For Sale signs in front of places of worship are becoming more common as attendance at smaller churches dwindles. Some developers and home buyers are stepping in to transform the churches into their new home. A handful of former churches are being converted into single-family homes or apartments.In the U.S., church membership has been decreasing over the past two decades. About 50% of Americans belonged to a church, synagogue, or mosque in 2018,
Some cities are taking up ordinances that would prohibit landlords from denying people housing on the basis of a criminal conviction. The Cook County Board of Commissioners’ recent approval of an ordinance, which allows those with criminal convictions to more readily get housing in the Chicago area, is adding to the momentum behind activists’ efforts.In nearly a dozen big cities, advocates are campaigning for the passage of “fair-chance hou
Indoor air quality is one of the top five environmental risks to public health, researchers say. After all, most people spend 90% of their time indoors, whether in homes, office buildings, or other structures. Ventilation is the “new frontier for making houses healthy,” Carl Seville of SK Collaborative, a green building consulting and certification firm, told Forbes.com in a recent article.There’s reason for the added attention. R
A termite infestation can be costly, and sadly, many homeowners don’t discover there’s a problem until these wood-eating pests have already caused a great deal of damage to a home or an inspection uncovers it during a home sale.“Termites are referred to as the hidden enemy,” says Mike Duncan, an associate certified entomologist and eastern region trainer for Truly Nolen, a pest control company. The damage can reach $7,900 or more before t
Participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are ineligible for mortgages from the Federal Housing Administration, a Housing and Urban Development official confirmed in a letter this week, ending recent uncertainty on the issue.President Barack Obama had started the DACA program on June 15, 2012, during his presidency in a move to prevent the deportation of children of immigrants to the U.S. About 800,000 people are par
The assumption that baby boomers want to settle in a suburban McMansion may not live up to their reality. The older generation loves city life, too, and researchers are finding more urban dwellers in that age group, according to a new analysis from RENTCafe of U.S. Census Bureau data from the 250 largest U.S. cities.In fact, New York City claimed 14 places on RENTCafe’s list of the top 20 ZIP codes with the largest baby boom
Newlyweds in Cleveland, Detroit, and Pittsburgh can have it all—a fancy wedding and a new home. Those Midwestern metros were found to be the most affordable cities in which to throw a wedding and cover a down payment on a home, according to an analysis by Redfin.In all three metro areas, the average combined cost of a wedding and a down payment is less than $65,000, compared with the national average of more than $109,000, according to the stud
While some home features have the kind of buzz that makes home shoppers think they must be part of their next home, living with them may actually cause ongoing regret, according to a new article at realtor.com®.One of those highly desired items: an open floor plan. An open layout may actually end up a nuisance as noise and privacy become issues, but that doesn’t stop it from holding a top spot on many buyers’ wish lists.“Sounds are multipl
PPG, a paint firm and color forecaster, released its early picks of inspiring hues for 2020. If the predictions are right, you’ll be seeing much more blue in home decor next year. PPG announced on Monday that Chinese porcelain is its 2020 color of the year.The shade is a blend of cobalt mixed with some muted navy tones intended to instill calmness and restful sleep, the paint firm says. Blues have been steadily gaining popularity over
When is the right time to purchase your first home? The answer differs across age groups.One in five parents say they expect their child to own a home by age 25, yet this doesn’t match up to reality. Younger adults tend to feel the most pressure to own a home, but they’re still waiting on their own time terms, according to a new survey from Porch.com, a home remodeling website. Porch.com surveyed nearly 1,000 individuals betwee
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