Every house has its story. What's yours?

Laurel Wittman and her husband, Eduardo Lopes, are examples of a rare species: successful short-sale buyers.

Properly applied mulch can help retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds and control soil temperature.

· A mortgage with a lien position subordinate to the first mortgage. That means if the borrower defaults and the house is foreclosed upon, the second-lien holder will be paid from what's left after the first-lien holder gets its money.

Real estate editor Maryann Haggerty and columnist Elizabeth Razzi respond to a question adapted from a recent online chat.

A legal brawl is breaking out over how homes are appraised, at what cost and by whom. The outcome could directly affect how much you pay for your next piece of real estate and how much money you can borrow.

The fact that Hillcrest is a front-porch-sitting, dog-walking, back-fence-chatting, heavily voting community is not that unusual in this area.

A legal brawl is breaking out over how homes are appraised, at what cost and by whom. The outcome could directly affect how much you pay for your next piece of real estate and how much money you can borrow.

The nation's capital is proud of its miles of wonderful waterfront parks. For locals and tourists, waterfront cafes can be just as wonderful.

I'll admit it: When home prices were soaring in my neighborhood, it made me feel really smart.

Last week, I discussed what I see as a serious weakness in the way the mortgage system deals with default risk. Essentially, interest rate risk premiums collected from borrowers that are not needed to meet current losses are paid as income to investors and not reserved to meet future losses.

Q: DEAR TIM: Can you instruct me on how to paint ceramic tile? Money is tight now, and painting the tile is the only thing I can afford. Can you paint old ceramic tile so it won't peel? Is there a special ceramic tile paint?

Post Home staff editors Annie Groer and Jura Koncius are here to answer your decorating-related questions.

It's a rite of passage. The teacher gives each child a seed, some potting soil and a paper cup. Miraculously, the seeds grow. "All except mine," my husband says, laughing. Though he's a successful farmer today, his cup was the only empty one.

Today, we take another spin through the e-mail inbox. A recent column about what happens to deposits when buyers back out of a new-home purchase drew the most response.

Many people look forward to the day they own their homes free and clear. But gathering the money to pay off the mortgage is only part of the process. It's also important to make sure all the paperwork is in order.

The Eco Wise column in the April 6 Sunday Source ( "Mattress Eco-Matters: Don't Take It Lying Down" ) leaves the false impression that to avoid exposure to allegedly hazardous fire-retardant materials, readers may be better off not buying a new mattress, which must meet a rigorous flammability...

Q Hyattsville: Every advice source suggests doing of plenty of homework before selecting a mortgage lender. Does this "homework" include actually submitting preapproval applications? In other words, is it common practice to submit more than one application, to see which rates come back, or is this...

Now is the time to install plants that will attract butterflies so that these beautiful insects can spend the summer visiting flowers, drinking nectar, pollinating plants and adding animation to your garden.

Like a spreading infection, restrictions on credit are moving into new and more specialized niches of the mortgage market.

Like a spreading infection, restrictions on credit are moving into new and more specialized niches of the mortgage market.