Consumer
/Home & Leisure
Real estate Q&A: How can we keep our kitchen remodel from becoming a nightmare?
Q: We finally saved up enough money to remodel our kitchen. But after seeing some homes get remodeled for our friends, we’re a little concerned about the process. Do you have any tips? —Mandy
A: Remodeling your kitchen can be an exciting project, but it also needs careful planning and preparation. For some people, the process goes smoothly,...Read more
Seattle-area homeowners stay put at record rates, stalling buying cycle
Seattle-area homeowners are holding onto their properties at record rates — jamming up the region’s normal cycle of buying and selling.
Redfin tracks home turnover rates by looking at what percentage of a region’s overall homes changed ownership over a period of time. In the first nine months of this year, just 20 out of every 1,000 homes...Read more
Why fears of a trillion-dollar AI bubble are growing
For almost as long as the artificial intelligence boom has been in full swing, there have been warnings of a speculative bubble that could rival the dot-com craze of the late 1990s that ended in a spectacular crash and a wave of bankruptcies.
Tech firms are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on advanced chips and data centers, not just ...Read more
US median first-time homebuyer age now at record-high of 40
The median age of first-time homebuyers in the U.S. has climbed to a record of 40 as soaring prices and mortgage rates over the last few years delay homeownership for millions of Americans.
The age at which people purchase their first home has climbed rapidly since 2021, when the median was 33, according to a National Association of Realtors ...Read more
Risky business: 3 measures of risk that affect your portfolio
No risk, no return!
How many times have you heard that phrase or something similar?
It’s usually meant to encourage. A rallying cry for entrepreneurship, industry and capitalism, it also alludes to the inverse — that high risk translates into high return. But when it comes to investing, it isn’t quite so simple.
Risk vs. return in ...Read more
In Washington, cleaning up mold in rental housing is complicated
It’s cozy season — a time when people keep out the chill by shutting windows, curling up on the couch with a steaming mug of tea and switching on a space heater. But that can invite an unwanted house guest — mold.
Mold is a common problem in Washington, where rainy weather creates the ideal conditions for spores to grow and thrive. If it ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: Can I sue owner of building next door over damage caused by sprinklers?
Q: I live next to a building that has two feet of plants and grass next to the property line. Their sprinklers are directed to my property instead of the other way around. Over the years, the water has damaged my garage and an adjacent room. They are constantly flooded to the point of sinking. Can I sue the owner for the damage? — Helga
A: ...Read more
Foreclosures are up. Here's why experts aren't worried
If you remember the turmoil of the global financial crisis, hearing that foreclosure activity is up might make your knees weak and palms sweaty. I know I can’t help it.
After reading recent reports of climbing foreclosures, I spoke with experts ranging from real estate data companies to non-profit debt counselors to foreclosure auction sites....Read more
Bankrate's 2025 holiday spending report
The winter holidays are a time for dusting off decorations and observing traditions — but they’re also rife with money decisions.
Americans are choosing how much to spend on travel, gifts and decorations in today’s economy, along with how they’ll make those purchases. Some holiday shoppers and travelers plan to use credit cards, but ...Read more
When to use a personal loan to pay off credit card debt
In a perfect world, no one would need to take out a loan to consolidate and pay off debt. In the real world, however, sometimes borrowing money is the only way to dig your way out.
This is mostly due to high interest rates on credit cards. With the average credit card APR (annual percentage rate) at 20.01 percent as of October 2025, consumers ...Read more
Economists are realizing the job market is cooling. Workers have known it for months
Andy Challenger is the person businesses call when it’s time to let workers go. And for the past year and a half, his phone hasn’t stopped ringing.
A third-generation outplacement consultant at Challenger, Gray & Christmas — the firm his grandfather founded in the 1960s after his own layoff — Challenger has heard a variety of reasons ...Read more
Nir Kaissar: The gold FOMO trade is too late
When I can’t listen to a podcast without someone trying to sell me gold, when money managers tell me clients are jonesing for the shiny metal, and when friends call to ask what I think about buying it, I know without looking at a single chart that the price of gold has gone vertical and that FOMO has set in.
And wouldn’t you know, the ...Read more
East Bay hotel is foreclosed in sign of region's ailing lodging market
NEWARK, Calif. — A Newark hotel was seized by its lender due to a delinquent loan, a foreclosure that highlights the wobbly values for the region’s hospitality market.
The Hyatt Place Newark/Silicon Valley hotel at 5600 John Muir Dr. is now owned by an affiliate of lender State Bank of Texas following a foreclosure of an $18 million loan, ...Read more
US mortgage rates drop to lowest level in more than a year
Mortgage rates fell to the lowest level in more than a year, easing affordability concerns for homebuyers.
The average for 30-year, fixed loans was 6.19%, down from 6.27% last week and the lowest since early October 2024, data from Freddie Mac show.
Falling rates have given house hunters more buying power, but demand has been constrained by ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: Do I have to pay for damage neighbor says is caused by palm tree root?
Q: I live in a senior community HOA. My neighbor says the roots of my royal palm are lifting her pavers around her pool. The tree, planted by the developer on my property four years ago, is 10 feet from the property line. Since the tree was already mature, I find it unlikely its roots grew fast enough to cause the damage. The neighbor wants me ...Read more
How the federal government came to control the majority of land in Nevada
The federal government controlling the vast majority of land in Nevada dates all the way back to the 1800s when the territory was first admitted to the United States, according to a former longtime employee.
When Nevada became a state in October 1864, state representatives and stakeholders were only eyeing the northern part of Nevada due to its...Read more
Want the 'Rolls-Royce' of holiday decorations? Call this LA team -- and pay up to $50,000
LOS ANGELES -- It's Monday afternoon in Madison Heights, a stately Pasadena neighborhood where the seasonal decor is as tasteful and predictable as a Hallmark movie.
Suddenly, like a strange wind, a U-Haul truck quietly pulls in front of an elegant home. Within minutes, a crew of black-clad workers begin emptying the truck's contents, briskly ...Read more
California business leaders want voters to expedite state's environmental review process for housing, infrastructure
LOS ANGELES — California voters could soon be asked to usher in a major overhaul of the state's landmark environmental law, a proposal aimed at expediting crucial infrastructure projects, including housing construction, by creating new deadlines for environmental oversight.
The California Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday introduced a ballot ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: Should I let buyers rent condo for weekend before closing?
Q: I’m about to sell our condo, and the new buyers want to rent it for the weekend before closing. Have you ever heard of this? Should I say yes, or is this a reason for them to cancel the sale if they don’t like staying there? — Doug
A: While it is not uncommon for buyers to ask for early access to a property before closing, you should ...Read more
Developers should build more apartments for families, study argues
In the years since the Great Recession, apartment construction in the United States has boomed. And more of these new homes have been smaller units, with fewer bedrooms, including studio apartments.
A recent paper from the Institute for Family Studies, a nonprofit that focuses on strengthening marriage and family life, argues that developers ...Read more
Popular Stories
- Real estate Q&A: How can we keep our kitchen remodel from becoming a nightmare?
- Why fears of a trillion-dollar AI bubble are growing
- Seattle-area homeowners stay put at record rates, stalling buying cycle
- Risky business: 3 measures of risk that affect your portfolio
- In Washington, cleaning up mold in rental housing is complicated






