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Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Liberty Mutual canceled this Southern California homeowner's policy. Now she's suing

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

A Southern California homeowner is suing Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. for canceling her longstanding insurance policy, accusing the company of dropping her for bogus reasons.

In the proposed class-action lawsuit, Maria Badin said she had been a Liberty Mutual customer since 1993, when she bought her home in Poway. She alleged that in late ...Read more

Michael Abbott/Getty Images North America/TNS

Bill Cosby defaults on $17.5 million mortgage, faces foreclosure for a second NYC townhouse

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Bill Cosby, the disgraced comedian who has been accused of sexual assault by dozens of women, now has two Manhattan townhouses facing foreclosure.

Cosby, 87, allegedly defaulted on a mortgage for his 12,000-square-foot Upper East Side house after not making payments since June, according to court records. The complaint, filed in New York County...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Guidelines to dealing with problems

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

As 2025 begins, it looks like it will be another interesting year in real estate.

While it is difficult to predict the ebbs and flows of the market, I can say with certainty that some of you will have a problem concerning your home. Every problem is unique, but after decades of legal practice, I have developed some general guidelines to help ...Read more

K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

First-time home buyers 'struggle to find opportunities.' San Diego home price gains rank No. 7 in US

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SAN DIEGO — San Diego home price gains have slowed compared to remarkable highs over the past few years.

In October, the San Diego metropolitan area’s home price increased 4.5% annually, said the S&P Case-Shiller Indices report released Tuesday. The highest gains in the 20-city index were in the New York metro area, at 7.27%, and Chicago, ...Read more

Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Developers making millions from 'affordable housing' program lobbied California lawmakers to shut down regulation

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Developers who have reaped millions of dollars from an affordable housing program for middle-income renters with sometimes little-to-no discounts from market rents have spent hundreds of thousands on lobbying and campaign donations in recent years in a bid to keep lawmakers from imposing regulations.

The expenditures represent a fraction of the...Read more

Chase Stevens @csstevensphoto/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Las Vegas catching up on room losses with Tropicana, Mirage closures

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Southern Nevada lost more than 4,500 hotel rooms in 2024 when the Tropicana and Mirage closed their doors and the region won’t fully bounce back from those losses until the Hard Rock Las Vegas opens its doors in 2027, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said.

The Tropicana closed in April with its two towers imploded in October to...Read more

Vincent D. Johnson/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Discrimination based on source of income still widespread despite new Illinois law, housing advocates say; recent lawsuits may change that

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

After eight years on the waitlist, Mikia Knighten was excited to learn in October 2022 that she had received a housing voucher from the Chicago Housing Authority.

The rental subsidy would allow her to move to a better neighborhood with better opportunities for her and her now 4-year-old daughter, she said.

It was going to “take a little bit ...Read more

Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Being a 'bedroom community' comes at a cost for those south of Silicon Valley

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

For Trey Dremel, much of life is dictated by his commute. Every weekday morning, he leaves Morgan Hill, California, before dawn, driving at 4 a.m. to try and skip the traffic flowing north so he can make it to work on the San Francisco Peninsula on time. Most nights, he is in bed by 7:30 p.m. so he can wake up again for the early drive.

While ...Read more

Marco Bello/Getty Images North America/TNS

2025 crypto forecast: Bitcoin price predictions

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Traders love to hear projections about their investments, whether it’s stocks, cryptocurrency or something else entirely. But crypto traders follow forecasts even more closely than the average investor because crypto prices thrive on optimism. Without increasing levels of optimism, cryptocurrency would be worthless — and literally thousands ...Read more

Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America/TNS

Survey: Experts share the top overlooked investment themes that deserve more attention in 2025

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Stocks have mostly been on a tear in 2024, with the S&P 500 up more than 23% as of mid-December. But the strong performance has left stocks trading at elevated valuations, and the Federal Reserve has signaled it needs to see more progress on inflation in order to cut interest rates further in 2025.

So, what should investors look out for as ...Read more

Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Got an apartment and need some renters insurance? In California, be prepared to pay more

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — After renovations forced Monique Gomez to move out of her Westside apartment, the tenant of four years was surprised to learn she would have to find another company to sell her renters coverage.

Her insurer, State Farm General, stopped writing new property policies last year, and she was told that even though she was an existing...Read more

Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Fate of endangered Chicago historic buildings still hangs in the balance as feds weigh security needs

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

CHICAGO — Historic preservationists thought their demands had been answered this summer when the federal government appeared to green-light the rehab of the two century-old office towers it’s owned on State Street for nearly two decades. But security restrictions governing how the buildings are used going forward have raised questions about ...Read more

Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

South Florida has the hottest rental market in the nation, study says

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

A newly released study underscores the competitiveness — and perhaps the frustration — faced by renters across South Florida this year: It concludes the region is the hottest rental market in the country.

The study, conducted by RentCafe, is billed as a year-end report, recapping a year in which we saw somewhat plateauing rental prices, ...Read more

Andrey Popov/Dreamstime.com/TNS

More than a third of Americans say their retirement savings are way off track – 7 ways to get your fund going

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

For many people, retirement is a major goal and represents a life milestone. Unfortunately, 35% of American workers feel significantly behind when it comes to their retirement savings, according to Bankrate’s 2024 Retirement Savings Survey.

The good news is it’s never too late to open a retirement account — or to boost your savings if ...Read more

Kate Talerico/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Bay Area home sales are up 14% from last year, as once-reluctant buyers return to market

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

This fall, Risabh Kumar spent hours scanning home listings and touring open houses. He and his wife hoped there would be fewer homebuyers searching this time of year, especially with interest rates climbing back up again, but that hasn’t been the case.

“We’re trying to find a sweet spot and felt that, because interest rates are high, we ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Housing outlook for 2025: Stubborn mortgage rates, rebounding sales, and flat prices in most places

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Home sales across the country should rebound in 2025 after two sluggish years. But buyers shouldn’t count on 30-year mortgage rates dipping much below 6%. And homeowners in many parts of the country will be lucky to capture price gains above 2% next year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Realtor.com, however, has named ...Read more

Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Landlords beware: Rent-shamers are calling out overpriced listings online

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — The Facebook post seemed straightforward enough, offering up a newly built ADU rental in Burbank. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,000 square feet. A private yard. Finishes “you wouldn’t find in any other ADU.”

The price? $4,500 per month.

“Dam, ya’ll need to chill out!! $4,500 for an ADU??”

“Let the rich become ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: How can we find our dream home?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: After several years of renting, we plan to purchase our first home in the new year. Do you have any advice on how we can find our dream home? —Joan

A: Buying your first home is an exciting but anxious time. Getting caught up in the process and ‘losing the forest for the trees’ is easy.

When starting the process, make a written list of...Read more

Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America/TNS

We asked financial professionals what the biggest investing regrets are. Here are 5 things they said

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

When it comes to investing, many people look back and wish they would have done something differently, like not pulling their money out of the stock market when things got dicey or saving more for retirement. But sometimes taking a look at the mistakes of others can help you make more informed financial decisions.

We asked certified financial ...Read more

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Free tax filing with IRS Direct File: What you need to know

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The IRS Direct File program, which lets taxpayers file their federal income tax return directly with the IRS for free, is doubling its reach to 24 states for the 2025 tax season, up from 12 states in 2024, the program’s pilot year.

The Direct File program will also accept more types of tax situations for the 2025 tax season. While taxpayers ...Read more