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Sure, you probably know a septic system is something located underground that deals with waste. But what else do you know about it? And do you really need to know anything else?

If you’re buying a house that has one, the answer is a resounding yes.

“The purpose of having a septic tank is to enjoy good, clean, affordable, eco-friendly drainage for the full span of your time on a given property,” explains Glenn Gallas, vice president of operations for Mr. Rooter Plumbing. “And when you do decide to sell, a perfectly operating septic system could also add value to your property.”

Here’s everything you probably never wanted to know about septic systems—but should.

An $8.5 million seed funding round was led by Conversion Capital, with participation from Fifth Wall, Peter Thiel, QED Investors, Montage Ventures and Village Global.

Ryan Gorman was a long-time veteran of Coldwell Banker's parent company and has helmed the brokerage for the last three years.

New Jersey-based Weichert Realtors has partnered with SkySlope for a companywide implementation of its transaction management solution.

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I bought a 100-year-old house with wood floors that had seen a lot of wear and tear. And many other parts of the house were quite literally falling apart (or off the house as was the case in a screened porch), but there was no renovation money left to redo the floors.

So I opted for an inexpensive, quick fix for the worn-out floors: paint them sea-foam green.

Painted floors are colorful and breezy, and evoke a certain laid-back vibe. But a wide expanse of paint that’s exposed to feet, paws, shoes, and dirt can get beat up fast. And so a debate rages on whether painting a wood floor is a cheap way to add color to your home—or a giant mistake that disrespects wood.

We talked to experts to get the skinny on the pros and cons of painting wood floors. (And how to paint floors properly if you’re tempted.)

What was that game-changing word of wisdom that your coach offered that made a difference in your life and career? Share it in this week's Pulse.

The name change to unify the six shops across the northeast Florida region comes on the heels of franchisee Corey Hasting opening two new locations in Ponte Vedra Beach and San Marco.

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A midcentury modern home stands out among its neighbors on the streets of Omaha, NE.

“It was very cutting edge for 1955, and it was almost experimental. We don’t have many houses like this with flat roofs in Omaha, so that’s part of the draw to it. It’s so unusual,” explains listing agent Marty Hosking, with Keller Williams Greater Omaha.

The 2,179-square-foot home with many of its fabulous ’50s details intact was listed for $395,500. After two weeks on the market, it’s now pending sale.

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A mansion in the Presidio Heights neighborhood that had its price slashed to $39.5M is still the most expensive single-family home for sale in the Bay Area city, reports say.

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Think iron balconies, terra-cotta roofs, and ornate details that evoke the romance of Spain or Italy—with the advantage that a trip across the Atlantic is not required to soak it all in. Mediterranean homes can be found right here in the United States!

Also referred to as Spanish Modern, Mediterranean houses are found across the country, although they’re most common in warm-weather climates that are comparable with the temperate Mediterranean countries’—in California, Florida, and other southern states.

Here’s more about Mediterranean homes, and how to decide whether this architectural style is right for you.

Characteristics of a Mediterranean house

A Mediterranean home’s most iconic feature is a low-pitched, terra-cotta roof, and the exterior paint is typically a light cream or off-white. The homes can be one or two stories and vary in size, although they tend to be expansive.

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What is a “due on sale” clause in a mortgage contract? This common phrase, found in most conventional home loan paperwork, means that when a property is sold, the entire balance of the loan comes due. Yup, you have to pay off the whole thing!

What is a ‘due on sale’ clause?

“Due on sale” clauses are a type of acceleration clause. Acceleration clauses protect lenders by allowing them to accelerate, or call, a loan if a borrower takes certain actions.

Accelerating a mortgage is usually a bad thing: In most contexts, it means that a borrower has missed payments or violated the terms of the contract, and the lender is demanding that the full amount of the loan be paid immediately or be subject to foreclosure.

“Due on sale” acceleration, however, is a normal part of selling a home. Typically, homeowners will use the proceeds of the sale of their home to pay off their loan in full, then take out a new loan when they’re ready to purchase another property. (Meanwhile the buyers of the home will get their own home loan separately.)

New rules would require homeowners and tenants who offer short-term rentals to register units with the city. Airbnb and hosts call the requirements overly restrictive.

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It’s nice to see a celebrity who’s making a huge comeback take time out of her busy schedule to give something to someone who has done a lot for her. Property brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott gamely step in to help with that on “Celebrity IOU.”

In the “Kate Hudson’s Backyard Build” episode, Hudson wants to help redo the backyard of Melissa, the mother of her fiancé, Danny Fujikawa.

Melissa is an educator who spends a lot of time taking care of Hudson and Fujikawa’s daughter, as well as Hudson’s other two sons. But Melissa broke both her ankles earlier this year and hasn’t been able to tend to her backyard as she usually does.

She needs a backyard where the kids can safely play and do artwork, and she can get around with more ease. She’s always dreamed of having a garden like the ones in the south of France.

Compass broker David Schlichter says Jason Oppenheim has it all wrong. His rebuttal? The things that Compass is doing right will keep this brand afloat for the foreseeable future.

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Billionaire Eddie Lampert will be spending less time on the slopes.

The one-time CEO and chairman of retail and service chain Sears has listed his seven-bedroom, 7.5-bathroom mountain mansion for $35 million.

Offering over 15,000 square feet of luxe living space and nestled in the breathtaking peaks of Aspen, CO, this fabulous residence truly shimmers thanks to its glass walls.

Built in 1987, the home sits on a 3-acre parcel.

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The new office will be located in Osterville and led by Managing Partner Eric Rollo, who launched The Agency Boston in 2021. It marks The Agency's 67th franchise globally.

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Renovating a home, no matter the time of year, can be equal parts exciting and overwhelming. However, renovating in the winter may come with its own set of additional issues.

Exterior renovations are especially risky during the colder months since the ground at your construction site can be slippery and wet. Plus, you need to take holiday travel schedules, inclement weather, and freezing temperatures into consideration. All of this can make finishing your remodel on time even more challenging than it already is.

To help you better prepare for wintertime home revamps, we tapped a few experts and asked them to divulge the most common missteps homeowners make. Avoid these mistakes when diving into a wintertime home renovation.

1. Choosing the wrong materials and equipment

It’s important to keep in mind that plastic window sealants might not stick and timber might expand when it’s freezing.

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The one thought on every renter’s mind on move-out day (aside from “How the heck am I going to get this sofa through the front door?”) has to do with the security deposit. Will you ever see that money again?

According to most leases, your only hope is to return your apartment in the same condition as when you took possession, beyond “normal wear and tear.” Still, though, this raises the question: What exactly is normal wear and tear, and what crosses the line?

Read on to learn just what you need to fix, and what you can let slide.

What qualifies as ‘normal wear and tear’

Unfortunately, when it comes to pinpointing wear and tear, there’s no specific laundry list of flaws that landlords will find acceptable to leave behind. It helps to think in terms of things you encounter in your own home on a daily basis.

Jonathan and Drew Scott

“Property Brothers” stars Jonathan and Drew Scott may make real estate look fun as they renovate houses on HGTV, but they also know that buying a house can be a daunting endeavor, especially today. Though many might worry that the current high interest rates and unpredictable market swings make this a terrible time to buy, the Scott brothers stand firm that it’s never a bad time—if you find the right house.

“You can make a good purchase in real estate whether it’s an up market, sideways market, rates up or down,” Jonathan says. “The big thing is you need all your information.”

To help shed light on exactly what info homebuyers need, the property brothers chatted with Realtor.com® as part of their partnership with Chase Bank to reveal some top real estate trends they’re seeing as well as their best advice for today’s homebuyers and sellers. They also shared some somewhat mortifying details about their own first foray into homebuying decades ago, as well as what they hope to do (and whom they hope to meet) down the road.

Can you tell us about your first time buying a home?

Jonathan Scott: We found a house that needed a ton of work. We didn’t have a bunch of cash lying around, so we saved a little bit of money. But really, the seller had to sell. He ended up doing a vendor take-back mortgage (aka owner financing) for a lot of his equity, which helped. It was a big eye-opener for us that there isn’t just one way to buy a house.

Here’s how to dress it up and choose the tools you’ll need — before you build that first roaring fire.