Buying your first home. It’s one of the biggest decisions people will ever make and usually represents the biggest investment a consumer will make in his or her lifetime. So how do you know if you’re ready to take that plunge? Just as with kids, adults should look for “readiness” signs, as described by OpenDoor’s Heidi Knight. “The first sign…

As with anything promising and in sudden demand, scammers are on the prowl to capitalize on it — looking to rip you off or infect your computer — leaving thousands of victims in their wake. As ABC7Chicago’s Jason Knowles and Ann Pistone report, bad actors are already on the prowl. “Security experts said vaccine scams are going to be inundating…

“WFH.” It now has an acronym all its own. “Work from home” is used to connote a stop-gap way for employers to keep their employees productive. Now? Employers are finally admitting it’s all working out just fine, and employees are considering they can work from anywhere — including somewhere other than where they currently live. NPR’s Adedayo Akala reports that…

If there is one thing you can say about design trends, it’s that oftentimes what’s old is new again. RealtorMagazine lists a few design trends for 2021 that also prove the adage about necessity being the mother of invention based on the past pandemic year. Open floor plans, all the rage for years, are now being considered too open for…

While it’s a bad idea to judge a book by its cover, when looking for an affordable house, there are some neighborhood trappings you know are bad juju — like barred windows, graffiti in the neighborhood, plenty of fast-food restaurants within walking distance, and broken streetlights. There are also things that signal a good investment, but unless you look carefully,…

Every industry has its own vocabulary. The stock market talks in terms of “share,” “position,” “bid” and “ask.” Real estate is no different. So knowing what Realtors mean with their multiple listing lingo is a timely endeavor when looking for a home. U.S. News & World Report real estate staff writer Luke Mullins fills you in so you can read…

It could be no one ever really explained it to you. When kids are little, they see the swirling water and hear the flushing sound of a toilet and simply think it’s a device that makes things disappear. Perhaps that is why plumbers have retrieved everything from stuffed animals to cell phones to jewelry to photographs to wigs. And then…

Antiques. Love ’em or hate ’em. Collect a few pieces as accents or fill an entire house with them. For many (especially younger) homebuyers trying to picture themselves inside your listed home, however, they just may be the reason you don’t get offers. New York Times’ Sara Clemence recently reported on the owners of a 2,000-square-foot loft in Chelsea full…