ARA expands advocacy, hires John Blount to lead lobbying

The American Real Estate Association (ARA) announced Friday that John Blount will serve as the Mauricio Umansky and Jason Haber-founded trade group’s chief lobbyist.  Blount spent years as chief lobbyist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), directing the association’s advocacy shop. He he

‘Home Town’ Star Erin Napier Reveals Husband Ben Napier’s Weekend Habit That Still ‘Tickles’ Her 20 Years Later

“Home Town” star Erin Napier is sharing a sweet look at family life with her parents and husband, Ben Napier, giving fans the opportunity to smile along with an unofficial tradition that’s been making her laugh every week for decades. In an Aug. 10 Instagram post, the HGTV host, 40, uploaded a candi

Consumer Sentiment Wanes as War Rekindles Business Concerns

Consumer attitudes toward the economy reversed course as sentiment fell by nearly 8% so far for August. The University of Michigan’s monthly preliminary consumer sentiment survey reported a sharp decline. On a month-over-month basis, consumer sentiment dropped by 7.6%, ending the nation’s two-month

Your Electricity Bill Is Skyrocketing. These Are The ‘Energy Hogs’ Driving Up Your Costs

If you’re trying to reduce energy usage in your home, your first instinct may be to unplug your phone charger. While this is all good and well, it won’t make as much of a difference as you might expect.  It’s the larger appliances—like HVAC systems and water heaters—that secretly drain electricity a