*By Christian Smith*
Few people want to live right next to a noisy highway, or under the flight path of a bustling airport. That means property values take a significant hit in areas with noise pollution. However, some types of noise can actually be a good thing for home owners.
"An example where noise can be good for property values is construction noise," said Judy Dutton, contributing editor at Realtor.com, in an interview on Cheddar Friday. "Ultimately, construction is good for property values depending on what's going up."
Construction noise is also temporary, Dutton added. It is generally a sign of investment and growth in the area, which can have a positive return on investment for buyers willing to push through the headaches.
Noise pollution's effect on property value also varies by market. Noise has less of an impact on the price of a home in the heart of New York City, where it is expected, than it does in suburban and rural areas.
Not all noisemakers are made equal. A [realtor.com study](https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/noise-discounts/) found that home prices within a 2-mile radius of an airport are discounted 13.2 percent from the going rate of other homes in the same ZIP code. The same study found homes near railway tracks are discounted 12.3 percent; and highways, 11.3 percent.
If you're willing to pay more, and want to make sure you don't end up in a noisy area, Dutton recommends visiting the property at multiple times throughout the day. This allows you to get a more complete picture of possible noise pollution in the area.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-noise-pollution-impacts-property-value).
Google has agreed to pay $700 million and make several other concessions to settle allegations that it had been stifling competition against its Android app store — the same issue that went to trial in another case that could result in even bigger changes.
Nicki Minaj just reached a milestone that no other woman in rap has reached.
Apple announced that starting this week, it will stop selling some versions of the Apple watch in the U.S.
Southwest Airlines will pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into a debacle in December 2022 when the airline canceled thousands of flights and stranded more than 2 million travelers over the holidays.
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill aimed at increasing transparency in healthcare.
If you have a flexible spending account, here's some short information for you so you don't leave money on the table.
With high healthcare costs, bills can quickly add up. In some cases, it is possible to negotiate your medical bills. Barak Richman, law professor at George Washington University, joined Cheddar News to discuss the easiest way to talk to medical debt companies about what's owed.
Millions of people have selected insurance plans for 2024 but sometimes navigating them can be tricky time consuming and expensive. Paula Pant, host of 'Afford Anything' podcast, joined Cheddar News to break down what's needed to know about their insurance plans.
The European Union is investigating Elon Musk's X over alleged illicit content and disinformation on its platform. Cheddar News breaks it all down and discusses what it could mean for users.
Adobe and Figma called off their $20 million merger, Southwest Airlines gets fined, Nippon Steel is buying U.S. Steel and oil and gas prices surge after a pause in shipments.
