Forget the Open Floor Plan--It's Time to Bring Back Walls

Today, nearly 1 in 3 homes for sale is  new construction —and in certain areas, homebuyers can get a lot more bang for their buck because these  brand-new builds  are cheaper than older homes.   And with recent high mortgage and interest rates—before the Fed’s historic rate cut this week— discouraging some homebuyers from getting out there, builders who have properties to sell are offering a range of incentives to entice buyers. Here’s how—and where—to find affordable new-construction listings, pinpoint builder incentives that can help you lower the price, as well as pick up some negotiation tactics to get some sweet freebies thrown in to maximize your home purchase: Explore builder incentives Developers often drive sales by offering  special incentives  that amount to a discount on the house. Those deals might include the builder offering to pay some of a buyer’s  closing costs , offering free upgrades on materials, or even offering a  mortg...

  Every house has its own scent. Sometimes it's good, and sometimes it isn't. Creating the fragrance atmosphere that makes your home smell like, well, home, means considering all the different scents that permeate your space, from your candles and your cooking to your pet and your perfume.  Try a Stovetop Scent The clean, fresh scent of citrus and florals is easy to create with a few key ingredients found in your refrigerator or pantry. "Place a mixture of your favorite herbs, spices, and water in a pot and simmer on the stove. By mixing slices of lemon, orange, and lime with spices like mint, lavender, or basil, you can make your house smell great with things that are already in your kitchen. Use Candles Carefully While candles, diffusers, and fragrance sprays are simple ways to scent your home, you should only use them when you  aren't  cooking.. Run a Lemon Through Your Garbage Disposal You may not notice the smell of your garbage disposal, but lingering odor...