Q: How do you politely tell people they're not on mute during a work Zoom call?

A: The most important thing is to be subtle and gentle about it. You can always send a private message to let them know that they haven't turned the microphone off.

Alternatively, depending on your comfort or familiarity with the meeting attendees, you can ...Read more

Trees are an attractive addition to any yard, and they come with plenty of benefits. In addition to cleaning the air and improving the look of your landscape, shade from trees can lower your home's cooling bill and even add a 10 percent boost to your property value, according to the USDA Forest Service. If you enjoy your trees and want to keep...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Actor Christopher Meloni, who will soon be back on the case in an upcoming "Law & Order" spinoff, has put his home in the Hollywood Hills on the market for $6.495 million.

Television viewers may be familiar with the East Coast-inspired home, which doubled as a set for "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" in the 1950s and 1960s. ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- When Tony Nittoli of North Hollywood noticed a leak under his bathroom sink in mid-April, he tied it up with an old T-shirt and stuffed junk mail under it. He'd normally call his apartment manager to take care of it, but health officials' orders were clear: stay inside and away from others to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

"...Read more

SEATTLE -- When Starbucks landlord Leon Brooks got a letter asking for at least a year's reduction in rent for the company's drive-thru store in San Clemente, California, the property owner knew his answer.

"I am highly disappointed, disgusted and angry," Brooks wrote back to the global coffee chain. "Shame on you."

Seattle-based Starbucks, ...Read more

The coronavirus crisis sent stocks plummeting, but home prices should hold up better because of a housing shortage.

Three-quarters of brokers report their clients haven't lowered prices because of the economic contraction, according to an April 30 survey from the National Association of Realtors. One in five buyers had dropped out of the market...Read more

Q: How do you turn down a friend or acquaintance asking for a ride in your car?

A: In response to this question, many people will come up with reasons to get out of giving the ride - going in the opposite direction, errands, no gas, etc.

Why should you have to make up excuses for something you don't want to do? We do this because saying no...Read more

Vinyl has been the most common siding material used in new home construction for the last 25 years. That means there are tens of millions of existing homes with vinyl siding out there, and many more being built each year. If you're a homeowner with vinyl siding, or considering a vinyl siding replacement or installation, here's what you need to...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- It may be some time before baseball returns to Los Angeles, but that's not stopping St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt from landing a new offseason dugout. The businessman was the buyer of Eva Longoria's Hollywood Hills compound.

DeWitt paid $8.25 million for the place -- which wasn't even in the same ballpark as Longoria's ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Elon Musk has emphatically doubled-down on his promise to "own no house," listing another five of his California properties himself for a combined $97.5 million.

The five properties -- four in Bel-Air and another in Silicon Valley's pricey Hillsborough neighborhood -- follow two other Bel-Air homes that Musk listed for sale in ...Read more

As we start to enter "Phase 1," it looks like I will be able to get some hours at work soon. My landlord has been leaving me alone, knowing that I was put on hiatus and that evictions are temporarily paused. I am a couple of months behind on my rent and not sure how I can catch up. What can I do? -- Karen

A: You are not alone -- many people are...Read more

SEATTLE -- Starbucks wants landlords to give it a break on rent for at least a year as coronavirus social-distancing measures batter sales at the Seattle-based global coffee chain.

"Effective June 1 and for at least a period of 12 consecutive months, Starbucks will require concessions to support modified operations and adjustments to lease ...Read more

LOS ANGELES – Many struggling homeowners who are delaying their mortgage payments through so-called forbearance programs will get a new repayment option, allowing them to make missed payments when the home is sold or the loan term is over, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Wednesday.

The deferral option applies to homeowners who have a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES – Many struggling homeowners who are delaying their mortgage payments through so-called forbearance programs will get a new repayment option, allowing them to make missed payments when the home is sold or the loan term is over, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said Wednesday.

The deferral option applies to homeowners who have a ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- On a normal day -- that is to say, prepandemic -- living in a small apartment, a place that commands minimalism, could be inconvenient. For people now cramped in tight quarters under stay-at-home orders necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, what once seemed charming in its coziness is no more.

It's annoying.

"There is a ...Read more

Spring is in full swing, and with this fresh new season comes the chance to spiff up your home. Whether you're looking for ways to improve your home's curb appeal, inspiration to start your spring cleaning or a little direction on seasonal home maintenance projects, these five ideas will help you spring into summer on the right foot.

1. ...Read more

Q: You have to use an elevator on a daily basis. How should you use it safely during the coronavirus pandemic?

A: If you have to be in close proximity to people outside your household, you should wear a face mask to prevent the spread of the virus. The masks are actually intended to stop people from breathing, coughing or sneezing the virus ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Longtime Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who joined the Indianapolis Colts this offseason as a free agent, has put his home in San Diego's gated Santaluz community on the market for $4.199 million.

The Spanish-style residence, built in 2005 and recently updated, sits behind a gated entrance on an acre overlooking the greens ...Read more

While the number of home sales entering escrow has plunged amid the coronavirus pandemic, some people are still touring homes virtually and willing -- at a time of enormous uncertainty -- to make the biggest financial investment of their lives.

What they are finding, however, is lenders aren't always willing to go along.

Mortgage credit is ...Read more