First-Time Buyers Are 40 at the Median, and One in Ten Paid Cash
NAR's 2026 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers: first-time buyers were 22% of purchases, their median age held at 40, and a record 10% paid all cash.
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Quarter-Inch Gaps and Snap Traps: What the Extension Guidance Says About House Mice
by HomeLife Wave ·House mice enter through gaps as small as 1/4 inch. What UC extension guidance says about sealing, trapping and baits, plus EPA rodenticide rules and CDC cleanup steps.
OSHA's Desk Measurements, Applied to the Kitchen-Table Office
by HomeLife Wave ·About 35% of U.S. workers did some work at home in 2025, per BLS. OSHA's chair, keyboard and monitor measurements for setting up a home desk.
Selling After a Long Stay? How the IRS Treats the Gain on a Home
by HomeLife Wave ·Sellers now stay a median 12 years, NAR says. The IRS lets most exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for joint filers. Here is how the rules work.
How to Choose and Change a Furnace Filter
by HomeLife Wave ·What a MERV rating means, why the EPA points to MERV 13, how often Energy Star and the EPA say to check and replace a filter, and what a filter cannot do.
A Young Tree's Winter Prep: Water, Mulch, a Wrap and a Wire Cage
by HomeLife Wave ·Extension guidance for getting a newly planted tree through winter: how much to water, where mulch goes, which trunks to wrap, and rodent cages.
Your Rights on an Interstate Move, From the Estimate to the Claim
by HomeLife Wave ·Federal rules govern every interstate household move: the estimate, the 60-cents-a-pound default, the 110% delivery rule and nine months to file a claim.
Before the First Hard Freeze: Shutting Off Outdoor Faucets and Protecting Exposed Pipes
by HomeLife Wave ·The extension services' steps for draining outdoor faucets, insulating exposed pipes, using heat cable safely and what to do if a pipe freezes, from shutoff to thaw.
Steam Cleaner Recalls of 2026, Listed by Model Number
by HomeLife Wave ·CPSC acted on three steam cleaners in 2026 over burns. The model numbers, batch codes and remedies for BISSELL and Dupray, and the Dovety warning.
How the Federal Three-Day Rules Shape a Home Closing
by HomeLife Wave ·Federal mortgage rules set two three-business-day clocks on a purchase: one for the Loan Estimate and one for the Closing Disclosure. Here is how both work.
Apple Home Collection Arrives in December: What the Thermostats, Lock and Cameras Do and Cost
by HomeLife Wave ·Apple and partners LG and Schneider Electric list nine home accessories from $39.95 to $399.95. Prices, features, hub and iCloud+ requirements, and timing.
Above-Ground Pool Ladders Get Their First Child-Resistance Test
by HomeLife Wave ·CPSC and ASTM set the first child-resistance requirements for above-ground pool ladders. The drowning data behind it, and the 2025 recall still open.
Home Prices Rose 2.1% in a Year When Inflation Ran 3.4%
by HomeLife Wave ·The Case-Shiller national index gained 2.1% and the FHFA index 2.4% in the year to August 2026, both short of the 3.4% rise in consumer prices.
The $26,000 Midrange Bathroom Remodel, Line by Line
by HomeLife Wave ·National and regional costs for midrange, upscale and universal design bathroom remodels and a bath addition, with what each job includes and what moves the price.
Purses, Brownies and Bouquets: The Holiday Hazards in Poison Control's 2025 Calls
by HomeLife Wave ·ASPCA Poison Control's 2025 rankings, from guests' medicine to chocolate and lilies, and how to set up a home for pets before holiday visitors arrive.
More Empty Rentals, Steadier Rents: The Fall 2026 Data
by HomeLife Wave ·The Census Bureau put rental vacancy at 7.6% in the third quarter, and the BLS rent index rose 0.2% in October, the fourth straight month at that pace.
Which Remodeling Projects Recoup Their Cost? The National Numbers, Project by Project
by HomeLife Wave ·From a $4,672 garage door to a $351,613 primary suite: national job costs and estimated resale value for 28 remodeling projects, and what the figures measure.
What a 16-by-20 Deck Costs Across Nine U.S. Regions
by HomeLife Wave ·Cost vs. Value puts a 16-by-20 wood deck at $18,263 and composite at $25,096 nationally. Regional ranges, what is included, and how much is recouped.
The Cost of a Frozen Pipe, and the Policy Language Behind the Claim
by HomeLife Wave ·Water damage and freezing claims averaged $15,400 from 2019 to 2023, per ISO data. What a standard HO-3 form says about frozen pipes, vacancy and flood.
The Federal Range and Cooktop Standards, Explained After a Court Set Them Aside
by HomeLife Wave ·A court set aside DOE's 2024 range and cooktop efficiency rule. What it required for 2028, what it never banned, and the federal rules that still apply.
Hosting Thanksgiving on Nov. 26? Plan the Kitchen Around the Fire Data
by HomeLife Wave ·Thanksgiving is the peak day for U.S. home cooking fires. What NFPA and CPSC data show, and how hosts set up the stove, fryer and smoke alarms.
Property Tax Bills, State by State, and the 2026 SALT Limit
by HomeLife Wave ·Effective property tax rates ran from 0.31% in Hawaii to 1.79% in Illinois in 2024, per the Tax Foundation. The 2026 federal SALT limit is $40,400.
EIA's Winter Outlook Splits by Fuel: Heating Oil Up 21 Percent, Natural Gas Down 9
by HomeLife Wave ·The EIA forecasts heating oil homes will spend 21% more this winter, gas homes 9% less. The national and regional numbers, fuel by fuel, and what drives them.
Mow the Leaves, Skip the Bag: Late-Fall Lawn Care Depends on Your Grass
by HomeLife Wave ·What extension research says about mulching leaves into the lawn, a last November feeding for cool-season grass, and why warm-season lawns skip it.
Ice Dams Start in the Attic, Not on the Roof
by HomeLife Wave ·Ice dams form when attic heat melts roof snow that refreezes at the eaves. What extension researchers say causes them, the long-term fix, and emergency steps.
The 30-Year Fixed Rate Eased for a Fourth Week, to 7.11%
by HomeLife Wave ·Freddie Mac's survey put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.11% on Nov. 12, down from October's 7.40% peak and up from 6.24% a year ago.
Both Big Paint Brands Chose Green for 2027. One Is Pale, One Is Deep.
by HomeLife Wave ·Sherwin-Williams picked Celery and Benjamin Moore picked Webster Green for 2027. Here is what each chose, the palettes, and how the LRV numbers compare.
338,800 DREO Space Heaters Recalled for Fire Risk as Heating Season Begins
by HomeLife Wave ·The CPSC recalled about 338,800 DREO DR-HSH015 space heaters sold at Costco and online after 17 reports of units igniting. How to identify one and get a replacement.
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