AI voice-activated assistants have been available since Siri took the world by storm in April of 2011. Hot on her heels was Google’s Google Now, Microsoft’s Cortana, and finally Amazon’s Alexa in late 2014. While there were a good number of early adopters who hit the ground running when Siri first debuted and several more who have done so on the other platforms since then, there are plenty of smart tech users who don’t use voice-activated functions. 

Recent innovations in voice-activated smart speakers mean that homeowners can sync their AI assistants to their refrigerators, thermostats, home alarm systems, and even their lighting inside and outside the home. While the butler robots many of us would hope for are still quite a ways off, smart

Homeowners carry expense burdens that renters are able to avoid. Home repairs, homeowner’s insurance, and property taxes are the heavy hitters, often consuming so much of their income that homeowners find themselves less able to purchase the goods and services they desire, not to mention luxury items and vacations.

Tax filing, while never enjoyable or exciting, is a key opportunity for homeowners to recoup a portion of the money they’ve had to put into their home by taking full advantage of the deductions and credits that exist to assist them. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at just a few of the tax breaks that any homeowner should consider.

One note before we get started: these homeowner deductions are all itemized. That means you won’t be

As you may have read, Facebook is making some major changes to your newsfeed. In an effort to create a more meaningful, community-based space, Facebook is putting a high priority on posts from your friends and families. While we love the concept, this means that business pages, even ones you have liked and chosen to follow, will now be buried. If you’d like to keep seeing more of our posts, make sure to follow the instructions below!

On Your iPhone:

1. First, press the menu button in the bottom right-hand corner of
2. Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and select “Settings.”
3. Select “News Feed Preferences.”
4. Select “Prioritize Who to See First.”
5. Select the pages and profiles you want to see appear first in your news feed.
6. Select

Owning and taking care of a home is a lot of work, especially if you have a spouse, kids, or even pets running around all of the time. Sometimes, keeping up with your house can be difficult, but having a roof over your head is a privilege. Let’s make 2018 the year to step up your game as not only a homeowner, but also a neighbor. Here are some tips to help you conquer your job as a better homeowner in 2018.

Go Green

As a homeowner, it is important to realize the impact that having a home has on the planet. Many people probably want to take a step towards greener living, but may not know how to do it and may be afraid of their wallets being emptied in the process. We can’t deny the landfills that we see overflowing and the water sources

Holiday decorating has such a warm, cozy, and festive allure to it. Think: Wearing your favorite sweater and fuzzy socks with a hot cocoa in hand while playfully hanging up decorations with the kids. Of course, there’s also that perfect holiday playlist in the background and heck, why not hope for gently falling snow outside, as well. 

The truth? Holiday decorating can be a major dread for some. Think: The world’s largest ball of tangled lights, not being able to find your kid’s handmade ornaments from last year and overspending on those latest Pinterest ideas.

Good news? With a little organizing, simplifying and planning, the process can be much more of a hot-cocoa-in-hand experience than a dread-inducing weekend project. Below are a few tips to

Among the list of very important to-dos when you are contemplating buying your first (or next) home is the somewhat daunting concept of making sure you are able to fund this adventure. Writing out your “must-haves” and picking out features you’d really love in a home is the fun part. Unfortunately, without the proper finances, your “must-haves” will quickly disappear into “never-wills.” 

Before you even start setting money aside, there are a few things you should do to ensure that your money-saving plan is as effective as possible:

Check Your Credit Score 

Knowing your credit score and what your credit report looks like will give you a better idea of the kind of financing you’ll be able to qualify for. Checking your credit early in the process

With fall just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to give your home an energy efficiency assessment. Are you setting yourself up to save money in the coming chilly months, or will you need to pay through the nose again this year?

If you want to make sure your home won’t take a chunk of your holiday cash, check out our surefire tips to ensure that you and yours are warm, toasty, and energy-savvy this fall and winter.

Adjust the Temperature

Heating your home makes up a large portion of your energy consumption. At night, wear warm pajamas, socks, and layer blankets on your bed to stay warm.

By installing a programmable thermostat and setting it to run 10° – 15° cooler on cold nights and back up to warm up the house in the morning, you

Smart home technology has been something that we as a population have longed for; science fiction shows and movies have wowed audiences with ideas for home automation that most of us would really like to enjoy in our day-to-day lives.

With the cost of DIY smart technology being lower than ever before, smart homes are now in the realm of possibility for many homeowners. The question is, should you be an early adopter, or wait for safer, even more affordable options? Do you worry that a smart home upgrade would leave you fumbling to turn on your lights or adjust your thermostat, or are you chomping at the bit to get every one of your home’s electronic devices connected to your smart phone?

Whether you’re tech-savvy or a reluctant luddite, there are

This is a sponsored post brought to you by HMS Home Warranty.

Water is an important resource, however many homes use more of it than they realize. As such, it’s vital to consider the ways homeowners can conserve water as this will ultimately create positive environmental changes and cut costs for them as well.

INDOOR WATER SAVINGS

There are many ways the average homeowner wastes water without even being aware. In fact, some methods homeowners may think save on water actually do the very opposite, according to the Charles River Watershed Association. For instance, running a dishwasher only when it’s absolutely full won’t keep dishes from getting clean, but it will save water quickly and easily. And for those who hand-wash their dishes,

A fresh coat of paint can make a space feel instantly new again. With a relatively low cost compared to other major renovations, usually, the biggest thing standing between homeowners and fresh paint is trying to decide on a color. While you should always go with your own personal style, we’ve scoured the internet for some of this years’ trendiest paint colors. Ready, set, paint!

DUSKY BLUE

A blue this rich can bring not just style, but calm into your home with the hue reminiscent of the ocean and the sky at dusk. Depending on what color scheme you’re going for, you can bring in different accent colors. While this is a shady, beach feel – different accent colors will evoke an entirely different feel. This shade is close to Endless Sea by