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Was COVID-19 the last straw? Or had the issues been quietly simmering for a while?

Whatever the reason, a subset of homeowners called it quits during and right after the pandemic—and now they’re facing a challenge: carving out a postdivorce space at home.

“While I don’t like to concentrate on the negative reasons why some people need to redecorate, a change in partnership creates new needs and allows you to update your style and decor,” says Pamela O’Brien of Pamela Hope Designs.

Both spouses can take advantage of this fresh start, first by stepping back to reevaluate the current look. Next, dive into a few spots and remake them in a way that suits a new life. But most importantly, take your time.

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A farmhouse in Haverhill, MA, built for the town founder is the oldest property to hit the market this week on Realtor.com®.

The well-preserved property offers lots of updates. It also sits on 1.5 acres with two additional, buildable lots to construct the family compound most could only dream of.

Other historic homes on the market this week include the New Jersey stone home of a former Revolutionary War soldier, a federal farmhouse in Pennsylvania, and a New York charmer on nearly 25 acres.

Scroll down for a full look at this week’s 10 oldest homes.

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Homeowners who learn that their water is hard might wonder if it is OK. While water hardness poses no serious health risks, it can nonetheless cause various problems within a home.

Here’s where hard water comes from, how to check for it, and what you can do to remediate the negative effects.

Where does hard water come from?

Hard water contains high levels of certain minerals—namely calcium and magnesium (soft water, by comparison, lacks these elements).

If a home’s water comes from a well, there’s a stronger likelihood it’s hard because groundwater is often naturally full of minerals, says Stephen Johnson, an Ashburn, VA-based field supervisor at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.

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A promissory note is an important but often misunderstood part of getting a mortgage to buy a home.

In the most basic terms, it’s a legal document you sign containing a written “promise” to pay a lender, says Scott A. Marcus, a shareholder in Becker & Poliakoff’s Real Estate Practice Group, in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Promissory notes are a standard part of all real estate financing contracts and include basic information such as:

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Being able to help your grown kids become homeowners can really give them a leg up—particularly in this pricey housing market.

“Between rising home prices and millennial student loan debt, many young adults don’t have money to buy a house,” says Todd Sheinin, mortgage lender and chief operating officer at New America Financial in Gaithersburg, MD. “That’s where parents can help out.”

Indeed, 41% of college-educated Americans with student loans report having postponed buying a home because of their debt, according to a recent survey by Student Loan Hero, a service that helps people pay off their student debt more efficiently. According to a recent home buyer survey from ValueInsured, 17% of millennial home buyers say they plan to rely on a loan or a gift from a family member to fund the majority of their down payment. That relative is usually a parent.

But make no mistake, buying a house for your adult child isn’t as straightforward as, say, buying them a puppy when they were 8. Purchasing a house for your kid requires careful planning. Here’s what you need to know, and your options on how to get this done.

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At the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Marietta, GA, sits a regal home with turrets.

It’s a 13,714-square-foot, modern-era castle that really stands out in the area’s array of high-end homes.

Built in 1995, the castle is listed for $2,195,000 and was a passion project for owners Clark and Terri Ullom.

They knew they wanted to build something extraordinary and went searching for ideas, which they found on a driving trip through England and Scotland. The couple came home inspired after staying in various castles and manor homes.

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Nicole Curtis, best known as the star of HGTV’s “Rehab Addict,” now has a spinoff show, “Rehab Addict: Lake House Rescue,” where she renovates her own personal passion project.

The backstory: Curtis had bought this lake house in her hometown of Lake Orion, MI, because it was slated to be torn down.

“I saved this little lake cottage from demolition eight years ago,” she explains. Given her renovation chops, it seemed like a simple project.

“I thought there wasn’t any project that I couldn’t tackle,” she admits. “I thought this lake house would be a breeze.”

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Home prices will fall by 8% next year, but high mortgage rates and a possible recession will continue to hurt affordability, a new report says.

In a report published this month, independent research firm Capital Economics warned that sales will slump and housing prices will fall over the coming year.

With lending standards still tight and affordability poised to worsen, consumers should expect their purchasing power to deteriorate even as housing prices fall, the group said.

“Given that we are unlikely to see an improvement in affordability anytime soon, many buyers will be priced out of the market, while others will simply be unwilling to make a purchase,” the report stated. “As bidders become scarcer, market power will shift further from sellers to buyers.”

Photo by @markmorrisonofficial via Instagram / MLS via Realtor.com

British R&B singer Mark Morrison, best known for his 1996 smash hit, “Return of the Mack,” has just closed on a swanky pad in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. He paid $1.8 million.

Morrison scored a significant discount on the property, which was first listed for $2,350,000 in August and had a couple of price reductions.

The singer shared the announcement on Instagram: “10 years ago i was homeless. … Today i purchased myself a house for $2M in cash.”

The musician, 50, will now operate his record label, MackLife Records, from his three-bedroom home in the Sunshine State.

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Temperatures are dropping fast, and it’s officially starting to feel like winter is coming, but what happens when yardwork beckons? If you’re a homeowner, it can be a real pain to bundle up, go outside, and prepare your lawn and garden for the frigid months ahead.

But here’s the reality: If you don’t take care of certain yard maintenance tasks before temperatures fully plunge, you might face a mess of problems come springtime.

“Not doing these things will either increase the amount, complexity, or cost of work in spring, so start now before the weather turns. Chip away at your to-do list each week, and start planning for spring and summer projects,” says David Steckel, Thumbtack’s senior director of strategic partnerships.

So put on that parka, grab your work gloves, and be sure to avoid the following yard maintenance mistakes.

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To find the hottest real estate markets in America, head to the coldest parts of the country.

The most desirable places for homebuyers today come with one bone-chilling caveat: Many of these hot spots lurk in the snowier Northeast and Midwest, according to a recent Realtor.com® report. And while some house hunters might not love colder weather, most are likely to appreciate the cooler home prices and lower cost of living in these areas.

The Manchester, NH, metropolitan area, an hour north of Boston, took the No. 1 spot—for the 11th straight month! The Rochester metro, in New York state near the Canadian border, came in second after tying with Manchester for first place last month. (Rankings are based on the number of views that listings in these metropolitan areas receive on Realtor.com, and how quickly properties are selling.)

“In the South and West, which contain warm markets that were really popular even before the [COVID-19] pandemic, prices have just been driven so high,” says Hannah Jones, an economic data analyst at Realtor.com. “Even if they’re places people might enjoy living, many buyers have been priced out.”

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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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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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Congress wasn’t a good fit for Madison Cawthorn—and neither was a full-time residency in North Carolina.

The controversial single-term representative of North Carolina’s 11th district recently purchased a three-bedroom home in Cape Coral, FL, for $1,120,000.

Cawthorn was the youngest member of the House of Representatives at the time of his election in 2020, but he lost a Republican primary for his district in May. Now, he’ll be moving to new frontiers in a sunnier locale.

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A perfectly preserved midcentury modern home has hit the market in Altadena, CA—for the first time!

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom property is listed for $2.25 million. After 13 days on the market, this pristine time capsule appears to have found a buyer and is pending sale. The new owners will be the second-ever family to enjoy this beautiful home.

“It’s in very authentic condition,” says listing agent Rachelle Rosten, with Douglas Elliman – Beverly Hills.

This 2,753-square-foot beauty retains many of its original details, she adds. No major overhauls or tinkering with the architecture.

Photo courtesy of Jim Brady / domusstudios architecture via Houzz

To own a Frank Lloyd Wright home is to possess a piece of history. As the preeminent American architect of our time, Wright had an indelible impact on design worldwide.

So while you may not be able to afford an actual Wright-designed home (they’re limited, of course, and tend to cost millions of dollars), his work continues to influence generations of architects. And that means you could happen upon a home that embodies Wright’s design ethos.

“Homes inspired by Wright weren’t built by the architect as his last residential design was in 1959,” notes Martie Lieberman, a real estate adviser with Premier Sotheby’s International in Sarasota, FL. Yet many architects and builders continued to build homes using his ideas.

“They took his appealing design elements and created Wright-inspired houses that are modern in style and feature elevated levels of craftsmanship,” she adds.

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Property brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott have returned with Season 5 of “Celebrity IOU,” and the premiere may be their most moving episode to date.

In “Leslie Jordan’s Renovation,” the Scott brothers meet with comedic character actor Leslie Jordan, who won an Emmy for his iconic role as Beverly Leslie on “Will and Grace.” He’s hoping Jonathan and Drew can make over the home of his friends Rosemary and Newell Alexander, Hollywood producers who helped start Jordan’s career. The Scott brothers are game, and the renovation unfolds smoothly.

Yet, a few months after filming on this episode wrapped, Jordan died on Oct. 24. He was 67.

“We’ve known Leslie Jordan for years,” Drew says at the beginning of the episode. “And working with him wasn’t just a highlight for the show, but really of our careers.”

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For the dinosaur lover, or anyone wanting a short-term-rental property flaunting a pre-historic theme, it doesn’t get better than the Jurassic Retreat in Washougal, WA.

With the push of a button, each life-sized, motion-controlled dinosaur moves and makes sounds—and they’re included with the purchase.

The wild listing is asking for $1,299,000, represented by Louise James of Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty.

The seller snapped up this unique retreat—built in 2020—for $575,000 in July 2021. Then he got to work creating a short-term rental property, and the dinosaur theme roared to life.

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The lavish New York City home of Ivana Trump has come on the market for $26.5 million.

The interiors of the 8,725-square-foot, limestone townhome take you back to the ritzy heyday of the glittery 1980s. The five-story home is outfitted with gold, leopard print, and pink marble, encapsulating the opulent style of the former model turned Trump Organization executive. She died in July at age 73.

Ivana purchased the home for $2.5 million in 1992 after her highly publicized divorce from former President Donald Trump. Built in 1899, the space had previously been used as a dentist’s office suite and had been vacant for about a dozen years before she purchased it. Extensive renovations were made in the townhouse where she raised Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump when they were teenagers.

The proceeds of the sale are to go to her three children.

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Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen recently closed on an $11.5 million luxury home in Surfside, FL, that is located just across the water from Tom Brady‘s Indian Creek Island megamansion, Realtor.com® can confirm.

The five-bedroom home was built in 1981 and features just under 4,000 square feet of space. But perhaps the views clinched it for Bündchen.

According to the listing, the property has “soaring 25-foot ceilings, large living spaces, massive terraces, and stunning views of a wide waterway and Indian Creek Island.”

There’s also a home theater, office, gym, playroom, and large eat-in kitchen that opens up to a patio, the listing notes. The property comes with a dock.