Homeowners are acquiring record amounts of home equity, thanks to fast-rising values in the housing market. People are starting to tap into that cash, mainly to make their homes even more valuable.
Spending on home renovations topped $152 billion in 2017, and is expected to increase almost 5% this year. According to the National Association of Home Builders, projects included regular updates and repairs, as well as large remodeling requests.
Homeowners are using that cash for education expenses and paying down other debt. Additionally, owners are borrowing against their homes and putting cash into other investments such as as stocks and additional real estate.
Child welfare advocates filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday asking a judge to force the Biden administration to block imports of cocoa harvested by children in West Africa that can end up in America's most popular chocolate desserts and candies.
A woman who fractured her left ankle during a trip with her husband to the Italian food emporium Eataly in Boston last year is blaming her injury on a piece of ham.
