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How To Use Your Landscape to Deck the Halls

(TNS)–Plants that were just there through the year suddenly get important in December. That’s when we look to our landscape for ways to make the house look festive. You may be surprised at how much is out there that is useful and beautiful. Evergreens with leaves that are broad and shiny or light and feathery. […]
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5 On-the-Money, Out-of-the-Box Holiday Gifts

(TNS)—Stuffing cash in an envelope — or tucking it in a box of chocolates like my Dad used to do — can be a pretty great gift in many households. Unfortunately, some people do view cash as a tad impersonal. Yet, there are plenty of other creative options for show-me-the-money gifts that can go beyond […]
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Great Spaces: Former Home of a Weather Forecaster

A hot shot in the world of weather is letting go of his LA home. Dallas Raines (convenient name for a weatherman, no?) recently listed his house in Pasadena for $3.498 million. Perched high on a hill with sweeping views of the skyline, the two-story gated home sits on over an acre of sought-after Los […]
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‘Star Wars’: Ranking the Galaxy’s Most Iconic Homes

We’re just days away from the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first of the franchise’s sequel series picking up three decades after the fall of the Galactic Empire. While we anxiously await lightsaber duels and starfighter battles (and new planets!), we’re tapping into our own Jedi powers to rank some of the most […]
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8 Easy Ways to Cut Your Taxes Now

(TNS)—Right now you’re probably thinking more about Santa Claus than Uncle Sam. But a little attention to Uncle Sam between now and the end of the year may make his visit less painful when you do your tax return in a few months. Consider some relatively simple moves now so you can maneuver through your […]
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Savvy Storage for the Smaller Home

Many homebuyers may hesitate to consider a smaller home that lacks sufficient storage space. While this often means getting rid of—or acquiring fewer—belongings, there is still a need for accessible, efficient storage throughout the home. Short of adding or constructing areas specifically for storage, there are ways to coax more usability out of existing space. […]
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Great Spaces: Looking for a Lease in Downtown Brooklyn?

If you’re in search of a luxury lease in beautiful Brooklyn, consider downtown’s latest residential tower, creatively dubbed City Tower. Located at 10 City Point Place in the highly anticipated City Point development, the 48-story market-rate rental property offers 440 well-appointed units with pricing starting at $2,450/month for a studio, $3,000/month for a junior one-bedroom, […]
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Getting a Mortgage? How Credit Unions Stack up against Banks

(TNS)—You already have your dream house in mind, but have you considered whom you’d like as your lender? Commercial banks aren’t the only financial institutions that originate mortgages. Credit unions are another option. These not-for-profit, member-owned cooperatives have been beefing up their presence in the mortgage lending market: 11 percent in the first quarter of […]
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To Your Health: Quitting Facebook Makes You Happier

(TNC)—Need a pick-me up? Try taking a Facebook break. Researchers at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen studied the moods of 1,095 regular Facebook users over a week’s time. They divided participants into two groups: those who kept logging onto Facebook per normal, and those who agreed to quit the site for a week. The […]
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Before Winter, Be Sure to Pest-Proof Your Home

(TNS)—If I’ve learned anything over the last 33 years of homeownership, it’s that animals that exist happily outdoors three seasons of the year will try to find a warm space indoors in winter. Over the years, I have found squirrels in the attic and a stray chipmunk in the basement. When my family lived in […]