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All About First-Time Homebuyer Grants

Buying a home can be crazy expensive, and for most first-time buyers, the hardest part is saving up a sizable down payment. You’ve no doubt heard that the traditional down payment should be 20% of the purchase price — any less, and you’ll likely have to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI) or get stuck with a higher long-term interest rate. And who’s got 20% of, say, $300,000 just kicking around in their bank account? However, that 20% figure isn’t set in stone.

Jon Gorey

Oct 18, 2017

Calling All Collectibles: Inspiring Ways To Display Your Treasures

Whether you collect Pez dispensers, straw hats, heart-shaped rocks, or anything else on earth, you probably want to corral your treasures in an attractive, efficient fashion. These 15 examples, including detailed DIYs, might inspire you to put your beloved collection on display at last. The upper edge of this large-scale frame is the perfect spot to line up an impressive collection of Pez dispensers.

Tess Wilson

Oct 18, 2017

This Map Shows Just How Many Hours You Have to Work to Pay Your Mortgage

In some expensive cities, it can feel like every dollar you earn goes straight toward housing. It turns out, it may not be your imagination. A new data visualization by HowMuch.net shows how many hours the average household in 98 U.S. cities would need to work each month just to afford the median mortgage payment in their city.

Jon Gorey

Oct 18, 2017

How to Flu-Proof Every Spot in Your Home

While the CDC recommends that “the single best way to prevent the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season,” it’s also a good idea to pay special attention to where germs in your home can proliferate and be passed around, especially if someone in your household gets sick. Flu germs can live on hard surfaces for 24 hours, so target these hot spots in particular.

Shifrah Combiths

Oct 17, 2017

How to Set Up Your Living Room (Without a Focus on the TV)

Let's focus on another time-honored living room pastime: conversation.

Nancy Mitchell

Oct 17, 2017

Decor Double Take: A High & Low Cost Version of a Super Trendy Mirror

Some trends come and go, while others come, stay, and leaving us saying, “wait, why wasn’t this always a thing?”. With a simplicity and softness that feels timeless in its appeal, we think trendy round mirrors are here to stay. If you’ve been on the fence about “rounding out” your mirror collection, here are two nearly identical round brass-framed mirrors in two not-so-identical price points ($50 vs.

Jessica Isaac

Oct 17, 2017

Partner

Benjamin Moore Just Set Us Up for a Strong, Energetic 2018

We wait for Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year like cinephiles wait for Oscar nominations, and the 2018 announcement did not disappoint: The paint pros picked Caliente AF-290, a strong and energetic red with personality to spare. Benjamin Moore chose Caliente for its bold, luxe vibe. “Strong, radiant and full of energy, Caliente AF-290 is total confidence.

Creative Studio

Oct 17, 2017

Glenn Frey of The Eagles’ Brentwood Park Mansion Just Hit the Market for $15M

Jeff Lebowski’s feelings on the band notwithstanding, The Eagles were beloved to many and inducted in the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame for a reason. Now, one lucky buyer can scoop up his or her own Hotel California: Eagles founder Glenn Frey’s widow just put their Brentwood Park mansion on the market for $15 million.

Melissa Massello

Oct 16, 2017

Downsizing in Style in a Toronto Condo

Project by: Cynthia Ferguson Designs Location: Toronto, Ontario Cynthia was enlisted to help a family of four downsize from their family home into a condo that would better suit their life now. Working with her clients she was able to create a chic space that mixes new pieces with old favorites. From Cynthia: With their two daughters moving on to University, my client decided to take advantage of the crazy real estate market in Toronto and downsize from their family home.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 16, 2017

10 Ways to Get Rid of That Terrible Smell in Your Kitchen Sink

(Image credit: Elissa Crowe) From Kitchn → 10 Ways to Get Rid of That Awful Smell in Your Kitchen Sink null

Apartment Therapy

Oct 16, 2017

Readers Weigh In: This is the Room You Should Always Clean First

Getting the toughest room out the way first will help jumpstart the rest of your housekeeping responsibilities.

Caroline Biggs

Oct 16, 2017

JLo & A-Rod Are Apparently Eyeing Apartments In This Midtown Skyscraper

If the real estate gossip is to be believed, abbreviated power couple J-Rod is closing in on their new pad. The superstar actress and singer and former baseball player have been seen peeking around one (particularly tall) residential building. The New York Post’s Page Six reported that JLo and A-Rod have visited units at Midtown property 432 Park Avenue four times thus far.

Tara Bellucci

Oct 16, 2017

This Is the Only Sheet Brand I’ll Ever Buy Again—Here’s Why

I always thought good sheets were an investment. Until I found the last set of sheets I'll ever buy...and for cheap.

Shifrah Combiths

Oct 16, 2017

The Key to Buying a Home? Be a White College Graduate, According to This Data

A new study by Apartment List shows a stark and concerning racial divide in the homeownership rate.

Jon Gorey

Oct 16, 2017

This Item is the Biggest Lifesaver in My Tiny Kitchen

When I started my hunt for the perfect tiny New York apartment, I knew that it would probably come with a tiny kitchen, too. I got lucky: my kitchen actually has a full-sized fridge, and it even has an oven. (Yes, there are people in New York who are paying lots and lots of money to rent apartments with no oven.) And while my kitchen is small—it only has two and a half feet of counter space—I saw others that were even smaller.

Nancy Mitchell

Oct 16, 2017

How to Pull Off Painting Your Living Room Black

Or as the actual (but too long) title to this post should read: How to Pull Off Painting Your Living Room Black and It Not Look Like an Angsty Goth ’80s Teen Is Gearing up for a Halloween Party While Their Parents Are Out of Town. I’m here today to let you know it is possible to rock super dark paint on the walls, ceilings, shelving, mantel, fireplace, etc. and not look like you went on Trading Spaces with The Addams Family.

Adrienne Breaux

Oct 16, 2017

Clever Ways to Reuse Clothes Hangers Around the House

No more hanging around in the donation box – give them a new purpose!

Amelia Lawrence

Oct 15, 2017

A Smartly-Styled Milwaukee Studio

Name: Jessica Location: Eastside — Milwaukee, Wisconsin The basics: 3 months, rented —450 square feet Jessica’s apartment looks much larger than its 450 square feet. Since hosting was a priority for her, and she didn’t want folks playing Apples to Apples on her bed, she decided to divide up her studio to carve out a specific spot for entertaining. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I’m a public accountant and photographer.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 15, 2017

Find Your Best Bedroom Layout with a King-Sized Bed

In this space planning series, Layout Lessons, we’ll be exploring layout options for different bed sizes within various shaped bedrooms because things can get tricky sometimes. We tapped Eleanor Büsing, a contributing writer for Apartment Therapy and an interior designer in her own right, for her expert opinion on the matter. Here, how to deal when only a King bed will do.

Eleanor Büsing

Oct 14, 2017

Ugly Design, The Instagram Account That Makes Us Both Laugh and Cringe

Normally, we prefer to feature examples of design we love, but on occasion, something comes along that is such a head scratch (or a belly laugh) that we just can’t help ourselves. Thankfully, an Instagram account called Ugly Design exists to provide a whole host of examples of the latter. Ugly Design, created by Swiss founders Jonas Nyffenegger and Sebastien Mathys, has over 87,000 followers on Instagram as of this writing (there is also a Tumblr). “I consider ugly as beautiful.

Tara Bellucci

Oct 14, 2017

R.L. Stine’s Apartment Tour is Giving Us Goosebumps

Of course everyone’s favorite young adult thriller writer would share his office with a skeleton, a giant cockroach, and a real-life version of his famously homicidal ventriloquist dummy, Slappy. This week on the New York Times‘ video tour series The Daily 360, we get a peek inside R.L.

Melissa Massello

Oct 14, 2017

A Small, Sweet & Plant-Filled Apartment in Raleigh

Name: Hannah Location: Raleigh, North Carolina The basics: 2.5 years, rented — 385 square feet Hannah’s adorable apartment comes complete with an enviable amount of sunlight, which she in turn uses to grow a ton of plants. Green mixes with pops of color and funky finds to create a totally winsome little space.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 13, 2017

How to Prevent Pumpkins from Rotting And Keep Your Jack-O-Lantern Looking Fresh for Weeks

For a holiday all about horror, the most terrifying thing about Halloween might just be how long you have to wait to carve your pumpkin. Depending on the weather where you live, you might only get a few days — maybe a week, tops — with your Jack-O-Lantern before mold and rot set in, or the whole thing shrivels and dries out. Cornell University horticulturist Steve Reiners told NPR that the best storage temperature for pumpkins is 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Taryn Williford

Oct 13, 2017

Before & After: A Bedroom Gets a Serious Boost of Warmth & Character

Ciao wall to wall carpet!

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 13, 2017

I Only Ever Stay in Hostels. Here’s Why.

(Image credit: Eco Mama Hotel) From Kitchn → I Only Ever Stay in Hostels. Here’s Why. null

Apartment Therapy

Oct 13, 2017

This Interactive Tool Will Show You the City Where You Should be Living

There are a lot of factors that go into making a big move, and for many people, the top priority is either their job or their family. But if you’re on your own and you have job flexibility to go basically wherever you want (i.e. you work remotely), then what? In that case, you have the luxury of finding a place that suits you—and not necessarily just your career. To help you figure out the best U.S. city for you and your priorities, HighSpeedInternet.

Brittney Morgan

Oct 13, 2017

An Architect Maximizes Space and Finds The Light in Her New York Home

Name: Sarah, her husband, their daughter and cat Location: New York, New York The basics: Owned, 5 months — 1,100 square feet Sarah and her family have created a sleek, minimalist family home in New York. Full of smartly hidden storage and light maximizing colors, the space feels airy and bright.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 12, 2017

Are People Really Painting Their Walls White For Insta-Stardom?

The Wall Street Journal recently published a story with a simple yet shocking premise: “To make their home interiors look better on Instagram and amass more followers, millennials and social-media mavens are painting their walls white.” What do you think of that? What do we think of that?

Tess Wilson

Oct 12, 2017

What Tax Breaks Can I Get as a First-Time Homebuyer?

In 2008, the U.S. housing market was already cratering as the Great Recession took hold. To try and stop the bleeding, Congress passed a series of first-time homebuyer tax credits, each more generous than the last. First came a $7,500 tax rebate, to be repaid over 15 years with no interest. By early 2009, it had grown to $8,000, and required no payback whatsoever. And for most of 2010, even some repeat home buyers were eligible for a tax credit worth up to $6,500.

Jon Gorey

Oct 12, 2017

Before & After: Creating an Outdoor “Boss Bar” on a Budget

Regine’s backyard presented a bit of a conundrum. She wanted to create a space for lounging and hosting, but a large part of her backyard was taken up with the driveway to the garage. Not to be deterred, she got creative and over the course of three summers, created a backyard oasis on a budget. From Regine: Our backyard before was begging to be made into something pretty.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 12, 2017

Food Gifts You Can Start Preparing Now for the Holidays

(Image credit: Emma Christensen) From Kitchn → Food Gifts to Start Preparing Now for the Holidays null

Apartment Therapy

Oct 12, 2017

A Small but Stylish San Francisco Studio

Name: Cori Location: San Francisco, California The basics: 3 years, rented — 235 square feet Cori’s San Francisco studio is so full of sunlight and whimsical finds that it seems much bigger than its 235 square feet. Decorated carefully over time, Cori mixes small space-saving furniture with funky art and accessories.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 11, 2017

Can You Wash a Rug at the Car Wash? We Find Out

When my friend Emily and I first met, I knew we were meant to be BFF’s after hearing all her wonderful tales of growing up in a big old victorian home. I was just 18, but already desperately in love with great big old houses, so of course I gravitated toward people who lived in them. One tale in particular she told, was the story of how each year her entire family would load up all the carpets in the house and take them to the carwash to be cleaned.

Ashley Poskin

Oct 11, 2017

Before & After: A Family Home Gets Two New Bathrooms

Melanie’s rowhome had a surplus of bedrooms and a deficit of bathrooms so the math was easy to do. The actual renovation, however, was not so easy. After an extended timeline and a few plumbing snafus, they now have one newly remodeled bath and one entirely new one.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 11, 2017

Partner

Win: $1,000 to Create Your Own Stunning Wall Mural

Prize: A gift card for $1,000 to spend at Murals Your Way From: Murals Your Way Value: $1,000 Whether a full wall covering or an accent wall, a mural tells a complete story — one that is sure to be the statement-making piece of your home. With Murals Your Way offering endless customizable options, the story is entirely yours to write. And one lucky reader will win a super special jumpstart to writing theirs: a $1,000 gift card to spend on the Murals Your Way collection.

Creative Studio

Oct 11, 2017

Haunted Houses Don’t Spook All Home Buyers, Survey Says

Picture it: the house you’re looking at comes with three bedrooms, two baths, and a couple of ghosts. Is that a deal breaker? For some, not necessarily, according to a new survey released today by Realtor.com. The company surveyed more than 1,000 online respondents and found that a third of them are open to living in a haunted house, with 25 percent in the maybe camp, and the remaining 42 percent saying definitely not.

Tara Bellucci

Oct 11, 2017

These Are The 6 Types of Minimalists. Which One Are You?

Minimalism, in modern culture, is a word infused with so much meaning that it doesn’t seem to mean anything any more. “Minimalism” is thrown around carelessly, and often offered (in the case of a book or an article, including many you might see on this site) without enough context to understand if we’re all on the same page. And often, we aren’t. It turns out there are many different ways to practice the same underlying, abstract foundation.

Taryn Williford

Oct 11, 2017

What Chip Gaines’ Night In Jail Taught The Fixer Upper Stars About Money

They may be HGTV tycoons these days, but that wasn’t always the case for Chip and Joanna Gaines. The duo, who recently announced that they’re ending their beloved home renovation show Fixer Upper, say they learned their best lesson about money over a decade ago, when Chip was tossed in the county jail after he was busted for having $2,500 racked up in tickets.

Megan Johnson

Oct 10, 2017

Newlyweds Nest into Their Dallas Home

Name: Beth and Jake Location: Dallas, Texas The basics: 1 year, rented — 900 square feet Newlyweds Beth and Jake have created a cozy cocoon of a home that is warm, welcoming and perfect for entertaining. Layering textures and eclectic finds, their space is full of funky organic vibes. Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: My husband Jake and I recently got married, so this is our first space together as newlyweds, and it has been such an oasis for us.

Apartment Therapy Submissions

Oct 10, 2017

83 Percent of Renters Want Out of New York City

It’s not surprising to learn that there are a lot of people who want to leave their expensive cities for a lower cost of living. But what is a little surprising? The concentration of people who want to move out of the Big Apple—a whopping 83.2 percent of renters in New York City want to settle elsewhere, according to a Apartment List’s annual survey.

Brittney Morgan

Oct 10, 2017

No Shiplap In Sight In This $925K Modern Barn Conversion

Ever since Chip & Joanna popularized the term “barndominium” on Fixer Upper last year, it seems like modern farmhouse barn conversions are becoming a dime a dozen. Not so for this contemporary update of an 1870s dairy farm just an hour outside of Boston.

Melissa Massello

Oct 10, 2017

The Minimalists Are on a National Tour To Help You Purge Your Stuff

The Minimalists didn’t invent decluttering, but they sure are spreading the message. The popular duo are currently on a nationwide tour to help people purge themselves of stuff and the emotional baggage that goes along with it. Today, The Cut has an in depth feature on the Ohio bloggers, as well as the stories of people whom they have helped.

Tara Bellucci

Oct 10, 2017

Check Out This Brooklyn Townhouse Made From Shipping Containers

On a corner in Williamsburg, you’ll spot a unique house: A townhome built from the ground up using 21 shipping containers that were sliced to give the dwelling its unique shape. The project has been in the works for three years, but now we get our first look inside the quirky space. Dezeen shared images of the place last week and chatted with the design studio, LOT-EK, about the opportunities and challenges of the project.

Tara Bellucci

Oct 10, 2017

Partner

Draw on Your Walls with DIY Cord Art

We love macramé as much as anyone, but maybe you want your walls to be fun and functional, especially if you’re working with limited space. DIY cord art is the happy medium. Not familiar, you say? It’s low-budget bedside (or anyplace) lighting that’s colorful, creative, and easy to install. All you need are a couple of plug-in pendant lights with long cords and a few (OK, quite a few) Command™ Clear Round Cord Clips.