Fresh air, sunshine, activities for the whole family, and new sights to see: outdoor vacations offer many advantages, including the opportunity to do more for less money.
A wall that stretches across the biggest country in the world, some of the world’s largest and most well-known ancient palaces and even elephant rides – Asia offers some of the most unique travel experiences imaginable. For Americans, Asia travel means seeing a world completely different than their own and embarking on the adventure of a lifetime.
Crowded cabinets, cluttered counters and nonexistent prep space. Sound familiar? For many homeowners, small kitchen spaces make everyday use and entertaining a source of frustration. While a small kitchen can pose many challenges, it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the space. From a full scale home renovation to some simple and quick fixes, there are many options to help you realize your kitchen’s full potential and transform it into a welcoming place where you’ll want to spend time.
Gone are the days when a stylish home and a busy family have to be mutually exclusive. Home decorating is hotter than ever and everyone is getting in on the trend. With an ever-increasing focus on DIY design projects, resources such as shelter magazines, design blogs, TV shows and online home decor retailers are making high design accessible to any homeowner. If your budget doesn’t include hiring an interior decorator to update your decor, a few tips from the experts will go a long way.
For baby boomers who have come to expect the best, they’re now thinking about making their older years the healthiest. Many have or will design or remodel their existing homes with universal design principals to make aging in them more practical and safe, such as lower countertops, wider entries and hallways, and curbless showers. But there also are new in-home technological advances that will make boomers’ lives easier – and healthier.
In an earlier column you said that rather than walkaway from a property, an owner would be better off staying and refinancing. That sounds good, but lenders do not make loans to underwater borrowers, so how can an owner refinance?
If you’re thinking about applying for a mortgage loan from the Federal Housing Administration – or refinancing your current loan – you may soon have a new roadblock. If you owe more than $1,000 in debt that’s in collection, an FHA loan will be off limits to you starting this summer, due to a controversial new rule that goes into effect July 1.