Guides
How things work and how to do them: the explainers and step-by-step guides behind a sound house and a smart purchase.
Quarter-Inch Gaps and Snap Traps: What the Extension Guidance Says About House Mice
by HomeLife Wave ·House mice enter through gaps as small as 1/4 inch. What UC extension guidance says about sealing, trapping and baits, plus EPA rodenticide rules and CDC cleanup steps.
Selling After a Long Stay? How the IRS Treats the Gain on a Home
by HomeLife Wave ·Sellers now stay a median 12 years, NAR says. The IRS lets most exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for joint filers. Here is how the rules work.
Your Rights on an Interstate Move, From the Estimate to the Claim
by HomeLife Wave ·Federal rules govern every interstate household move: the estimate, the 60-cents-a-pound default, the 110% delivery rule and nine months to file a claim.
How the Federal Three-Day Rules Shape a Home Closing
by HomeLife Wave ·Federal mortgage rules set two three-business-day clocks on a purchase: one for the Loan Estimate and one for the Closing Disclosure. Here is how both work.
Purses, Brownies and Bouquets: The Holiday Hazards in Poison Control's 2025 Calls
by HomeLife Wave ·ASPCA Poison Control's 2025 rankings, from guests' medicine to chocolate and lilies, and how to set up a home for pets before holiday visitors arrive.
The Federal Range and Cooktop Standards, Explained After a Court Set Them Aside
by HomeLife Wave ·A court set aside DOE's 2024 range and cooktop efficiency rule. What it required for 2028, what it never banned, and the federal rules that still apply.
Hosting Thanksgiving on Nov. 26? Plan the Kitchen Around the Fire Data
by HomeLife Wave ·Thanksgiving is the peak day for U.S. home cooking fires. What NFPA and CPSC data show, and how hosts set up the stove, fryer and smoke alarms.
Mow the Leaves, Skip the Bag: Late-Fall Lawn Care Depends on Your Grass
by HomeLife Wave ·What extension research says about mulching leaves into the lawn, a last November feeding for cool-season grass, and why warm-season lawns skip it.
Ice Dams Start in the Attic, Not on the Roof
by HomeLife Wave ·Ice dams form when attic heat melts roof snow that refreezes at the eaves. What extension researchers say causes them, the long-term fix, and emergency steps.
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