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Sale of Oceanwide Plaza graffiti towers in Los Angeles delayed
The cleanup of one of the most notorious collections of graffiti in the country has been postponed again as the proposed buyer of the stalled Oceanwide Plaza development in downtown Los Angeles struggles to reach terms with city officials who must sign off on the $470 million sale.
Wiping clean the empty high-rise towers besmirching the city ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: Can condo association foreclose on my home over unpaid assessment?
Q: My condominium association is threatening to foreclose on my home over an unpaid assessment of $380 from last year. I had a financial hiccup, and, by the time I had the money, the interest, late fees, and their attorney’s fees had grown to more than $3,000. Can they really take my home over this? — Diane
A: It is terrifying to receive a ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Readers Share Creative Solutions for Chains, Stains, Sprains and More
I call it my mailbag, but in truth its my email inbox and lately, it's been loading up with creative tips from you, my clever readers!
CREATIVE GIFTING
My teenage grandchildren don't want "stuff" anymore -- they want cash! And I understand; being a teenager can be expensive. But I don't want to just hand them money. For Christmas last year I ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: 13 New Uses for an Old Credit Card
Before you cut up an expired credit card -- or toss that silly fake one you got as junk mail -- consider all the great things you can do with it!
1. Bookmark. It'll keep your place and act as a handy straightedge for underlining or highlighting.
2. Glass scraper. A credit card is just the right size to scrape ice from your car's windows and ...Read more
San Diego home values haven't kept up with inflation for 16 months
San Diego home prices continue to show gains, but any increase has been blunted by rising inflation, data released Tuesday shows
The San Diego metropolitan area’s home price increased 0.78% annually in March, said the S&P Cotality Case-Shiller Indices report. At the same time, San Diego metro, which includes all of San Diego County, had an ...Read more
Should owners of vacant second homes be heavily taxed? San Diego voters get to decide
For years, vacant homes in large U.S. cities have conjured up images of derelict, abandoned properties in need of loving attention and a full-time resident. In San Diego, a June ballot measure is taking aim at a very different kind of vacant dwelling by proposing to heavily tax second homes — from the coast to the suburbs — that all share ...Read more
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Watch Your Step: Bushes, Trees and Other Foliage Your Feet Won’t Appreciate
By the time summer arrives, many Americans are eager to spend more time outdoors — gardening, hiking, walking the dog, or simply wandering across the backyard in bare feet. While grass lawns and sandy beaches may seem harmless, landscaping and wild foliage can quickly turn a relaxing stroll into an unpleasant encounter with thorns, sap, burrs,...Read more
Six Tips to Keep Your Home Tidy and Cozy
For many people, the ideal home is not a spotless showroom or a perfectly curated social media backdrop. It is something softer and more practical: a place that feels calm, welcoming and lived in without becoming cluttered or chaotic.
Professional organizers and interior designers say maintaining a tidy and cozy home is less about constant deep...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Sticky Situations -- Bankrupt Mortgage Lender and a $10,000 Engagement Ring
Dear Mary: I just read that that the company that holds my home mortgage is under investigation by the feds and has a net worth of negative $63 million. This company holds title to my house. If it goes into bankruptcy, am I at risk of losing my home, even though I've never been late on my payments? I don't want to refinance with another company,...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Memorial Day Without the Markups
Over the years it seems to me that Memorial Day weekend has developed a second identity. Officially, it's a day of remembrance. Unofficially, it's the kickoff to summer. A three-day event that requires burgers, new patio cushions, a cooler full of drinks, and at least one last-minute trip to the big, crowded store (you know the one) where ...Read more
World's tallest thermometer, between Las Vegas and LA, is for sale
The giant roadside thermometer between Las Vegas and Los Angeles — a towering sight for legions of highway drivers — is for sale.
A spread of real estate in Baker, California, along Interstate 15 roughly 90 miles southwest of the Las Vegas Strip, recently went on the market for $1.85 million, listing sites show.
The 4.3-acre tract includes...Read more
Buying a condo just got harder for many, thanks to Fannie Mae policies
Buying a condo in some parts of the U.S. has become harder due to recent changes in Fannie Mae’s condo policies, according to local real estate experts.
The government-sponsored mortgage enterprise recently increased the required due diligence for condo loans, and that could make some purchases harder to close in the months ahead, Las Vegas-...Read more
Seattle-area renters need to pay more than double housing costs to own a home
Many Seattle area residents feel like the bar to owning a home just keeps getting higher, and they're not imagining things.
The cost of a monthly mortgage payment is now well beyond double the cost of median rent here — among the largest gaps in the country.
While the typical renter who recently moved is spending an already eye-watering $2,...Read more
Real estate Q&A: Should we walk away from buying home where inspection found issues?
Q: We just got our home inspection report back, and it is much worse than we expected. There are issues with the roof, the air conditioning and “possible electrical problems.” We love the house, but we are starting to feel like we are buying somebody else’s problem. Can we get them to fix things, or can we walk away without losing our ...Read more
Home buyers hammered as war-fueled bond rout drives rates higher
Najimah Roberson, a lifelong renter, spent the past two years searching around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for a home she could afford — getting outbid nearly 30 times along the way.
The ordeal had the 42-year-old daycare business owner “in tears for weeks” before she finally found a five-bedroom fixer-upper for $340,000. It has an ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: How to Get Yellow-Stained Bed Pillows White Again
Our favorite bed pillows get a lot of use every night. We keep clean pillowcases on them and don't think much about the pillow inside until it's time to change the bed linens. Have you looked recently?
Yikes! The pristine white pillows have turned blotchy with disgusting yellowish-to-brownish stains. What on Earth? The most common response is ...Read more
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