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Nepotism babies—aka “nepo babies”—are the privileged offspring of wealthy celebrities or industry insiders who have achieved some level of fame or success thanks to their familial connections.

The concept of celebrity kids getting a leg up is nothing new, but the moniker officially entered pop culture last year when New York Magazine declared 2022 “The Year of the Nepo Baby.”

Whether they’re in front of the camera (Lily-Rose Depp, Drew Barrymore, Dakota Johnson), on fashion runways (Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Lila Moss), selling out concert venues (Miley Cyrus, Willow Smith, Steve Aoki), or building a business empire (Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Gwyneth Paltrow), nepo babies are no strangers to the idea of scoring big breaks thanks to their famous family members.

So it’s no surprise that this fortunate bunch has also made big moves in real estate, each of them having bought and sold some of the most noteworthy properties imaginable.

Dan Raymond and Casey Juntila

Rapidly rising rents recently nudged Dan Raymond and Casey Juntila to wonder if they should try to buy a house instead.

“We looked around and realized [rent was] the same as a mortgage, even with the inflated rates and higher home prices,” Raymond recalls.

The couple, who are engaged, work as researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and wanted to live in the suburbs. Yet while they could swing a monthly mortgage payment, they hadn’t amassed much savings to put toward a down payment or closing costs. As a result, their house hunt dragged on for three months with no affordable prospects in sight.

That’s when their real estate agent, Charo Ledon of The Home Buyer’s Agent of Ann Arbor, suggested they consider an option that they presumed was beyond their financial reach: a brand-new house.

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The Hot Springs, AR, house where Bill Clinton grew up is available for a modest $345,000. The listing marks the property’s first time on the public market.

But the 3,708-square-foot home, known as the Birnbaum-Shubetz House, needs an update.

This six-bedroom abode is listed on the National Register of Historic Places—a designation that could afford certain tax credits.

Clinton lived in the house during his teenage years, from 1954 to 1961, the period when he first identified his political aspirations. He would go on to become the governor of Arkansas and the 42nd U.S. president.

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It’s not often that a castle pops up on the Pacific Northwest rental market—but that’s exactly the case for this five-bedroom chateau in Sequim, WA.

Nestled on a family-owned, 200-acre farm, the 6,000-square-foot living space comes fully furnished. Highlights include a steam shower, a wood-burning fireplace, luxury linens, and spare mattresses for up to 20 guests.

Available for $7,000 a month or $1,000 a night (with a two-night minimum), the Gate Keepers Castle has easy access to the Olympic Discovery Trail and Miller Peninsula State Park.

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Realtor.com

With a private dock and new kitchen, this 4,353-square-foot home hugs nearly 200 feet of Tampa Bay’s waterfront and enjoys unobstructed views.

The midcentury modern dwelling comes with a distinguished architectural pedigree: It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright protege Sanford Goldman.

The St. Petersburg, FL, property is on the market for $7,800,000.

“The house is an iconic piece,” says listing agent Jason Maniecki, of All Pro Realty Network.

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A cosigner can be the difference between landing the apartment of your dreams and having to move on to that building that gives you the heebie-jeebies. Sure, the thrill of finding an apartment may be gone quickly when the landlord requires someone to cosign your lease. But it could be the one thing that seals the deal.

Cosigned lease agreements

Typically, only the tenant appears on the lease agreement. If you cannot qualify for a lease on your own, the landlord may ask for a cosigner—another adult who agrees to go in on the lease with you. The cosigner won’t be expected to live with you or handle the day-to-day management of the rental and the lease, but they may be held responsible if problems arise.

Finding a cosigner

Any adult can act as a cosigner provided they meet the landlord’s qualifications. Often, tenants ask a family member or trusted friend to cosign for them. However, keep in mind that your cosigner will also have to submit an application and be put through a credit and background check. If your cosigner can’t qualify, you’ll have to find someone else or look for a different rental.

Potential problems

It will be your responsibility to pay upfront fees such as a security deposit or pet deposit, make timely rent payments, and keep your rental clean and undamaged. If you run into problems, the landlord has the legal right to go after either you or your cosigner for money owed. For example, if you lose your job and cannot pay the rent, the landlord may evict you and ask the cosigner to pay the remaining rent on the lease or another fee. If you cause damage to the property while you’re living there, the landlord will deduct the damage from your security deposit first. However, if the cost of repairs exceeds your security deposit, the landlord may ask either you or your cosigner to pay the remainder.

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Homebuyers aren’t receiving much love this Valentine’s Day.

Mortgage interest rates are expected to remain uncomfortably high as the housing market barrels toward the spring buying season. The culprit? Inflation.

The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to keep hiking its own rates to bring down inflation by cooling the economy. But inflation isn’t coming down without a fight. It was up 6.4% year over year in January, according to the government’s consumer price index released on Tuesday. While it was down from 6.5% in December, it didn’t fall as much as many investors had hoped.

That means the Fed is likely to keep raising its rates, which should lead mortgage rates, which are separate, to also go up.

HGTV

Former “Teen Mom” star Chelsea DeBoer has been glamming up homes across Sioux Falls, SD, on her new show, “Down Home Fab,” and the results are, well, very her.

“I like cowhides, painting things black,” she says of her signature aesthetic.

While this style might work fine on many of the ranch-style homes in her hometown, we are seriously worried in the latest episode, when she’s tasked with making over a traditional Craftsman home.

In “Cozy Craftsman,” she and her husband, Cole, agree to remodel a 1920s house for clients Danny and Kansas. The couple and their eight children are trusting the DeBoers with an $80,000 budget, and you can’t help but be a little nervous for them when Cole confesses, “This is our first Craftsman-style home.”

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Kirstie Alley‘s estate is letting go of her Clearwater, FL, compound, according to Dirt. It’s listed for $5,995,000.

Alley, who died of colon cancer last year at the age of 71, purchased the waterfront residence from Lisa Marie Presley in 2008 for just $1.8 million.

The estate was on the market for less than two weeks when an offer came in. It’s now pending sale.

Clearwater is the hometown of the Church of Scientology, and Alley was a member of the church. Presley, a former Scientologist, died unexpectedly last month at the age of 54.

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When touring a home you’re considering buying, the kitchen and living room might be the first places you size up. The bathroom might be a place you glance at, but beyond checking that it exists, few lavish much attention on the loo.

But we’re here to say you should give each and every bathroom a closer look.

Think about it: The bathroom is often where you begin and end your day. So if it’s a nicely designed space, this can really put a spring in your step as you set out to face the world, or pave a smooth path to a restful night.

But if your bathroom is cramped or poorly designed, it can throw a real wrench in your mornings and nights. Plus, fixing a bathroom via renovation can be expensive, since moving plumbing fixtures is rarely a walk in the park.

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Buying a home is an emotional process. You spend years saving money and figuring out your list of non-negotiables in an effort to find “The One.” And when you do fall in love with a home, it can feel akin to being hit by Cupid’s arrow: lots of excitement, nervousness, and even sleeplessness.

But on your swan dive into the homebuyer pool, did you ever anticipate you’d find actual love along the way? Turns out, romance can bloom in all kinds of situations and places.

As Gerard Splendore, a broker for Coldwell Banker Warburg, puts it: “The real estate process provides a multitude of opportunities to find and embrace love in its many forms.”

Below, five sweet stories of oh, so lucky folks who found love—of all kinds—when searching for a new home.

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A midcentury modern home on a Los Angeles hillside just came on the market for $1,599,000. Known as the Stilt House, it previously had a star turn on the silver screen.

It appeared in the 1995 action film “Heat,” directed by Michael Mann and starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.

Built in 1962, the unique dwelling is mostly supported by a sinewy system of stilts and juts over a hillside.

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An HGTV “Rock the Block” home has once again landed on the market, this time for $989,900.

Featured in Season 3 of the popular renovation competition show, the Summerville, SC, dwelling was transformed into a stylish showpiece by Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas, stars of HGTV’s “Bargain Block.”

The five-bedroom abode, which was built in 2021, was listed in April for $1,250,000, eventually selling in September 2022 for $950,000.

“The sellers actually never moved into the home,” says listing agent Matt Farrow, of ChuckTown Homes Powered by Keller Williams. “They decided to buy another home elsewhere. They had previously lived out of state on the water and missed that waterfront lifestyle.”

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You might think gathering enough money is the hardest part of a home renovation—and, of course, funding can be a chore. But choosing a remodeling company might be even trickier.

To partner with the best possible contractor, you’ve got to ask the right questions first.

Indeed, this relationship is a “two-way street, requiring effort from both parties,” says Pamela O’Brien of Pamela Hope Designs.

But, she adds, a well-prepared client can really simplify the entire project.

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Late night talk-show host James Corden and his wife, Julia Carey, have listed their Los Angeles mansion for $22 million.

The British host of CBS’ “Late Late Show” reportedly put up the seven-bedroom home for private sale in October, according to Dirt. The property is now listed publicly. The couple purchased the home in 2017 for $9,770,000.

Built in 1997, the “New England transitional” estate on a half-acre lot in the exclusive neighborhood of Brentwood Park has been “fully updated,” according to the listing.

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Getting a mortgage to buy a home is a process, with many hoops and hurdles to jump through and over before reaching the finish line. And this is particularly true for certain specialized loans, like those offered by the United States Department of Agriculture.

USDA loans offer fantastic terms—including 0% down payments and low-interest rates—for homebuyers in rural areas, and while many assume they’re just for farmland, properties on 97% of U.S. land are eligible.

How long does it take to get a USDA home loan?

While the USDA loan process might share certain similarities with other types of loans, there are a few additional steps applicants need to take that can lengthen the time it takes to complete.

All in all, in the best-case circumstances, you can expect the USDA home loan process to last anywhere from 30 to 60 days—or longer if there are hiccups such as missing paperwork. The availability of government funding for these loans might also lengthen the process, in some cases up to three months.

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Most of us are well aware by now that higher mortgage rates—combined with already towering home prices—have driven a severe home affordability crisis over recent months. But just how much are they affecting the actual monthly costs needed to own a home in today’s market?

When mortgage interest rates move a fraction of a percentage point, it might not seem like much. But even the smallest movements can add up to big savings—or make homeownership unaffordable for many would-be buyers.

For a home at the current median listing price, a buyer will pay about $800 more every month than they would have just a year ago, largely due to higher mortgage rates.

Last week, mortgage rates ticked up again to the mid-6% range for 30-year fixed-rate loans, according to Mortgage News Daily, up from just below 6% last month. While those rates are down from more than 7% in November 2022, the small increase last week is affecting the bottom line for many buyers already frustrated by stubbornly high home prices.

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Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Commanders football team, has listed his Potomac, MD, mansion for a whopping $49 million. At the current asking price, it’s the state’s most expensive residential listing.

But Snyder doesn’t have to worry about having a place to stay in the D.C. area. He also owns an enormous property on a historic parcel of land in Alexandria, VA. Snyder paid $48 million for his Virginia spread in October 2021. When the this property came onto the market for $60 million in October 2020, it was the priciest property for sale in Virginia.

The Maryland mansion boasts five bedrooms, 6.5 baths, and loads of living space, arranged over a staggering 30,000 square feet and set on nearly 10 acres.

This home is lavishly regal, thanks to its chateau design and limestone exterior. And the property even comes with an actual royal pedigree: It was once owned by Jordan’s King Hussein and Queen Noor.

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For many home shoppers, buying a house right now can seem like a very pricey pipe dream. Mortgage interest rates still hover at an uncomfortably high mid-6% range for 30-year fixed-rate loans. And the Realtor.com® economists expect home prices will rise 5.4% year over year in 2023.

Those factors mean buying a home right now is an expensive endeavor. But this doesn’t mean your goal of homeownership is out of reach.

“The key to buying a house on the cheap is knowing how to balance achieving your dreams while staying within your budget,” says Casey Ames, owner and CEO of Taylor Jene Homes in Boise, ID.

If buying a home is on your horizon but affording things like a down payment feels like an uphill battle, take a look at these tactics for getting a house on the cheap. Relatively.

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Is the housing market back?

A surge in mortgage interest rates last year ground the real estate market to an abrupt halt, as scores of would-be buyers could no longer afford to purchase homes. But last month, as mortgage rates dipped and home prices fell from their peaks, home shoppers dipped their toes back in.

Real estate agents across the country reported buyers returned to open houses, the number of mortgage applications surged, and the most desirable homes received multiple offers again.

“What we’re seeing are the seeds of a potential spring thaw,” says Realtor.com® Senior Economist George Ratiu. But he warns that it’s too early to tell if the market will rebound this year.