans to enlarge and modernize the landmark Los Angeles studio where CBS began making shows to broadcast nationwide at the dawn of the television age.

Formerly known as CBS Television City, the studio sits next to popular tourist attractions the Original Farmers Market and the...Read more

One year ago, Los Angeles' "mansion tax" took effect. It has either been a godsend or an absolute disaster, depending on who you ask.

The transfer tax, formally known as Measure ULA, levies a 4% charge on all property sales above $5 million and a 5.5% charge on sales above $10 million, with proceeds funding affordable housing and homelessness ...Read more

In a fever-dream phase of the pandemic, commercial real estate broker Mike Marinovich used electrical tape to draw out three pickleball courts on the sprawling second floor of his vacant downtown Minneapolis office building.

The space at 1200 Washington Av. S. had just been vacated by a supercomputing center, and Marinovich was having no luck ...Read more

In California's Bay Area, where it can easily cost north of $900,000 to build a single new-unit of affordable housing, how did former Caltrain officials end up building two secret apartments inside two Peninsula stations for the measly sum of $50,000?

Not legally, San Mateo, California, prosecutors allege.

Former Caltrain Deputy Director ...Read more

Real estate investor Debra Falese called a landmark Realtor commission settlement “horrible” because it requires home shoppers to sign contracts with their agents.

That could leave buyers “locked into” working with unreliable agents, the Huntington Beach, California, property owner said.

New homeowner Morgan Hedrick worries the ...Read more

The Silicon Valley billionaires trying to build a utopian city in Solano County, California, scored a major win in court against landowners they accused of conspiring to inflate the prices of their properties.

In May last year, the project’s real estate arm Flannery Associates sued dozens of landowners for $510 million in damages, claiming ...Read more

At first, thinking about how to get life insurance might seem overwhelming. If you’re not familiar with coverage types or how to buy life insurance policies, you might be tempted to put it off. Fortunately, Bankrate’s editorial team has done a lot of the legwork for you. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide for purchasing a life ...Read more

Grieving the loss of a loved one is an emotionally and mentally challenging experience. Still, amid the turmoil of the grieving process, it’s essential to address the deceased’s financial matters and protect their credit information. Requesting a credit freeze is a crucial first step.

By following this process, you can safeguard their ...Read more

There’s some comfort in knowing that your money is in the bank down the street. But in the era of Federal Reserve rate increases and brick-and-mortar banks offering yields that are much lower than yields at many online banks, this comfort may be costing you money. Generally, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) online banks offer savings ...Read more

Climate change and extreme weather have contributed to catastrophic fires that destroyed thousands of California homes in recent years — and an insurance crisis that could result in the biggest set of regulatory changes since the passage of Proposition 103 in 1988.

Insurers have pulled back from the homeowners market, leading to a flurry of ...Read more

The CZU Lightning Complex wildfire that burned through the Santa Cruz Mountains in late summer 2020 was a wakeup call for Frank Bäuerle. He wasted no time fireproofing his Ben Lomond home and neighborhood, clearing brush and screening vents against flying embers to bolster his property’s resistance to flames.

But even as his neighborhood got...Read more

The board that decides on lease adjustments for millions of rent-stabilized New Yorkers held its first public meeting of the year on Thursday in which they set the stage for the fraught annual battle between landlords and tenants over rent hikes.

The nine-person Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) — whose members are appointed by the mayor — met to...Read more

Anyone walking down the personal care aisle at a grocery or convenience store will see the distinction immediately.

Pink razors, shampoo, body wash and all the items that smell like flowers and boast ingredients like white tea and shea butter are for women. Blue products that evoke earthiness and sports without any flowery additives are for men...Read more