Homeowners dive into do-it-yourself projects with the notion that it may take longer, but the huge savings will offset the extra time spent. Unfortunately, all too often these projects end up taking three times longer to complete AND three times as much money…most notably when a professional is hired to fix that DIY disaster. Here are 7 common DIY disasters and mistakes that will make you think twice, or at least think better, before jumping into your next project. …continue reading 7 DIY Disasters

You tell us. Are you someone who loves a good idea, especially one designed for the practical purposes of a kitchen? Well, practical may not be the first word that comes to mind when you read about the following modern gadgets. But if not practical, then what? What’s ingenious to some may prove unnecessary to others. High-tech kitchen electronics now have quite a long list of qualifications, from printing out your grocery list to protecting your ice-cream. Whether or not they’re actually useful really depends on you and the type of kitchen you envision. One thing’s for sure, there’s a lot of imagination out there! Check out these 15 devices to start:

1. The Connected Kitchen. This includes a refrigerator with an LCD TV screen built into it, with a touch-sensitive screen and Internet access. Because you never know when the hunger pangs might hit, at the same time you need to check your email. At least, maybe that’s what LG Electronics had in mind?
2. Food Robot. This 5-foot-high electronic chef can be programmed to make a one-pot meal, via a cooker placed in its belly and a screen on its chest. Something for your holiday list, perhaps? …continue reading 15 High-Tech Kitchen Gadgets - Useful or Over-the-Top?

Generation “Y” is growing up, and growing up fast. At a rate faster and younger than their Baby Boomer and Gen-X predecessors, Generation Y’ers are buying homes. The average age of a home buyer now rests at 26…yet these young prospectors are all but resting. They are technology and internet savvy, fearless and emboldened and, perhaps, the bit of glue holding a slumping housing market together.

But what sort of home features are these new homeowners looking for? It is not the vast acreage of rural America. And it is not the gargantuan McMansions of their parent’s generation. So what are they buying? They are buying small. They are buying green. And they are getting what they want, and sooner than their parents did.

Generation Y’ers tend to live a busybody lifestyle, juggling as many activities in a day as they do websites—and they want homes that fit this go-getter lifestyle. They like to travel a lot and so do not want large, high maintenance homes. They are ecologically minded and thus do not want rural homes, they want a home with access to public transit or close enough to work so that they can walk. …continue reading The Generation Y Home