The Latest: 2019

It may not be a fixer-upper any longer, but this beautiful Waco property is certainly on the market. Patti Baker, a mother of two who had her gut reno and subsequent move-in to her rehabbed home documented in March of last year, was just featured on the January 9th episode of the hit HGTV series. But it turns out that Baker, who lost her husband back in 2013, has a pretty exciting reason for saying goodbye to her wonderful Waco home now: She got remarried!

Did you watch Ryan Murphy’s newest TV extravaganza, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, this week? The show, which follows the events leading up to and aftermath of Gianni Versace’s murder, features an all-star cast and Versace’s actual mansion. Now a luxury hotel, the Miami enclave of the designer is basically a character on the show.

Americans spend an average of $25,800 to remodel a small to mid-sized kitchen, according to the 2018 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study. That’s for a full overhaul including all new cabinetry and appliances; upgrading a larger kitchen (more than 200 square feet) averages $42,000. Those are big numbers, and no doubt most people do their best to trim them down if possible.

The United Kingdom last week created a new government leadership role, naming Tracey Crouch the world’s first “minister of loneliness.” While the idea might lend itself to punchlines, the role is designed to address what has become a surprisingly serious public health crisis. Loneliness contributes to addiction, depression, heart disease, and dementia; its long-term mortality effect is on par with smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

When you’re a Hollywood superstar of the mega-wattage of Whoopi Goldberg, nothing but a property with serious Silver Screen street cred will do. But after more than 20 years at her Pacific Palisades home, the EGOT winner and talk show host is moving on — listing the pedigreed estate for $6.25 million more than what she purchased it for back in 1993.

When going from a 2,200-square-foot traditional home to a 300-square-foot renovated RV, my family and I ended up getting rid of 80 percent of our belongings. Downsizing is an experience that I recommend to anyone—no matter the size of your home. While living in a tiny vehicle might not be for everyone, I believe that getting rid of all that overwhelming “stuff” can help you live simpler and sometimes even happier.

A new Helen Mirren movie about a rich heiress who builds a strange mansion is based on real events. While it sounds like the real house it centers around was less about ghost stories than Hollywood makes it out to be, the place is still imposing. Winchester’s trailer shows Sarah Winchester, the widow of rifle magnate William Wirt Winchester, as she builds room after room onto her mansion, trapping inside each of them the ghosts of those who died as a result of her husband’s firearms.