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6 Easy Ways to Rejuvenate Your Kitchen

From installing new cabinet doors to renovating old furnishings, there are many ways to modernize and brighten your kitchen without committing to a complete renovation. Painting, changing cabinet doors and drawer pulls, or adding a kitchen island are all options that you can use to modernize your kitchen. By choosing colors, patterns and styles that […]
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Great Spaces: Fire Island Home Finds Buyer before Auction

A premium Fire Island home sold prior to its scheduled auction date, an impressive feat worthy of major bragging rights. The unique, modern home has a swanky 100 feet of direct ocean frontage and a 1,920-square-foot interior. For those not from the New York metro area, Fire Island is the large center island of the […]
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Which Mortgage Is for You?

(TNS)—Know these three loan types before you go mortgage shopping. Conventional Loans: Who they’re for: Conventional mortgages are ideal for borrowers with good or excellent credit. How they work: Conventional mortgages are “plain vanilla” home loans. They follow fairly conservative guidelines for: —Borrower credit scores. —Minimum down payments. —Debt-to-income ratios. Debt-to-Income Ratio Percentage of monthly […]
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Your Place: Ways to Hold Down Winter Energy Costs

(TNS)—Where does the time go? Just when you finally get the central air-conditioning working well enough to make the house comfortable, cold weather threatens to show up. Here are some ideas that might help cut your energy costs this winter, courtesy of Sunnova, the solar-power company: Does your house really need hot water when no […]
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The Good, the Bad and the Tacky: Holiday Decorating Don’ts

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is gawking at tawdry, awkward and straight up weird holiday decorations. I can’t help it. There’s so much fun to be had rubbernecking at tacky decorations! I blame my strange fascination on this guy:                   But there can […]
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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 […]