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DREAMSTIME/TNS

American debt stings like never before in new era for households

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

After years of managing household budgets through the stress of the worst inflation in a generation, U.S. families are increasingly pressured by a different kind of financial squeeze: The cost of carrying debt.

Two years after the Federal Reserve began hiking interest rates to tame prices, delinquency rates on credit cards and auto loans are ...Read more

With the Better FAFSA still in limbo, here's what to do as college decisions loom

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

When the U.S. Department of Education rolled out the "Better FAFSA" at the end of last year, the intent was to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid a simpler process for the millions of college students hoping for financial help for the 2024-25 school year.

But so far, the new FAFSA has created a series of headaches for students, ...Read more

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

California's home insurer of last resort sees enrollment surge, raising concerns over its finances

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

With home insurers scaling back coverage in the state, enrollment is surging in California's backstop insurance plan — as is the plan's risk of sustaining losses that it can't cover.

Victoria Roach, president of the FAIR Plan Association, told lawmakers this week that property owners even in areas with low wildfire risk were finding it ...Read more

Realtors group to pay $418 million to settle litigation over broker commission fees

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The Chicago-based National Association of Realtors will pay $418 million as a part of a settlement agreement to resolve litigation against the organization and its members brought on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions.

The settlement comes after a Missouri federal jury issued a landmark $1.8 billion verdict in October of last ...Read more

Ryan Deberardinis/Dreamstime/TNS

NYC rents hit record highs in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Median rents in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Northwest Queens hit record highs in February as New Yorkers grapple with an ongoing affordability crisis, a new report found.

New lease signings also climbed, setting year-over-year records in Manhattan and Queens and the second-highest record for Brooklyn, according to the latest analysis by real estate...Read more

Real estate Q&A: My fiance died and left home we lived in to a friend. What are my options?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: I have been living with my fiancé in his house for a few years. Unfortunately, he passed away recently. When I checked the deed, I found out that the house was set up as a life estate to go to his friend, who also lives there. The friend is now eager to sell the house, but I have been helping to support it and make repairs for the last ...Read more

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Rents are finally falling in Los Angeles. But it's still not enough for many

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

As Angelenos continue to suffer through a housing crisis, new data suggest that Los Angeles County's notoriously brutal rental market may be cooling while rental prices continue to climb in some of the most populous regions of Northern California.

Rental prices were down 2.5% in Los Angeles County in February 2024 versus the same month a year ...Read more

RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post/TNS

When Colorado mountain towns couldn't find affordable housing for workers, they started building homes themselves

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Decades ago, Colorado’s mountain communities, struggling with sky-high real estate values, implemented “inclusionary” ordinances that required developers to set aside a share of the units they built at a lower price or lower rent.

In a nod to just how expensive things have become, the definition of affordable has risen to include ...Read more

Vanessa Abbitt/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS

Missouri sues Florida firm tied to controversial brokerage contracts

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey last week sued a Florida real estate company that has drawn complaints and lawsuits around the country for what critics call "deceptive" real estate contracts that offer homeowners upfront cash in exchange for thousands of dollars in future brokerage fees.

The lawsuit accuses ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Will CFPB's $8 cap on credit card late fees encourage late payments?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

On March 5, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) finalized a rule capping credit card late payment fees at $8 for the biggest card issuers after inviting public comment on the matter last year. According to the consumer protection agency, the move is an effort to rein in “excessive” credit card late fees.

“For over a decade, ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: How do we get builder to deal with construction site eyesore?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: They have been building a house down the block for the last several months. Besides the trucks coming and going, the site is a mess, with debris in the yard and a porta-potty out along the street. While I understand the realities of construction, there is no reason for this ongoing eyesore. What should we do? — Alejandro

A: Constructing a ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

How to update your apartment to feel like home (without making your landlord angry)

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Ben Everette Moore rented in Philadelphia for 15 years, and he transformed every place he stayed.

In a Center City apartment, he spent six hours filling a wall with patterns by hand using a stencil, gold spray paint, acrylic paints, and a small brush, and his landlord loved it.

“Normally, we’re supposed to paint the walls back, but she’s...Read more

Tyger Williams/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Rentals can be 'renovated,' too -- just ask this social media creator

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Kate Levy knew she wanted to transform her apartment into a beautiful, cozy home. She didn’t know that tens of thousands of strangers would be invested in how it turned out.

About 75,000 TikTok followers and more than 32,000 Instagram followers ooh and ahh and ask where she got her furniture (pretty much all secondhand) through her my.philly....Read more

Nvidia becomes Tesla's successor as market flips from EV to AI

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Nvidia Corp.’s rise is captivating the stock market and driving the S&P 500 Index to new highs. But it also raises cautionary reminders of another investor darling that soared on dreams of a technological transformation, only to tumble back to earth when those hopes turned to disappointment.

That stock belongs to Tesla Inc., which sparked ...Read more

Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Paw-friendly? Proposed bill would prevent California landlords from banning pets in rentals

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

In California’s tight rental market, apartment hunting is a daunting task. For pet owners, the options are even fewer.

But a bill proposed in the California State Assembly this year could make it easier for those with furry friends to find a place to rent.

The bill, AB 2216, would prohibit blanket bans of pets in rentals and allow landlords ...Read more

Frederic J. Brown/AFP/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/TNS

Conor Sen: Need to sell your house? It's time to hustle

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

If you need to sell your home in the next few months, I’d get on with it. As we enter the spring selling season, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the period during which sellers had the leverage in the housing market is over.

The surge in mortgage rates last year led most potential sellers to hold onto their homes and their rock-bottom...Read more

K.M. Cannon/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Gen Z is in the real estate business -- and has thoughts on its future

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Technological advancements in social media marketing, artificial intelligence and online listings will drive the future of real estate, but making in-person connections will remain integral to the industry, according to Las Vegas-area Generation Z real estate agents getting started in the business.

“I think there is going to be a big step ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: What's a Lady Bird deed?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: I am hearing more about Lady Bird deeds. What are they, and what are their pros and cons? — Arnie

A: Deeds that create an enhanced life estate, which are often called “Lady Bird deeds,” are becoming increasingly popular estate planning tools.

When a life estate is created, a property owner, called the “grantor,” deeds the property...Read more

Getty Images for Global Citizen/Getty Images North America/TNS

Business owners face unique challenges when going through a divorce. Here's what you should know

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Although research varies, it is estimated that anywhere between 40% and 50% of marriages end in divorce. A divorce can be emotional, painful — and expensive. And if you’re running a small business, it could have a significant impact on your cash flow.

If you own a small business, here are few things to consider:

Get your books in order

...Read more

Anna Buchmann/The Sacramento Bee/TNS

Kaiser expects to launch construction of new San Jose hospital in 2025

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A brand-new Kaiser hospital in San Jose could begin construction next year, the centerpiece of the healthcare organization’s plans to replace a 50-year-old medical center and revamp an adjacent campus.

Kaiser Permanente plans to develop a modern hospital at its south San Jose medical campus, documents on file with San ...Read more