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Disneyland is now a historic theme park district: What's that mean for future projects?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The DisneylandForward environmental impact report identifies the potential Disneyland Theme Park Historic District as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places – which automatically places the district on the California Register of Historical Resources.

The DisneylandForward proposal seeks to update a 1990s Anaheim, ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Simple Tips to Ensure Your Safety in Any Emergency

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

In today's unpredictable world, being prepared for emergencies is not just smart but essential. No matter where you live or what you do, disaster can strike at any moment, and being equipped with the right knowledge and resources can be a lifesaver.

Whether it's a natural disaster like a hurricane or a man-made crisis like a power outage, ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How Clearing Out Clutter Can Improve Your Life

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Getting organized is like dieting. Everyone knows how to do it, but the problem is getting around to it -- to clearing out clutter, cleverly organizing what remains and then maintaining the results.

When we remodeled our kitchen a few years ago, I emptied every cupboard and drawer, carefully labeling every box and bin with its contents. That ...Read more

Stephen Gates/Dreamstime/TNS

Women's salaries are lower, and their expenses are higher. Here's how to push back

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

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

Everyday Cheapskate: Cleaning Tips and Tricks That Promise to Cut Costs and Save Time

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Cleaning is the one chore that most of us dread, but we all know it has to be done. And while none of these cheapskate cleaning methods pretend to make it fun, they do promise to cut costs and save time. Also, most of these tips can be implemented with everyday items you probably already have.

ADD LEMON

Salt and ice together are great for ...Read more

In 2023, Florida insurers turned first profit in seven years, new report says

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

In 2023, Florida’s domestic insurers turned a net profit for the first time in seven years, a new report by marketing intelligence company S&P Global said.

The study of “around 50” Florida-based insurers credited the turnaround to investment income, a mild hurricane year, and tort reforms that took effect in March 2023.

The group ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Can HOAs ban politicking?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: With the upcoming elections, our association is considering banning politicking in our community. They want to stop everything from door knocks to lawn signs, all in an effort to “keep the peace.” While I understand that community harmony is important and this will be another controversial election, I don’t think they are allowed to do ...Read more

George Avalos/Bay Area News Group/TNS

TikTok agrees to sublease big San Jose tech building, preps offices

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SAN JOSE, Calif. — TikTok has completed a rental deal for a big San Jose tech building, a transaction that suggests some pockets of strength still exist in a feeble Bay Area commercial real estate sector.

The fast-expanding tech company has subleased an office building at 1143 Coleman Avenue in San Jose, according to documents filed on March ...Read more

Behring Cos./TNS/TNS

New downtown Oakland tower offers “full stack” of live, work and play

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

OAKLAND, Calif. — A new tower in downtown Oakland is offering what its developer calls a “full stack” of lifestyle amenities and choices in a new approach to the realities of the post-coronavirus era.

The 39-story mixed-use tower that has sprouted atop the 19th Street BART Station was built with the concept that the highrise could offer ...Read more

David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Philly couple who went viral for living in a storage unit want to prove 'homelessness is a flex'

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

PHILADELPHIA -- Like many Gen Zers, Lansdale couple Leland Brown Jr. and Breanna Hubbard gave TikTok viewers a tour of their new home, hours after they moved in.

The space was just large enough to fit a twin-size mattress, a small couch, a dresser, and a wall of storage boxes. But no windows, bathroom, or kitchen. It also happened to be located...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: A Pizza Challenge

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Some consider pizza the perfect food. It has complex carbohydrates, vegetables, dairy and protein. OK, maybe "perfect" is stretching it a bit, but I remember when pizza was something you shouldn't eat too much of because it might spoil your dinner. Now it is dinner.

Millions of families rely on pizza because it is quick, cheap and ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Could Your Credit or Debit Card Be Making You Fat?

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I've heard of blaming one's weight on a lot of things, but credit and debit cards? That was a new one for me and a theory reported at TheStreet.com that, when considered carefully, does seem to carry a lot of weight.

Now that restaurants, coffee shops, restaurants, DoorDash and every fast-food and restaurant app on earth accepts credit and ...Read more

Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News/TNS

Realtor rules just changed dramatically. Here's what buyers and sellers can expect

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

So long, 6% commission.

For decades, real estate commissions have been somewhat standardized, with most home sellers paying 5% to 6% commission to cover both the listing agent and the buyer's agent.

On Friday, everything changed.

A landmark agreement from the National Association of Realtors paved the way for a new set of rules that will ...Read more

Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times/TNS

A sign of the times: Tearing down an emptying Orange County office complex to build a warehouse

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

In the hierarchy of commercial real estate, office space has long been king.

Developers and landlords lived by the conventional wisdom that there was no better use for your square footage than business offices because they commanded higher rents than industrial spaces.

Simple math, the thinking went.

Well, not so simple anymore. At least in ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Cetaphil's New Anti-Aging Collection: A Review

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

In the ever-evolving world of skincare, finding effective anti-aging products that deliver noticeable results without breaking the bank can feel like an endless, expensive quest. However, Cetaphil, a trusted name in skincare known for being gentle yet effective, has recently introduced a new line of four anti-aging products I've been using since...Read more

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

Everyday Cheapskate: My Secret Housecleaning Weapon

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Keeping a pristine home doesn't have to be a daunting or expensive task. I want to let you in on my secret weapon sitting front and center in my cleaning cupboard. It's Bar Keepers Friend (BKF) and I wouldn't want to clean without it.

BKF is a simple, versatile cleaning product that has been trusted by homeowners for over a century. Developed ...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