Consumer

/

Home & Leisure

Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times/TNS

With Los Angeles in need of housing, downtown's empty office towers have appeal

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The shimmering office towers of the downtown Los Angeles skyline conceal a hard truth — much of the space is empty.

In the years since the pandemic, which upended workplace norms and evaporated demand for office space, landlords downtown have watched in frustration as the value of their office buildings has plummeted. More than a few have ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: What should renter do with unwanted stuff in partially furnished condo?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: My son is leasing a small condo. The lease includes “a sofa, TV, TV stand, table, 2 chairs, bed and mattress”. He did not want the mattress, and the owner’s brother removed it, leaving the used bedding behind. A few unwanted small appliances, pans, and dishes were left in the kitchen cabinets. The condo is small, and my son needs the ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Should you buy a home in South Florida in 2025? Experts see a promising year ahead

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Buying a home in South Florida this year is likely to be easier to navigate than last year, real estate experts say.

Realtors are offering insights on why the market may be more appealing to many buyers in 2025.

“Last year, a lot of people were afraid to do things,” said Kay Conageski, a Realtor with the Keyes Company, a real estate ...Read more

San Diego on track for its slowest-ever home sales year

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

San Diego County was on track for its lowest-ever home sale year as mortgage rates and prices stayed high to end the year.

Through November, CoreLogic data shows 25,998 home sales. At that sales pace and with interest rates near 7% at the end of December, 2024 could take the crown for slowest year from 2023, which recorded 26,906 sales, data ...Read more

Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant/Hartford Courant/TNS

Airbnb listings put squeeze on rental availability in CT. Here's what experts say drives the 2025 market

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

As Greater Hartford faces an incredible demand for affordable housing and long-term rentals, the high number of listings on Airbnb shows plenty of open properties or rentals available.

But according to experts, those Airbnb properties are contributing to the declining supply of long-term rentals.

A consumer affairs study from last year marked ...Read more

Detroit's mostly empty Renaissance Center tower heads to auction

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

DETROIT — One of the two shorter office towers that are part of the Renaissance Center complex is heading to auction in March.

The 600 Tower is set to be auctioned online March 17-19, with a starting bid of $2.75 million, according to a listing on Ten-X.com.

"We wanted to market this to the widest possible pool of potential buyers and we ...Read more

File taxes online: Tools, tips, deadlines and more

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

It’s now the norm for Americans to file their taxes online — the IRS reports that more than 90% of individual tax returns were e-filed in 2023, the most recent data available. Even most professional tax preparers are required to electronically file returns on behalf of their clients.

If you file your own taxes, you have a few different ...Read more

Melina Mara/Abaca Press/TNS

Trump's back in office -- here's what to expect for your taxes in 2025 and beyond

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

With President Donald Trump back in the White House for a second term, Americans can expect to see major tax-law changes in the years ahead.

During his first stint in office, Trump massively overhauled the tax code by passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. Now, many of those tax provisions are set to expire at the end of 2025, ...Read more

Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register/TNS

Five major banks offering mortgage relief in fire-ravaged LA region areas, Newsom announces

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — Five major banks are offering homeowners up to three months of mortgage payment relief in areas devastated by the Southern California wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday.

In a statement, Newsom's office said the banks will have a streamlined process that will not require submitting forms or documents and when the ...Read more

Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register/TNS

California Gov. Gavin Newsom extends rental price gouging protections until early March

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

California Gov. Gavin Newsom extended price gouging protections on rental housing Thursday amid calls for authorities to prosecute landlords jacking up rent in the wake of Los Angeles County's devastating fires.

Under California law, price gouging protections kick in during a state of emergency and generally bar landlords, hotel and motels from...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Who should replace aging fence?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: I live in a zero-lot-line community. The side of our house, a patio wall, and a wood fence extension on the end of our patio wall form the property line with our neighbor. The builder installed the wood fence extension to meet city code and enclose the neighbor’s yard since it has an open, non-enclosed pool. We do not have a pool. The fence...Read more

Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun/TNS

Maryland's emissions reduction requirements for large buildings challenged in federal court

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Trade organizations representing builders, developers and building owners joined Washington Gas & Light in filing a lawsuit Monday challenging Maryland’s emissions reduction requirements for large buildings.

The suit alleges that Maryland’s regulation requiring buildings of at least 35,000 square feet to reduce their globe-warming emissions...Read more

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/TNS

California and Bay Area hotel development flops as market nosedives

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SAN JOSE, Calif — Hotel development nosedived in California and the Bay Area in 2024, fresh evidence the statewide lodging market still suffers from an array of post-coronavirus economic maladies, a new report shows.

Atlas Hospitality Group disclosed in a new report that the decline affected three types of hotel projects: hotels that were ...Read more

Sarayut Thaneerat/Dreamstime/TNS

The reluctant investor's guide to smart, low-effort investing

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

A calf taught Laura Kuntz the power of investing.

Growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm, she and her eight siblings each received a heifer when they reached sixth grade. They’d work to reimburse their parents for the price of the animal and to cover costs like lodging and feed, then build up savings from the milk revenue.

“The idea was that...Read more

Mr.phonlawat Chaicheevinlikit/Dreamstime/TNS

What are the different types of index funds?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Index funds are one of the most popular types of investments because of their simplicity, low cost and diversification benefits. In general, index funds seek to replicate the performance of an underlying index comprised of stocks or bonds, which means they aren’t managed by costly portfolio managers with teams of analysts.

There are various ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

12 ways to save money every day

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Key takeaways

— One of the easiest ways to save money daily is to cut unnecessary expenses, such as unused subscriptions.

— Save money by joining loyalty programs at stores you visit often and using cashback credit cards to earn rewards on your spending.

— Set up automatic bill payments to avoid late fees and switch to a fee-free bank ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

10 apps that will help you save money on food

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Food costs represent a significant portion of household budgets, and rising grocery prices make strategic shopping essential. While cutting back isn’t the only solution, smartphone apps can provide substantial grocery savings through cash-back rewards, digital coupons, discounts and loyalty programs.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to 10 ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

'Middle class' feels more confusing than ever. Here's how you can avoid being caught in the middle

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Marcos Cabello, a writer at Bankrate, makes around $170,000 a year when combining finances with his fiancee. Unfortunately, that doesn’t go as far as he’d like in pricey Boston.

Cabello and his fiancee consider themselves middle class, but in a city where homes are typically over $1 million, traditional middle-class benchmarks, like ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

12 simple ways to make $100 fast

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Whether you’re looking to pay down debt, cover an unexpected expense or just add a little cushion to your bank account, there are numerous ways to make $100 fast. From leveraging your skills to utilizing apps and services, these methods can help you achieve that goal without a major time commitment.

Here are 12 practical ways to earn that ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Why do I need two types of title insurance?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: We are buying our first home and are stretching our savings to pay for the down payment and closing costs, not to mention the moving expenses. Our lender sent us our closing cost estimate, which showed that “owner's title insurance” was optional, even though we were required to purchase “lender's title insurance.” What is the ...Read more