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An imposing Victorian in Rome, GA, is offering potential buyers a look inside where dreams (or nightmares) are made.

The chilling Creel House seen in Season 4 of the hit Netflix show “Stranger Things” has just landed on the market for a cool $1.5 million. Although the show takes place in the fictional town of Hawkins, IN, the real-life house can be found in this Southern town.

The listing drew clicks from fans of the show, making it the most popular home on Realtor.com®.

Built in 1882 in the East Rome Historic District, the 6,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom estate underwent a massive makeover when it was featured in the show.

Magnolia Network

Chip and Joanna Gaines are about to cross the finish line with their latest big project (and series), “Fixer Upper: The Castle.”

“We’re eight months into our 11-month renovation, and it’s finally starting to come together,” Joanna says at the beginning of the latest episode, “Getting It Right.”

Still, the two run into some big problems last minute—particularly in the kitchen, where Chip thinks one of Joanna’s design choices looks like “a prank.” And although Chip loves a good gag, he does not mean this in a good way!

Read on to find out how Chip’s design intervention keeps their latest project heading in the right direction—and learn plenty of lessons that could apply to your own humble abode.

Fresh Patch

An indoor potty for your pooch is not just a pipe dream. Savvy solutions abound that are way better than a wee-wee pad. Because let’s be honest: Paper training is OK, but it’s not always realistic for larger dogs (unless those pads are pillow-size), and some experts frown on this practice regardless.

“Pee pads can confuse a dog,” says Hollywood animal trainer Doree Sitterly. “If you teach them it’s all right to use a wee-wee pad, they might think it’s OK to go on a rug as well.”

And so in an effort to save your flooring, here’s our rundown of the best dog potties based on your unique circumstances. Consider them the canine equivalent of a litter box that puts the ease of dog ownership on par with cat ownership (take that, cat lovers).

Best indoor dog potty for lawn lovers

Fresh patch

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A once-hallowed building in New York’s Hudson Valley has served an array of purposes since it was constructed nearly a century ago—and it’s ready for another.

Constructed in 1933, the red brick structure began its life as a church and has been born again as a yoga space, photo studio, chocolate factory, and events venue. Most recently, it has been a very spacious single-family residence.

Now, the 8,000-square-foot building located in Hudson is on the market for $2,875,000.

“The current owner has transformed it into a usable space,” says listing agent James Male. “It has multiple uses for any buyer coming in.”

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Many a pet owner has pondered this question while weighing the pros and cons of installing one in the first place. The upsides are obvious: Dog doors free us from the hassle of having to open the door every time Fido feels like heading outside. But the downsides are pretty clear too: You now have a huge hole in your door (or wall) where inclement weather or random critters might intrude.

“The most common objections to pet doors are security—they don’t want other animals, people, or extreme weather getting in,” says Jason Hart of PetSafe, a manufacturer of pet doors. “They also don’t want to damage their house by knocking a big hole in the wall or door.”

But whatever your concerns, rest assured: There’s a flap for that. Pet door manufacturers have come up with solutions for dog door haters’ most vehement objections.

“Of course, there’s no one product that will satisfy everyone’s needs, but there’s now a lot of diversity and solutions for everyone,” says Scott Mullikin of Petdoors.com.

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The famous former infielder is “bidding” goodbye to his palatial home in New York state.

Yup, it’s auction time for World Series champion Derek Jeter, the retired New York Yankees shortstop, and his Greenwood Lake home.

Purchased for a mere $1.2 million in 2005, this actual castle was once listed for as much as $14.75 million in 2014. Last year, $2 million was shaved off the price.

With seemingly little buyer interest in this unusual spot, a different approach is required.

HGTV

Karen Laine rose to fame on HGTV’s “Good Bones,” where she and her daughter, Mina Starsiak Hawk, renovated homes around Indianapolis. But she’s recently stepped back from this series to work on her own personal projects, including a one-hour special premiering this week, “Good Bones: Better Yard.”

In the special, which airs on Tuesday, Laine helps a couple turn their overgrown yard into an oasis with a gorgeous kitchen and a rotating fireplace that will keep everyone cozy well into winter.

Think right now is an odd time to spruce up your outdoor space? Hardly—even as the weather cools, homeowners today are making use of their yards much more than ever before, even year-round. So if you’re eager to keep the good times rolling outdoors long after prime barbecue season is done, check out why Laine says the yard is her happy place. Bonus: She shares her top tips for building a comfortable al fresco living space where you can linger much longer than you might imagine.

What got you interested in landscaping?

I grew up in a household of gardeners. My mother made our 7 acres in Connecticut beautiful. There were flowers and shrubs. It’s beautiful, and my father was the vegetable gardener. So I was raised on gardening. I think it’s genetics and upbringing and inclination. I just feel happiest when I’m working in the yard.

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Gilbert Arenas is giving the real estate game another try.

A former member of the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, and Orlando Magic NBA teams, Arenas is now asking $3.8 million for his longtime Encino, CA, manse.

Arenas purchased the Los Angeles–area home in 2007 for $3.1 million, according to Realtor.com®. He listed it for $3,495,000 back in 2015. It was relisted in 2016 and 2018. And now, Arenas, 40, is taking another shot at selling the home.

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Photo courtesy of Tanner Homes via Houzz

Would-be home sellers have been facing quite a conundrum for the past few months. Sky-high mortgage rates and inflation have kept homebuyers from coming in droves like they did last year, and that, in turn, has caused homeowners to consider one crucial question: Should I list now or wait until the real estate market cools?

If you’re choosing to sit tight and have refocused your efforts on home improvement, we suggest you invest your time and money in your bathroom. Like the kitchen, the bathroom holds a lot of value, and updating it is likely to pay off if and when you do put your home on the market.

“After hitting the one-year mark in your home, the first places that I’d update are bathrooms, especially a powder or guest bathroom used often by visitors,” says Jay Jeffers of JayJeffers in San Francisco.

Your bathroom can be easily and affordably improved without the need for a gut renovation. Here are a few smart ideas.

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What a difference just a few months can make. As the year comes to a close, the red-hot housing market has been brought to its knees by soaring mortgage interest rates.

It now appears to be in a standoff as just about everyone suddenly feels stuck. Home prices are beginning to fall from their peaks in some of the nation’s hottest markets—but not enough to make up for the higher mortgage rates. So more and more buyers simply can’t afford to buy. Sellers, who are typically also buyers, don’t want to give up their low mortgage rates to purchase new properties. Renters can’t afford to move. And many new homeowners fear they bought at the peak of a rapidly deteriorating market.

“No one wants to catch a falling knife,” says economist Yelena Maleyev of KPMG US. “No one wants to buy in a market when prices are falling. You want to wait it out.”

So what’s next as 2022 comes to an end? Will mortgage rates continue to rise? Could prices come down even more? And will buyers return to the market?

iStock

An induction cooktop stove is the kind of burner that uses electromagnetic fields to cause the pan or pot on top to heat up—meanwhile, your appliance remains cool, thus making this method of cooking safer, faster, and more energy-efficient.

While induction cooking technology has been around for decades and induction ranges have long been common in commercial kitchens, they are now catching on like crazy in regular people’s homes.

Induction cooking

Unlike traditional electric or gas stoves, this cooktop’s “burner” doesn’t emit any heat when turned on. Instead, it emits an alternating electric current—which creates electric currents in the metal pot you’ve placed on top. This, in effect, turns the pot itself into the cooking surface.

“The early consumer models, back in the 1970s and ’80s, were a little temperamental, which is why induction didn’t take off then,” explains Dan DiClerico, home expert for HomeAdvisor.com. “But manufacturers have gotten the technology right, and the prices continue to fall, comparable to gas ranges, so induction’s become very hot in the last few years.”

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If you’ve bought a new appliance, you might have noticed a spot to “add salt” and been massively confused. Salt in the dishwasher? Yep, but don’t go pouring in table salt.

“Some dishwashers, usually higher-end appliances, come with a water softener unit,” says Doug Rogers, president of Mr. Appliance. “Putting salt in your dishwasher might seem strange at first, but dishwasher salt is actually an excellent tool for keeping your unit operating at maximum efficiency.”

What does dishwasher salt do?

“The purpose of dishwasher salt is to help soften the water, and prevent the spots that form on your dishes when they’re washed in hard water, which is water that has a lot of calcium and magnesium,” says Rogers. “If your dishes consistently lack that sparkling-clean feeling and always seem to be speckled with spots, dishwasher salt may be the answer to your problems.”

How does it work? The calcium and magnesium in hard water react with dishwashing detergent to form soap clumps that are less effective at cleaning dishes and can leave behind a nasty residue.

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Antebellum architecture is a term used to characterize a style of grand residences largely found in the Southern United States, especially the Deep South, built in the 19th century. As grandiose as these intricately designed homes are, their magnificence has deep and controversial roots in slavery.

Here’s a look at these extravagant homes, their defining features, and the ongoing debate about preserving antebellum properties.

Antebellum architecture characteristics

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Retired baseball superstar Pedro Martinez is ready to part ways with his Winchester, MA, home. He’s listed the five-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom property for $1,995,000.

The lanky hurler cemented his legendary status via a seven-year stint with the Boston Red Sox. In addition to winning two Cy Young Awards with the Red Sox, he was a key member of the team’s memorable 2004 World Series–winning roster.

These days, the Dominican-born superstar has a Florida property to fall back on—a home in North Miami that he snapped up in 2019 for $3 million.

The place he’s selling sits just north of Boston on more than an acre of land. Built in 1995, the 5,120-square-foot home has a traditional vibe inside and out. Martinez purchased the place for $1.3 million in September 2018.

After two years, dead skin cells, bugs, dust mites, and their droppings make up one-third of your pillow’s weight.

“Washing your pillows is essential,” agrees Chris Brantner, founder of SleepZoo.com, a site that emphasizes the importance of sleep health. “You should be washing them every quarter, or three months.”

Granted, the pillow washing process can be mystifying. Should you stuff your high-end memory foam pillow into a washing machine? Do down pillows need to be dried on the highest setting? Can all pillows be cleaned together? (The answers are no, no, and definitely not.)

While you should always consult the care instructions from your pillow’s manufacturer, these vital cleaning tips from pillow experts will help you rest a little easier.

Down alternative or polyester pillows

These synthetic pillows tend to be the least expensive, which explains why they also have the least amount of staying power. The life span of a cheap pillow is around 12 to 18 months. A pillow protector can help you get to the far end of that estimate, but two to four times a year, you should still clean it somehow.

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It’s a home. It’s a smokehouse. It’s a campground. It’s sustainable living at its finest!

A popular 20-acre retreat known as the Eco-Ranch Sustainable Living Educational Center recently hit the market in Alpine, TX, for an affordable $254,450—down from the original listing price of $269,450 in October.

The self-sustaining compound was built from the ground up by its owners, who clearly had a unique vision for the property.

“The owners moved here 15 years ago when they bought just a piece of land,” says listing agent Clay Braden, of Mtn. View Properties. “They lived in an RV there for five years and then started construction of the house.”

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You know what they say: What happens in Vegas eventually finds its way to Palm Springs, CA. Err, close enough, right?

Listed for $11.8 million, this elaborate estate pays homage to Sin City’s old-school luxury—specifically the famed Caesars Palace hotel and casino.

The owners leaned into the 8,000-square-foot property’s roots, searching out 1970s furniture in a nod to its glamorous past while bringing the home into the modern age.

“They actually went to Caesars Palace and got photographs of the outside ironwork and had it duplicated,” says Louise Hampton, a listing agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties. “There are touches of Caesars Palace everywhere in this house.”

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The Sunshine State is fully in the rearview mirror for peripatetic college football coach Lane Kiffin. He recently listed his gorgeous home in Boca Raton, FL, for $3.95 million.

When Kiffin was hired as the head coach at Florida Atlantic University five years ago, we examined whether or not the job-hopping coach should consider renting in Florida. But if he manages to score the asking price for the home he eventually purchased, it would nearly double the $2.1 million he paid for it in 2017. A savvy move on Kiffin’s part.

He’s now in the middle of his third season as the head football coach at the University of Mississippi, so it makes sense to try and shed his Florida holdings. However, saying so long to this pretty property was likely a tough call.

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There’s no place better to enjoy an awesome autumn than your own log cabin.

Imagine snuggling up inside a cozy retreat with a crackling fire as the leaves fall outside your window.

And your reverie needn’t break the bank: Log cabin life is affordable and within reach. We found five lovely log cabins for sale across the country, all priced below $300,000. Each is ideal for an autumn weekend getaway—or a much longer stay—while still offering most of the modern comforts of home.

Located in diverse parts of the country, any one of these might be just right for you, winter, spring, summer, or fall. You’ll never know until you take a look.