Melissa Bayles's (melissabayles) Blog

Home improvement projects are on the rise, according to the BuildFax Remodeling Index. For the 19th straight month, May's index rose, suggesting that homeowners a...

Homebuilder confidence is falling -- a good sign for buyers of newly-built homes. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, the Housing Market Index slipped one point to 16 in April. It's the 5th time in 6 months that the index read 16 -- a figure exactly in line with the 1-year ave...

There's a long-standing myth that freezer-section produce is "worse for you" than fresh produce from a farm. The truth, however, is often the opposite. Because of upgrades in packaging and delivery methods, frozen produce is often more fresh than "fresh produce", and contains higher nutrient leve...

Consumer spending is alive and well, it seems -- unwelcome news for today's home buyers.  Wednesday, the Census Bureau will release its March Retail Sales figures and the report is expected to show higher sales receipts for the 9th straight month. A strong reading like that should spell higher m...

Most people spend about one-third of their life in the bedroom. So, how healthy is yours? In this 5-minute piece from NBC's The Today Show, you'll learn about dust mites, mold and the other hidden health risks in your bedroom. Some may be compriming your sleep, and others your well-being. The in...

As part of the Census Bureau's data collection activities from 2005-2009, a number of interesting charts have been published at http://census.gov. The data should not be confused with Census 2010 -- a separate survey conducted every 10 years. This is the first-ever, 5-year American Community Sur...

On a seasonally-adjusted basis, the Pending Home Sales Index rose 2 percent last month, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. A "pending home sale" ...

  According to the EPA, the average U.S. household spends close to $500 each year on water and sewage bills. But by making just a few small changes, that figure could drop by as much as $170 annually. It's all in how you use your water. In this 4-minute video from Lowe's, you'll learn basic water...

Single-family housing starts plunged unexpectedly last month. Nationwide, starts fell 12 percent from the month prior; and 29 percent from February of last year. February's figures represents the worst 1-month drop in housing starts since May 2010 -- the month that followed the expiration of last...

Homebuilders are optimistic about the housing market this spring, relative to recent months. According to the monthly Housing Market Index as published by the National Association of Homebuilders, after 4 straight months of reading 16, March homebuilder confidence ticked 1 point higher to 17. It'...