ArcaMax

Q: My tenant wants to purchase the home he recently rented with the help of my real estate agent. I checked the listing agreement I signed with the agent and noticed that it states that if I sell the property to the tenant, I need to pay the agent an additional sales commission. I already paid the agent for the rental, and I do not understand ...Read more

SEATTLE -- One year ago, Microsoft made national headlines with its largest pledge ever, a promise to invest $500 million in affordable housing.

On Wednesday, the tech giant put a potential $250 million on top of that.

Like most of its previous tranche of funding, though, the new money isn't for free -- it's a line of credit for a state agency...Read more

You've seen the little tubs of spreadable butter in the dairy case of your supermarket. In fact, you may purchase them because they're just so convenient. And if you watch your prices, you know the typical "spreadable" could almost be considered a luxury item.

Most spreadables are part real butter, part canola oil. Others have olive oil or some...Read more

You're thinking about moving, from your hometown or college town or wherever you've been lately. Perhaps you've just graduated and are pursuing jobs in several states. Or you need to relocate so your spouse can find a better job. Or maybe you and your partner come from different cities, and you're considering those so your kids can grow up near ...Read more

Warner Bros. on Tuesday officially broke ground on a pair of Frank Gehry-designed office towers, which when completed will mark a major expansion of the Burbank, Calif.-based movie and TV studio's headquarters.

The project, first announced last April, was commemorated in a ceremony with Warner Bros. Chief Executive Ann Sarnoff and Gehry, the ...Read more

While plastic is used in thousands of products that add comfort, convenience and even safety to our lives, we have become addicted to single-use or disposable plastic --which has detrimental consequences to our environment. Around the world, 1 million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, and up to 5 trillion single-use plastic ...Read more

Dear Mary: While my daughter was on staff at a summer camp, she did not launder her bedding frequently. Even though the bedding has been laundered a number of times since being home, I've noticed that the sheets, pillowcases and comforter appear dingy even though they're fresh from the dryer. Is there anything that will brighten these items? -- ...Read more

AUTO STEREO

In cold weather, it's wise to wait until the car's interior warms up before using the radio or CD player. These units should be warm, especially the CD player, before they are turned on. If you are patient and allow the heater to warm the interior, your expensive sound system will work better for longer. -- Judd

BUBBLE GUM ON ...Read more

Ever enter a room and feel a bit disoriented? Chances are what is missing is a focal point.

A quick glimpse into your rooms can reveal a lot. You don't know exactly what is wrong, but you feel like you are floating in a sea of furniture, and the room seems to be missing a sense of purpose. Perhaps your room lacks a focal point.

In most ...Read more

Buying a dependable used car with above-average mileage is the budget-smart move -- remember, a car is a very expensive depreciating asset. And yet, more than 17 million new cars were purchased in each of the past five years.

Bought, as in financed. Experian reports that more than eight in 10 new cars are bought with loans, with the average ...Read more

The rules of the retirement game just saw a sizable overhaul in Congress, giving a nod to the reality that many Americans can't afford to quit working.

The changes aren't massive enough to put to rest concerns about an upcoming retirement crisis where some forecast a growing gap between the haves and have-nots. Even so, the adjustments are ...Read more

Q: We hired a local company to help us with a project on our property. After the work was done, we received a bill for more than what was agreed. The bill also included work that was not performed. Do we need to pay it? -- Karl

A: Whenever you hire someone to perform work on your home, you should have a written contract. The agreement should ...Read more

Could you use an extra $1,200? That's exactly what you'll have in a year if you can find a way to whack just $25 from your food bill each week. But there's not one single way to reduce food costs. The key is to use a combination of strategies.

EAT THE SALES

Build your grocery list from the sale ads. If it's not on sale, don't buy it -- at ...Read more

Vanguard reached $6 trillion in assets late last year. And it achieved that amid an ongoing fee war with Schwab-TD Ameritrade, which continued last week.

Since the 2008 financial crisis, Vanguard has led the movement to lower fees across Wall Street, first by attracting hundreds of billions of dollars in index fund assets, then by cutting fees ...Read more