House Calls: Making a long living room more inviting

By Terri Sapienza, Published: August 24

THE CHALLENGE
Karen and Gordon Graham and daughters Cecilia, Caitlin and Mia are stumped by the living room in their Kensington home. The front door opens directly into the 32-by-14-foot space, making furniture placement a challenge.

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(Leah L. Jones/ For The Washington Post ) - The room’s length has proved a design challenge.

Stores offering designer dorm gear for the college-bound

By Jenna Johnson, Published: August 19

As soon as Amanda Zuckerman graduated from Potomac’s Winston Churchill High School in 2009, she began another rite of passage: shopping for her college dorm room.
Long gone, it seems, are the days of grabbing milk crates and grandma’s extra quilt and making do. Students prepared to spend $100,000 on an undergraduate degree increasingly are willing to invest in transforming the dorm into something closer to a first apartment.

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(Matt McClain/ FOR THE WASHINGTON POST ) - This is what your college dorm room could look like.

How To: Repair cracks in a concrete garage floor before applying paint or epoxy

By Jeanne Huber, Published: August 3

Q. We have owned our home since it was constructed in 1984. The garage floor is now stained and cracked. We were going to paint it with a product advertised for use on garage floors. But we called the company and were told that the paint does not fill cracks. Do you have any advice about how to repair the cracks and remove or mask the stains? Is this something that homeowners can do on their own, or should we get a professional?

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Buying is cheaper than renting in most U.S. cities

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By Les Christie August 16, 2011: 6:07 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Home prices have taken such a beating and demand for rental units has increased so much that it's now cheaper to buy a two-bedroom home than to rent one in most major U.S. cities.
According to real estate web site Trulia, buying was cheaper than renting in 74% of the country's 50 largest cities in July. In just 12% of the cities, including New York, Seattle and San Francisco, renting was cheaper. In the remaining 14% of cities, renting was less expensive but close to the cost of buying.

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Make a Great First Impression

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Inexpensive ways to make your home shine

By Michele Dawson

Once your home is listed and the for-sale sign is firmly implanted in your front lawn, all is ready for would-be buyers to tour your home. Or is it?

As anyone in the real estate industry will tell you, it's important to make your home look its best when it comes time to show it. That first impression is everything. Even if you're in a market where homes are selling quickly and for full asking price, it's still key to spruce up your home and prove that it's worth every penny you're asking. And it doesn't have to cost you a fortune.

 

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Mortgage rates plunge, flirting with new lows

By Les Christie August 3, 2011: 3:40 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- As Congress and President Obama hammered out a debt deal over the past week, mortgage rates plunged -- hitting new lows in some instances.
The 30-year fixed rate, usually the most popular choice for homebuyers, fell to 4.45% from 4.57% last week -- its lowest point since last November, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
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Barry Dixon, one of D.C.’s top designers, shares his tips

View Photo Gallery —  Designer Barry Dixon’s second book, “Barry Dixon Inspirations,” offers tips on re-creating his famous looks. Here’s a look at some of those designs.

By Megan Buerger, Published: August 3

It has always been tough to describe Washington’s signature style. How do you relate the historic estates in Kalorama and Georgetown to the burgeoning arts quarters on H and U streets? Barry Dixon, one of the city’s best-known interior designers, thinks he’s found a way.

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New Md. law says condo associations can require that unit owners have insurance

By Benny L. Kass, Published: July 29

Starting in October, condominium associations in Maryland can vote to require that all unit owners carry homeowner’s insurance. What is unique about this law is that it only requires the approval of 51 percent of all condo owners.
Traditionally, to amend condominium legal documents, a super majority vote is required — usually up to 75 percent. In this case, however, the Maryland legislature has made it easier to change a condo’s bylaws.

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2011 D.C. farmers market listings

Published: May 3 | Updated: Wednesday, March 23, 12:45 PM

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Making a living room a sophisticated yet family-friendly space

By Terri Sapienza, Published: July 20

THE CHALLENGE
“My husband and I have no eye for design,” says Martha Murray, mother of two young daughters, Maddie and Carrie. She’d like some ideas for the 12-by-24-foot living room, which she says is the hub of their family’s Great Falls home.

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