When it comes to adding coats of paint, Rule #1 is that your walls must be stain-free before adding the next coat of paint.

The year is half-over. It's an opportune time to take stock of analyst predictions made at the start of the year, and to recognize that the "experts" can be wrong as often as they are right.

Friday morning, at 8:30 AM ET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its June Non-Farm Payrolls report. If you're currently shopping for a mortgage, or floating a mortgage rate, be prepared. Mortgage rates can change following the monthly report's release. Often, by a lot.

In this 5-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show, you'll learn a dozen complementary home-shopping techniques to help you review and evaluate a home for purchase. Each is focused on findings you won't see listed on a website.

The interest rate differential between fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages continues to widen and has now reached historic levels. There's never been a better time to lock an ARM.

According to data from the National Association of REALTORS, the Pending Home Sales Index smashed analyst expectations, jumping 8 percent on a monthly basis in May.

Maybe homes are holding value better than we thought.

There are some U.S. towns in which the cost of living remains affordable -- and downright cheap -- as compared to the national average.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury, a poison to humans and pets. The EPA provides guidance on handling broken bulbs.

Last month, the number of new homes sold on an annualized, seasonally-adjusted basis tallied 319,000. The May reading is the second-highest of the year, and 6 percent above the current 12-month average.

Wednesday, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged within its current target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. The vote was 10-0 -- the fourth straight unanimous vote for the nation's Central Bank.

Home resales slipped 4 percent in May, falling below the 5,000,000-unit mark on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis for the first time since February.