Homes

If you've put off the planning, planting and weeding that come with springtime gardening, fear not! We've selected Web sites to help you put together a last-minute garden. You'll find advice for which plants bloom in your zone, and how to get your soil in shape.

With many "Extreme Makeover" homeowners struggling financially, the show has responded by scaling back to better fit the current economic climate.

The design of a building in Tallinn is meant to encourage democracy, calling attention to the impacts of architecture and design on quality of life in different communities.

A new rule that puts appraisal management companies between brokers and appraisers is threatening to put appraisers out of business, hurting home buyers and sellers in the process.

Property taxes, bills, neighborhood pressures and legal issues can add up for some "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" recipients, leading to foreclosure, sale and other trouble.

Herbs can be a perfect introduction to gardening for those with limited space or little experience. Find out the history of various herbs, which herbs will flourish in your climate and how to grow them, and which ones pack the most punch in a recipe. Filling your home with the scent of lavender, lemon verbena or mint is easier than you think.

The investment in your 401k might not pay off as you’d hoped, but the investments you make in improving your home will not only bring you a bit of joy right now, but may reward you later when this whole thing blows over. But what are the best things to fix up when your budget is tight? FindingDulcinea explores home renovations during tough times.

Spent another morning stumbling through heaps of dirty clothes and mounds of old mail looking for your keys? That’s no way to live. These five Web sites offer straightforward tips on how to organize your house. Even the messiest among us have to start somewhere.

A nationwide “produce the note” trend is helping some homeowners avoid foreclosure, or at least delay proceedings long enough to potentially find a solution to their problem.

Recent research has found that urban environments have a detrimental effect on cognitive functioning. Exposure to nature may be the cure.

Mortgage giant Fannie Mae announced Monday that it is in the final stages of a plan to allow renters to continue living in properties that are in danger of foreclosure.

The two mortgage giants announced Thursday the suspension of foreclosures of occupied homes from Nov. 26 to Jan. 9, buying time to help struggling borrowers.

Adult-only communities can bring funding to schools without the cost of additional students, but they pose problems, too.

The refrigerator door handle, doorknobs, and TV remotes are all places where germs often prosper, sometimes for days.

A year after a wealthy family in Britain fled their estate—the allegedly haunted Clifton Hall—the bank reclaims their property.

In preparation for high heating costs this winter, some homeowners are buying gallons of oil from classified-ad Web sites like Craigslist.