Jul 23, 2008 07:36PM

The Custom McMansion

Many mass-market home builders are getting into the custom-home game -- once almost entirely the province of boutique builders. The reason is simple: Custom-home building is more profitable for builders and the big attraction for home buyers is the cheaper price.

Jul 23, 2008 07:15PM

Battling Beetles in the Garden

Infestations of Japanese beetles have spread to more than 30 states, wreaking havoc on the foliage of trees and crops. Gardener Steve Stecklow is waging a biological war against these predators.

Jul 23, 2008 07:06AM

Mortgage Rates Near a Year High

Mortgage rates are nearing their highest levels in a year, adding to pressures on the weakened housing market.

Jul 23, 2008 04:23AM

Housing Package Deal Reached

House and Senate leaders have largely hammered out a compromise deal on a mammoth housing package that would permit the government to bolster Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an emergency, overhaul supervision of the housing-finance giants and allow the government to insure up to $300 billion in refinanced mortgages.

Jul 23, 2008 06:07AM

Rich Londoners Finally Feel Pain

The credit crunch caught up with the top end of London's home market in the second quarter, when the price per square meter of residential space in the capital's prime locations fell more sharply than in the U.K. as a whole.