For young people looking to buy their first homes, there’s a big obstacle: student loan debt. It’s not holding back everyone, but debt obligations have a huge impact on the mortgage approval process, not to mention the ability to save for a down payment and other home-buying costs. One bank ... Read More »
The Federal Reserve was never hiking rates four times this year. Investors didn’t believe it, and now Fed Chair Janet Yellen has all but explicitly acknowledged it. Indeed, Yellen’s blockbuster speech Tuesday assuring that the central bank would go slowly on future adjustments to monetary policy only caught some of ... Read More »
Anyone shopping for a home today has probably had at least one encounter with sticker shock. No matter the neighborhood, home prices are generally rising, and bidding wars are often the rule rather than the exception. That means fewer neighborhoods are now considered affordable — a lot fewer. Nine percent ... Read More »
Buying new furniture or hanging a painting can certainly spruce up a room, but to truly transform a space, you have to re-do the walls. However, hiring someone to wallpaper or tile can add up quickly, and renters may be restricted in the changes they can make to their walls. ... Read More »
Even a beautiful sofa can fall flat without the right design elements. Here’s how to get it right STEP 1: UPDATE THE RUG Adding a bold rug can define an otherwise neutral space. Here, a brightly colored Kilim with a few gray tones brings out the shade of the sofa. ... Read More »
As we all know, bouquets are the perfect present—whether as a thank-you, a hostess gift, or to #treatyoself. It’s one thing to buy an arrangement from a florist, but creating one yourself will lend your flowers a sweet, personal touch—and make your wallet happy too. Most bodegas, grocery stores, and farmers markets have ... Read More »
When I lived in France, there was no such thing as brunch. We would start our day with le petit déjeuner, which was quick and delicious — grab a croissant and coffee, or a slice of baguette with butter and jam and a cup of tea, and you were good ... Read More »
Home price appreciation in major U.S. metropolitan areas in the first month of the year kept pace with recent gains as inventory remained low, S&P Dow Jones Indices reported Tuesday. The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite Index rose 5.7 percent in January from the previous year, roughly in line with expectations. “Home ... Read More »
In the drawing room of a Manhattan apartment designed by Ann Pyne of McMillen, Inc., the Art Deco mirror is from Bernd Goeckler Antiques, the parchment-top cocktail table is a custom design, a wall sculpture by Thomas Houseago hangs above a sofa upholstered in a linen damask by Mulberry Home. ... Read More »
Spring home buying season has kicked into high gear, but it wasn’t enough to boost mortgage applications, which fell by 1 percent last week from the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported. That was largely due to a drop in refinancings, which slipped 3 percent. The refinance share of ... Read More »
NEW YORK, March 30 — A soft build in U.S. crude oil stocks was buffered by a report showing domestic well costs have declined, sending oil prices higher early Wednesday. Crude oil prices plummeted Tuesday as supply-side strains added to concerns emerging before U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen took ... Read More »
Sheri Valle was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in April 2011, but the idea of re-growing the hair she lost from treatment gave her hope for normalcy after she finally beat the disease. After going into remission in early 2012, Valle would get her hair back— just not in ... Read More »
