ARE BUILDER REFERENCES REALLY THAT HELPFUL OR JUST FLUFF? Honestly, I’ve always been skeptical when every reference is just glowing. Had a builder on...

I get the resale worry, but honestly, most buyers are way more concerned about water efficiency and durability these days—at least in my experience. H...

Honestly, I learned the hard way that not every designer cares about energy efficiency or sustainable materials. I had to push back a lot—if you want ...

Title: Finally Visualized My Apartment Layout And It Changed Everything Honestly, I used to think every quirky piece would just magically work some...

Honestly, if cities want people to use less water, they need to make the rewards obvious and automatic—no one wants to jump through hoops for a few bu...

MY ADVENTURE WITH DIY CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS Honestly, I’m not totally sold on the “eco-friendly” label for a lot of those sealers. Some of them just s...

WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS OF SWITCHING TO A 15-YEAR MORTGAGE Not gonna lie, I’m all about paying less interest to the bank. I still get grumpy think...

Honestly, I’ll take a little “salad bar” over breathing in mystery chemicals for weeks. The “plastic-y” look from water-based poly bugs me too, but at...

STRUGGLING WITH VENTILATION INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS LATELY Honestly, the inconsistency drives me nuts too. One inspector’s nitpicking is another’s af...

SINK FIXTURES DRIVING ME NUTS LATELY Honestly, I’ve never understood the obsession with these “statement” finishes. I went with brushed stainless in ...

LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE LAND—ANY HIDDEN GEMS? Can’t argue with the headaches of a weirdly shaped lot, but I’ll say this—if you’re willing to build sma...