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Tending to Our Homes and Our Hearts With TikTok Star Mercury Stardust Mar. 28, 2025
Mercury Stardust visited my local library last weekend to talk about her New York Times No. 1 bestse... Read More
Should You Replace the Roof? Apr. 04, 2024
Dear James: A dark spot appears on the ceiling after a rain. The roof is not terribly old. How can I... Read More
Riding the Wave Feb. 13, 2024
We hadn't had the new microwave that long when, all of a sudden, it decided it just didn't want to m... Read More
Repairing Family After a Messy Divorce Jan. 23, 2024
Dear Annie: I've been married to my husband for 16 years. He and his ex-wife did not end on good ter... Read More
$8 Takes Ugly to Beautiful Dec. 28, 2023
Today's first great reader tip makes me smile. I'll be honest, I've seen ugly on a clearance rack an... Read More
Prepare And Paint Outdoor Wood Trim Nov. 02, 2023
Dear James: It seems like I have to repaint the exterior wood trim every two years because it peels.... Read More
Clever Readers Share Their Best Time- and Money-Saving Tips Sep. 26, 2023
My email inbox, much like yours, I'm sure, is often brimming with spam, ads and all kinds of other d... Read More
Simple Tips to Persuade Your Car Keep Going for 200,000 Miles or Longer Sep. 25, 2023
With new and used cars still painfully expensive, it seems that Americans are holding on to their ve... Read More
How to Fix Scratches on Glass Aug. 10, 2023
Our homes are well-accessorized with glass from windowpanes to shower doors to tabletops to lovely g... Read More
Keep Your Septic System Working Well Aug. 03, 2023
Dear James: We have a septic system at our small farmhouse. It would be convenient to add a garbage ... Read More
Plastic Laminate Countertop Is Easy to Install Apr. 13, 2023
Dear James: My budget is very limited, but I need a new kitchen countertop. Is there any type of att... Read More
Builder Contract for New House Mar. 16, 2023
Dear James: We have the rough plans done for our new house and need to hire a contractor. What shoul... Read More
A Little Appliance Know-How Can Save a Lot of Money Feb. 08, 2023
If you've been reading this column for any length of time, you know that my husband and I have repai... Read More
Should You Fix It or Nix It? Feb. 07, 2023
You're worried that the washing machine is on its last spin cycle. It makes a horrible screeching so... Read More
Five Factors to Consider Before Buying a Home in 2023 Dec. 20, 2022
Dear Monty: We are baby boomers that are considering a lifestyle change. We have raised our family h... Read More
How to Repair Your Credit and Improve Your Credit Score Dec. 13, 2022
Your credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850, generated by a mathematical algorithm... Read More
The Difference Between Mediation and Litigation Dec. 13, 2022
Dear Monty: We recently sold our home. Everything went smoothly from beginning to end. A week ago, w... Read More
A Big Belching House Guest Nov. 09, 2022
Our house is not haunted, but just try to tell that to our guests. "Our water heater makes funny noi... Read More
Useful Tips from Readers Nov. 08, 2022
Once again my very clever readers have reminded me that it's the little ways we avoid spending money... Read More
The Perfect Real Estate Transaction Nov. 08, 2022
Dear Monty: You describe your writing as advocacy for industry reform. You also stated that technolo... Read More
