Construction Maison

Like it or not, fall is fast approaching. In fact, a week from today is September 1. To unofficially kick off fall here on IBC, I thought we’d take a look back at some of my favorite fall home decor ideas . Whether you’re ready for a change of seasons right about now or want to hold on to summer a while longer, I hope you find some seasonal inspiration. Quick Disclaimer : Did you know that many of us bloggers have to create content a month or more in advance so that search engines like Google and social media platforms such as Facebook recognize our work as “relevant.” I won’t bore you with the details, but I ask for your kindness toward me and other bloggers who seem to share things a bit early. In posting the ideas early, we also want to give you enough time to actually use these ideas this season. I hope that makes sense. Beyond bloggers, I hope you’ll also be kind to folks celebrating whatever season they want to celebrate. If it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt anyone, I say...

Click to expand Replay Video SETTINGS OFF HD HQ SD LO UP NEXT Video by CNBC The balance of our coverage provides a snapshot of who America’s millionaires are, where they live, and how they built their wealth. Nearly two decades ago, these five families were featured in MONEY as “millionaires in the making”—households that were well on their way to a seven- figure net worth excluding the value of their primary residences. That was starting in 2000, around the time the dotcom stock bubble began to burst. Yet despite running into one of the worst bear markets in history—which was followed soon after by the global financial panic , the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression—these families still managed to achieve their goals. How did they accomplish this? Some did it by living frugally and saving aggressively so that when the bad times hit, they had enough of a cushion. Others proved to be resilient in the face of setbacks, staying the course with their 401(k)s and IRAs in ...

The balance of our coverage provides a snapshot of who America's millionaires are, where they live, and how they built their wealth. Nearly two decades ago, these five families were featured in MONEY as "millionaires in the making"—households that were well on their way to a seven- figure net worth excluding the value of their primary residences. Rhone in MONEY’s August 2000 issue, when he was still a “Millionaire In The Making.”   That was starting in 2000, around the time the dotcom stock bubble began to burst. Yet despite running into one of the worst bear markets in history—which was followed soon after by the global financial panic , the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression—these families still managed to achieve their goals. How did they accomplish this? Some did it by living frugally and saving aggressively so that when the bad times hit, they had enough of a cushion. Others proved to be resilient in the face of setbacks, staying the course with the...

In January 2015, a massive fire in Edgewater, N.J., demonstrated that buildings with sprinkler systems are not always protected against fire. The blaze destroyed 240 residential apartments and displaced 500 people from the Edgewater Avalon apartment building . The fire began when a maintenance worker’s plumbing torch accidentally ignited wooden wall studs , and flames quickly spread throughout the structure. Fifteen minutes passed before workers called the fire department . In that time, the fire spread throughout combustible void spaces (between walls and floors) and soon engulfed the building. Emergency personnel from 35 different cities and towns ultimately responded to the incident. Thankfully, there were no fatalities. Immediately after the blaze, people asked why the fire was so devastating. The building had sprinklers, after all. Shouldn’t the sprinkler system have extinguished the fire? To make matters worse , this building had already burned down 15 years prior during i...

The kind folks at the Orange County chapter of the Building Industry Association were nice enough to invite me to join a recent panel on local housing market conditions . I decided an early- morning seminar required a quick start, so I offered the audience of industry insiders and local elected officials a “pop quiz” on some housing supply and affordability trends. The theme to my questions was that decades of rising housing costs aren ’t as out of line with monetary sanity as one might think. That reality check doesn ’t make it any financially less challenging to live here, but I think it does give policymakers some leeway when seeking cures to local housing hurdles . So here are my 10 questions that say a lot of about limited affordable housing options . #1: Relative value? Q: In past 30 years, Orange County home prices have increased five-fold while inflation has just doubled. Not a shabby return for owners. But, how did the Dow Jones industrial average do, better or worse? A...