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Zillow violated copyright in rental listings, competitor alleges
Seattle-based Zillow is in hot water over the photos that populate its rapidly growing selection of rental listings. And another Seattle listings company could soon face similar trouble.
Virginia-based listing website CoStar sued Zillow on Wednesday, alleging Zillow illegally uses CoStar’s photos in a “widespread and systematic” pattern ...Read more

Are Philadelphia's historic preservation regulations too strict?
PHILADELPHIA — Jonathan Hessney moved to Philadelphia in 2021, settling his family in a Washington Square West home that dates to the 1970s.
So he was confused when he heard last year that the neighborhood — including many buildings of more recent vintage like his — was becoming a historic district, under the purview of the city’s ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: How can I get my neighbor to trim their overgrown, messy tree?
Q: We have a neighbor with an overgrown tree. We’ve tried everything to get her to trim it. She won’t do it, and it drops debris on our lawn and makes a mess of our house. What are our options? — Greg
A: Dealing with a neighbor’s overgrown tree can be a frustrating experience, especially when it encroaches on your property. While the ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: You Can Have the Things You Love
Frugality. It's a word that for many people screams deprivation; poverty. I get letters from readers who say they've had it with trying to live below their means and never having anything they love. "What's the point if all of this deprivation if it just makes me feel even more miserable?" was the way one woman closed her letter.
Look, I can't ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Another Brilliant Way to Use WD-40 Around the House
I had to laugh when I opened my mail to read how one reader was able to get his glass shower doors so clean and sparkly that they looked like new. I had a can of his remedy sitting right there next to my computer.
Hold on! Than can of WD-40 was NOT there to be used as a computer screen cleaner. I've never tried it, do not intend to and hope you...Read more

Parking minimums eliminated in much of Chicago, change aimed at adding housing density
In what proponents say is a pivotal change to how housing gets built in much of Chicago, developers will now have the easy option to dedicate less space to cars after the City Council eliminated parking minimums near public transit.
Builders putting residences within a half mile of a Chicago Transit Authority train or within a quarter mile of a...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: How to Cook Your Way Out of These Common Kitchen Mistakes
It happened again; I suffered a kitchen disaster. Boy, do I hate when that happens! This time, I ruined an entire pot of pasta because I got busy and was not paying attention. By the time I realized, the pasta had cooked beyond al dente all the way to al mushe. I could barely make out the pasta shape!
It killed me to dump the whole thing and ...Read more

These retirees found ways to save money living abroad
When tech layoffs hit Kelly Bowen-McCombs last August, then her husband, Leith McCombs, in May, the Woodinville, Washington, couple didn’t immediately think to move abroad.
But it soon dawned on them that they were facing a bleak job market. Rather than stick it out, the pair decided to take a leap of faith and relocate to France. There, they...Read more

Want to retire abroad? Here's what to consider first
The draw of retiring overseas can be tempting, especially in the face of stubbornly high costs of living in the Seattle area.
But before you go, experts recommend thorough research and planning. Retiring abroad comes with complications, including lifestyle changes, immigration hurdles and disruptions to health care coverage.
Here are a few ...Read more

What is the kiddie tax, how does it work and who has to pay it?
If a child collects a sizable amount of money from investments or other sources of unearned income in a given year, their parent or guardian will likely need to pay taxes on it. While a portion of the child’s income isn’t taxed, after reaching a certain level of income, a specific tax rule — nicknamed the kiddie tax — applies.
Here’s ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Frugal Fashion or Why I Shop in the Kids' Department (No Shame)
Let me save you a little time: Yes, I shop in the kids' clothing section -- and no, I'm not embarrassed. In fact, I've come to appreciate it as one of my top frugal fashion strategies. If that sounds strange, stick with me. By the end, you might be tempted to peek behind the rainbow unicorn display yourself.
I'm not talking about dressing like ...Read more

'The Home' review: Pete Davidson retirement home thriller is horror-ble
It's a case of geriatric panic in "The Home," a hapless horror movie starring Pete Davidson as a troubled man sent to work in a retirement home to avoid jail time.
While there he uncovers a bunch of grisly secrets, none of them remotely believable, in co-writer and director James DeMonaco's dour thriller that doesn't work on any conceivable ...Read more

This LA company builds venues for the world's biggest pop stars, sports teams and sumo wrestlers
Sports and music fans, flocking to a once-questionable corner of downtown, were the springboard for an L.A.-born multibillion-dollar empire of venues and events for screaming enthusiasts around the globe.
AEG, the company behind Crypto.com Arena and the L.A. Live district, has turned its know-how about hosting and promoting big shows into a ...Read more

New Illinois law aims to make it easier to evict squatters
A new Illinois law is intended to allow law enforcement to remove squatters from privately owned property without the necessity of a lengthy eviction process.
The measure, signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday, clarifies what has long been a point of contention over how authorities should handle squatters — people who are living in a ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: How do I convince 'unreasonable' neighbor to fix plants that are wrecking my fence?
Q: I have a chain-link fence separating my property from my neighbor’s. They have a bird of paradise and a coconut palm (that hatched from a coconut) that are destroying my fence. We’ve spoken to him, and he did a half-hearted job of fixing the problem. In fact, there was no real improvement at all. He refuses to discuss the issue. Very ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: The Best Sweet Corn Tricks Ever Plus More Great Reader Tips
Last week's mail certainly proved my theory that we have the best expert community going on here at Everyday Cheapskate. Even better, we're willing to share.
MICROWAVE CORN ON THE COB
Dear Mary: I wish to share a sweet corn trick with you and your readers that allows you to cook fresh corn in the husk in the microwave. Cut through the husk ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: 3 Rs to Put Personal Finances Back on Track
It's true that financial trouble is a major contributor to the breakup of the American family. It is also true that gaining control over one's finances can repair marriages, restore families and change the future. For that, I am eternally grateful.
Let me assure you right up front that it is possible for you to gain control of your financial ...Read more

Jonathan Lansner: 19% of California houses are owned by investors
Relatively speaking, California is not a hot spot for housing investors.
That’s a conclusion from my trusty spreadsheet’s review of data on investor activity across the nation from BatchData, a small data tracker that digs deeper into property records than many traditional real estate analysts.
BatchData reviewed California ownership ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Stop Making These Dishwasher Mistakes
MISTAKE: YOU NEED TO PRE-RINSE
Scrape off all the chunks of food from the dishes, but don't pre-rinse. It's not necessary and only wastes time and water. Unless you have particles of food on your dishes, pre-rinsing could actually hinder your dishwasher's performance. Dishwasher detergent needs the acidity of food to activate its cleaning power...Read more

Too many Americans live paycheck to paycheck. This researcher has some ideas to help
For all the change constantly happening in and around the Magic City, many Miamians feel stuck.
More than half of Miami-Dade’s population lives paycheck to paycheck. They’re spinning their wheels, moving from one day to the next, hoping they avoid the health emergency, job loss, car accident or hurricane that would push them over the ...Read more
Inside Consumer
Popular Stories
- Want to retire abroad? Here's what to consider first
- These retirees found ways to save money living abroad
- What is the kiddie tax, how does it work and who has to pay it?
- Parking minimums eliminated in much of Chicago, change aimed at adding housing density
- With a surging residency rate, this neighborhood is transforming LA