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Today’s real estate market is tough for everyone—even reality TV stars.

At least, that’s the takeaway we glean from the second episode of Tarek and Heather Rae El Moussa‘s new show, “The Flipping El Moussas.”

In “The Flipping Delays,” the married flipping partners seem to be struggling straight out of the gate, having purchased a run-down, cockroach-infested, 1971 Spanish-style house in Long Beach, CA, for a whopping $1,090,000.

After surveying how much work they’ll have to do to this five-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom, 3,517-square-foot house, they estimate they’ll need just over $300,000 to renovate, as well as an additional $125,000 in selling and carrying costs.

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If you’re the type of homebuyer whose mood soars or plummets depending on the latest mortgage rates, then this week was a tough one.

Mortgage interest rates climbed to 6.73% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, for the week ending March 9, according to Freddie Mac. This means today’s homebuyers will have to pay almost 50% more per month for home than they would have just a year earlier.

This steep hike in housing costs might hurt the rebound that had been emerging in the housing market, when rates were lower earlier this year.

“Recent signs of a housing bottom have been encouraging, but the still-shifting financial and economic landscape makes it hard to pinpoint whether the floor is firm enough to withstand these new challenges,” says Realtor.com® Chief Economist Danielle Hale in her most recent analysis. “In the meanwhile, that means housing activity is likely to continue roughly in line with its recent low pace of sales.”

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Quarterback Baker Mayfield is now a free agent after playing for both the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams last season.

And according to reports, there’s NFL-wide interest in Mayfield’s signal-calling chops.

Of more immediate relevance, though, is the interest in Mayfield’s Ohio real estate.

After just 13 days on the market, the athlete’s four-bedroom, 3.5-bath home in Westlake, OH, sold for $949,900—nearly what he’d asked for it.

Photo courtesy of A New Day - Interior Design Studio via Houzz

White has been the go-to color for kitchen cabinets, countertops, and backsplashes for as long as we can remember. In a room that gets so messy, homeowners can’t help but gravitate toward pristine, white furnishings that make the room feel open and bright.

But over the past handful of years, the sterile soullessness that’s inherent to the all-white kitchen has caused the pendulum to swing toward design trends with contrast, like two-tone cabinets (i.e., light-color uppers and dark-color lowers) and dark stone countertops. Homeowners have warmed up to the idea of playing with color and texture in their kitchen in a big way.

The following popular posts from Instagram feature designs that demonstrate how to tastefully infuse color into your kitchen in a variety of ways. So if you’re looking to get out of your monochrome rut, keep reading for some fresh ideas for your kitchen.

1. Color pop in the cabinets

For those who aren’t quite ready to redo their cabinet fronts in a bold hue, check out this technique from @colombe studio.

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An 8,880-square-foot house in Zanesville, OH, complete with a stripper pole and windowless rooms is this week’s most popular home on Realtor.com®.

With an off-the-charts creep vibe, the five-bedroom home could double as the set of a horror flick. At first glance, the newly renovated interior looks beautiful with its high ceilings and modern kitchen, but then it gets downright scary from there. The bedrooms are windowless, some of the bathrooms have no doors, and then there’s the “entertainment area” with the stripper pole.

Other homes that made the popularity list include a waterfront mobile home in Florida for under $200,000, a Wisconsin property that originated as a church and evolved into a library before transforming into a home, and a classic midcentury modern home in Missouri.

For a full look at this week’s 10 most popular homes, keep on scrolling.

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Joe Biden has big plans to increase the amount of affordable housing throughout America and help lower-income renters and would-be homeowners.

The president released his proposed 2024 budget on Thursday, which outlines his administration’s plans to increase the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget by 1.6%. This would bring HUD’s funding to $73.3 billion in 2024. But this budget is regarded as more aspirational as it is unlikely to pass through a Republican-controlled House of Representatives in its current form.

“The Budget invests in Americans at every station in life—from those seeking to purchase a home to those who receive HUD rental assistance—and will ensure families across the country can live in communities that are safe, affordable, and resilient,” HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement.

The budget prioritizes helping lower-income renters, helping more people from underserved communities become homeowners, and increasing the supply of affordable housing. Biden also is putting more money toward ending homelessness and preventing and addressing housing discrimination.

It’s April, and that means homeowners across the country are throwing open their doors for strangers to enter their homes, test the water pressure of their showers, and judge the quality of the magazines displayed artfully on their coffee tables. Yes, it’s open house season.

Why April? Well, as the spring and summer home-buying season begins, our society enters into this weekend ritual in which we scour the latest home listings and set aside our Saturdays and Sundays for open houses—all in the hope of finding that dream home we can close on and move into before summer’s end.

It would seem strange, were it not part of what feels like an age-old tradition.

That got us thinking—how did weekend open houses become a standard in American real estate? Was there ever a time when they didn’t exist? Whose idea was it anyway?

A ‘Wild West era’ for real estate

It turns out, the open house is a tradition that started over a century ago.

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Churches converted into houses are often a decorator’s dream. But the work can be daunting.

The seller of this sacred space in Savannah, GA, already started transforming it from a 1970s church into a contemporary home. The midrenovation structure is on the market for $695,000 and could be ideal for someone motivated to finish the job.

“He was going to make it a family compound and an arts studio,” says listing agent Staci Donegan, of Seabolt Real Estate.

But the owner changed course and halted construction, “so the next owner could do what they want,” Donegan says. “It’s basically a blank slate for the buyer.”

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Sometimes you need to kiss a few frogs to find a prince. Well, the same is true for selling a home. Although it usually takes longer to meet potential buyers face to face these days—if you do at all—your dealings and various interactions may ultimately make you feel a certain intimacy with these would-be owners … perhaps even more than you’d like.

It pays, literally, to know what kind of person lurks behind the offer. So allow us to introduce you to the kinds of buyers you’ll encounter and how best to deal with them for optimum results!

Type 1: The all-cash showoff

All-cash buyers may seem cocky—understandably. With no worries of financing falling through, this buyer means business and can even ask for a shorter escrow period to seal the deal.

The downside? “You may have to be ready to be flexible,” suggests Robert Vinson of Vinson Real Estate Group in Los Angeles, CA. Translation: An all-cash buyer will probably aim for a lower offer, or may have specific contingencies in mind (e.g., you’ve got to fix that roof now) or else they walk.

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The innovative former owner of the Blantyre luxury resort in Lenox, MA, has purchased a Gilded Age estate in the Berkshires.

Originally built for Emily Vanderbilt and husband William D. Sloane in 1886, the spectacular mansion on 89 acres is the largest shingled-style residence in the country. The space clocks in at 55,000 square feet and has a staggering 106 rooms.

When the estate first hit the market in October 2020, it was listed for $12.5 million.

“I have had my eye on Elm Court, as it was known, for about seven years and know the market very well,” says Linda Law of Law & Associates.

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As the housing market correction continues, certain parts of the country have become more vulnerable to the real estate downturn than others.

California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Delaware are home to the most at-risk housing markets, according to a Special Housing Risk report released by real estate data firm ATTOM.

“Some parts of the country remain considerably more exposed to housing market declines than others,” says Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. “While pockets of the country have popped on and off the lists of most or least vulnerable markets, the top 50 list has consistently included the New York City and Chicago areas, as well as Delaware and inland California, over the past two years.”

The report looked at nearly 600 counties with sufficient data across the country in the fourth quarter of the year to determine which ones were most exposed to a potential decline in home prices.

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On “The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project,” Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent might live in New York City, but many of their clients have fled to the burbs, buying fixer-uppers that turned out to be too much to handle.

That’s definitely the case on the latest episode, “Family Comes First,” where clients Brad and Courtney moved out of New York City to buy a house in Westchester County. The house needed a lot of work, and the couple soon knew they needed professional help and called in Berkus and Brent.

They have a budget of $110,000 to fix up the primary suite, as well as the bedrooms for their 4-year-old son, Fin, and their newly adopted infant son, Anders.

As Berkus and Brent get to work, they pass along some sage advice on how to get a high-end look that doesn’t cost too much—and that will also grow with the kids. Check out what we learned this week.

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Talk about a big parcel!

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is famous for his work in such movie franchises as “Fast and the Furious” and “Jumanji.”

But judging from his latest purchase in Virginia, he’s quickly becoming known as a real estate tycoon, too. He also has bought and sold homes in Florida, Georgia, and California, among other places.

Johnson’s latest coup, located next to a farm he already owns outside Charlottesville, is a seven-bedroom mansion with nearly 8,000 square feet of living space. But it’s the outside property that’ll take your breath away.

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Lee Daniels, the Academy Award-nominated writer, director, and producer, has finally found a buyer for his metal-clad compound in Beverly Hills, CA.

Daniels, who is responsible for many film and television hits, bought his Los Angeles pied-a-terre for $4.9 million in 2018.

While he’s a committed New Yorker, Daniels has many Hollywood projects that bring him to the West Coast often. He bought this place after realizing he needed something more permanent than a hotel suite, according to Architectural Digest.

Four years later, the “Empire” co-executive producer is selling. Daniels listed the sleek space for $7.24 million in September 2022. The price was recently cut to $6.24 million and is pending sale.

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Buying a newly constructed home is exciting, but there are a lot of different options. Finding the right home style is important, whether it’s a custom-built house on a plot of land you just bought or a move-in ready home in a brand-new, cookie-cutter neighborhood.

Tract, spec, and custom homes have their differences, and understanding these differences can better inform your homebuying decision.

“Understanding the differences in home type is as essential as understanding your true costs, from monthly mortgage payments to insurance to electric bills. Home type needs to be matched to your preferences and budget with a long-term perspective,” says Megan Fox at Compass.

Each type of home might fit better with a certain type of buyer. Which build you choose ultimately comes down to buyer preference, budget, and stage of life. Here are some things to know about the main types of new-home construction.

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Chelsea DeBoer might be best known for starring on “Teen Mom 2,” but now this married mother of four is all grown up—and gaining fame as a designer on her HGTV breakout hit, “Down Home Fab.”

On this new series (recently renewed for a second season), Chelsea and her husband, Cole, renovate homes around Sioux Falls, SD, using a unique style Chelsea describes as “South Dakota glam.”

It’s lots of cowhides, black paint, and even skull-patterned wallpaper. Yet her offbeat ideas often work—or at least, her clients seem pleased with the results.

Curious to hear more about how she’s shaking up the design world, we chatted with Chelsea about how she got started down the home renovation path and what she’s learned along the way.

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With the promise of warm weather on the horizon, our thoughts naturally go to the great outdoors—and the day when we can soon get our hands dirty in the garden.

If you’re as excited about exercising your green thumb as we are, then you’ll be interested to learn that some of 2023’s biggest gardening trends are anything but ordinary. In fact, if you’re inspired by the idea of experimenting with color and texture in your outdoor space, we have quite a lineup for you. While some of these trends reflect major pop culture moments (“Bridgerton,” anyone?), others are a response to important issues, including climate change and growing food costs.

Ready to turn over a new leaf in your yard? Read on.

1. Immersive gardens

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If you’re into urban-chic style, you’ll go crazy for this $7 million residence-gallery-event space property in the fast-beating heart of downtown Los Angeles.

It’s not exactly your stereotypical, lushly landscaped, luxury L.A. home, though.

In fact, the space is mostly surround by warehouses, parking lots, and rail yards.

But it does have that gritty, cool, industrial vibe that makes most downtown dwellers feel right at home. Plus, it’s adjacent to the trendy artist community known as the Brewery, which anchors the downtown L.A. arts scene.

Don't. Just don't.
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Contrary to what you might have heard, a buyer’s first impression is no longer that special moment when they first pull up to check out your home’s curb appeal. In nearly all cases, they’ve already checked out your place from front to back online—and for all you know, they may have decided to cruise right by.

Most buyers spend weeks perusing online listings, making Pinterest dream boards, texting must-see homes to their agent, and, well, judging.

And what is the key difference between a home designed to make buyers swoon and one doomed to be mocked on social media? Photos.

Photos are the curb appeal of the digital age, and those shots of your beloved residence must be great to earn a buyer’s interest. Freaking out? Don’t. Check out these pro secrets instead.