Lifestyle
Scotland just can’t make enough Scotch whisky
Two Scottish distilleries that have been closed since 1983 are being reopened to help satisfy a growing thirst for premium whiskies. Global booze giant Diageo (DEO) announced Monday that it would invest £35 million ($46 million) to bring the "lost" distilleries back...
How much house can I afford?
Buying a home is a major commitment and many factors determine what a mortgage lender is willing to offer you. Tell us a little about your finances and the type of property you’re looking to buy to get a sense of what you can afford. Before you start shopping for a...
Scientists find gold worth $2 million in Swiss sewage
Scientists have struck gold in an unlikely place: Swiss sewage and waste water treatment plants. An estimated 95 pounds of gold is flushed through Swiss sewage systems each year, according to a study by the aquatic science institute Eawag. The lost gold is worth...
What will my monthly mortgage payment be?
Accurately calculating your monthly mortgage payment can be a critical first step when determining your budget. Enter your details below to figure out what you might pay each month. Looking to buy a home? It’s important to take out a mortgage that you can reasonably...
Bentley has rediscovered its racing roots
When you think of Bentley, you probably think of lounging in a big leather back seat, sipping champagne and maybe licking a spot of Grey Poupon off your pinky finger. Nope. That's Rolls-Royce. But your confusion is understandable. For about 70 years Rolls-Royce owned...
Property market is in a coma
London's housing market has ground to a halt. After years of blockbuster growth, home prices have reversed course and are expected to drop further over the next year. The number of sales has dropped, and more homeowners are pulling properties off the market. The dour...
Aston Martin is getting into… luxury real estate?!
Aston Martin is getting into the real estate business. The British luxury automaker, which is closely associated with the James Bond movie franchise, announced it's partnering with a property developer to build a new 66-story residential tower in Miami, Florida. The...
5 ways to afford your first home
Buying a home is a major financial undertaking, so much so that a growing number of Americans are struggling to meet that milestone. For one thing, the homeownership rate among Millennials has dropped in recent years, due in part to a limited inventory of...
Queen’s estate invested $13 million in offshore tax havens
Leaked documents published on Sunday suggest that the private estate of Queen Elizabeth II invested in offshore funds. Revelations from the leak, which has been dubbed the Paradise Papers, were reported by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists...
How hurricane-ravaged Texas and Florida have avoided a housing disaster — so far
After Hurricane Harvey soaked Houston with 51 inches of rain last August, Amir Befroui, a foreclosure defense specialist at Lone Star Legal Aid, started planning for a very busy spring. That's when the 90- and 180-day break on payments that mortgage companies...
Burberry wants to compete with Louis Vuitton, Gucci. Investors aren’t so sure
Burberry is hoping to reinvent itself as a super luxury brand. But investors aren't so sure. Shares in the British fashion label dropped by as much as 12% on Thursday after the company said it planned to shift upmarket and offer more "compelling" leather goods....
Home prices are on an epic run
Home sellers are partying like it's 2006. Real estate prices posted an annual gain of 6.3% in February, according to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Indices. On a national level, home prices are up 6.7% from their peak in July 2006, and have been rising...
Lincoln brings car names back to luxury cars
Lincoln unveiled a new crossover SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It's not a completely new vehicle. It's really an improved version of the Lincoln MKX. It has new engine options, a new grill and lots of new technology, including a system that helps drivers steer out...
Even rising mortgage rates won’t stop homebuyers
Homebuyers are proving to have some pretty thick skin. Home prices are still rising, supply is getting leaner, mortgage rates are going up and competition is intense. Yet despite all the headwinds, buyers seem to be largely resolute. "Buyer demand is still there and...
Huge ‘peace diamond’ fetches a disappointing $6.5 million
One of the world's largest diamonds has been sold for $6.5 million. The stone has been dubbed the "peace diamond" because much of the proceeds will go to help the village in Sierra Leone where it was found. In past decades, the illegal trade in "blood diamonds" was...
Are you ready to buy a home?
Question: I am tired of paying rent and thinking about buying a home, but I'm worried about the added cost and responsibility. How do I know if I am ready?—Kate The transition from renter to homebuyer is a big one. Owning your own home gives you assurance that your...
New airplane beds – These 12 airplane beds let you really sleep on a flight
There's good news for travelers who find it a challenge to sleep on planes. For the price of a premium class ticket, you may just get a space that's comfortable, private, and quiet enough to ensure a good rest. This year saw the introduction of the first double bed in...
Home Depot’s sluggish sales may be warning sign for housing
Some cracks may finally be starting to show in the foundations of what has been a very strong housing market. Home Depot reported quarterly sales that missed forecasts Tuesday and the CEO specifically cited "a slow start to the spring selling season." Shares of Home...
Ford’s most powerful street car ever: New 700 horsepower Mustang
The new Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 will have over 700 horsepower, making it be the most powerful street-legal production car the company has ever made. Ford made the announcement at the Detroit Auto Show, and screened a dimly lit teaser video that gave a glimpse of a...
It’s really tough to be a homebuyer in Seattle
If you're hoping to buy a home in Seattle, be prepared for rejection. A lot of it. Homes frequently sell for well over asking and receive multiple offers. "For buyers, we are typically making six to 10 offers before we get a house," said Rob McGarty, who has been a...
Mercedes finally changes 40-year-old SUV
The antique look of the Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV is a big part of its rugged charm. So much so, in fact, that even though the 2019 version is completely new, Mercedes designers have made sure it still looks old. Most passenger cars are completely redesigned roughly...
How to save $9,000 on your mortgage
I want to buy my first house, but I live in an expensive area and I don't want to end up house poor. What can I do to lower my monthly mortgage payments?—Frank The leap into homeownership is a big change, especially on your finances. Buying a home is likely the...
We’re not stopping with an SUV
Lamborghini is trying out a new slogan. "We are not supercars. We are Lamborghini" Wait. What? That statement, on the cover of the company's new sales brochure, sounds contradictory. If any company is supercars, it would have to be Lamborghini, right? The Italian...
What to spend money on (and what to DIY) as a new homeowner
After the thrill of buying a new home wears off, new owners can get overwhelmed thinking about all the new costs incurred. You may be tempted to outsource it all. But maybe you're not made of money? Besides, there are things that are worth doing yourself. "If you want...
Here’s why Americans aren’t going to Pyeongchang
The Winter Olympics start this week in Pyeongchang, South Korea. But don't expect to see hordes of Americans in the bleachers. High travel costs and a shortage of hotel rooms have put Americans off attending the marquee event. Tensions with North Korea haven't helped,...
He made $400,000 flipping a house
Earlier this year, Lin He made a $400,000 profit from a single home flip. The 3,600-square-foot house in Malibu was in foreclosure and was listed for $1.39 million. He purchased it for $985,000 in 2017 without ever stepping foot inside. "Boy, it was bad. It was a lot...
Rolls-Royce names its first SUV Cullinan after huge diamond
Rolls-Royce has officially announced the name of its new large hatchback vehicle that will be designed to travel off-road as well as on pavement. It will be called the Cullinan. But Rolls-Royce would prefer that you don't call it an SUV. Rolls-Royce refers to it,...
Why West Coast home prices are surging
Housing markets out west are on fire. Prices are rising, supply is tight and competition among buyers is fierce. That's all good news for homeowners. Not so much for buyers. Home prices have risen faster than wages in many cities, creating an affordability issues for...
Bugatti unveils even faster Chiron Sport at Geneva Motor Show
One of the most amazing things about the Bugatti Chiron, besides its $3 million price and top speed of 261 miles per hour, is how nicely it drives on streets where it can't go nearly as fast. But Bugatti just unveiled a new version at the Geneva Motor Show that's...
Is Manhattan’s rental market finally cooling off?
Renting in Manhattan is notoriously expensive. But lately it's becoming just a little bit more affordable ... a little. Prices have been on a general decline this year as more apartments become available, and landlords continue to make concessions. Rental prices...
UK tourism won’t get a boost
The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is not expected to translate into an immediate boost for British tourism. Industry experts say the nuptials will act as a powerful marketing tool to entice tourists in the years to come. But there won't be more...
Housing market remains strong, despite mortgage rate worries
The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates, and that's led some to worry that mortgage rates will spike and put an end to the housing boom in the United States. Not so fast, according to the head of a big homebuilder. Stuart Miller, executive chairman of...
It doesn’t get any more sports car than this
When I drive a McLaren, I remember how I imagined the experience of driving a sports car when I was a child, long before I'd ever driven any car. I couldn't know it at the time, but the car I imagined hadn't been created yet. I imagined the engine being loud but not...
Real estate in Europe is booming
There's a nice little real estate boom underway in Europe. Europe took 11 of the top 20 spots on a ranking of cities with the largest price increases in the first quarter, according to global property agency Knight Frank. Prices spiked more than 14% over the previous...
Where does the Queen’s money come from?
Most people make money from their day jobs. British royals are not most people. Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal family have multiple sources of income, but they're still not as rich as you might expect. Media reports have estimated the Queen's personal...
Zillow buys a mortgage lender and the stock tanks
Zillow is the site people visit to see how much their home (or their neighbor's) is worth. But the company is not content only serving real estate voyeurs. It wants a bigger piece of the housing market pie. Investors, however, are not pleased. Shares of Zillow (Z)...
Porsche offers computerized cruise control for twisty roads
I was going almost 50 miles an hour on a mountain road just north of New York City. Ahead of me, the road curved sharply to the left with just a thin metal railing between the speeding car and a long drop down a mountainside into the Hudson River. I didn't touch the...
Should I get a fixed- or adjustable-rate mortgage?
You've been dreaming of owning a home for years, and now you're finally ready to make the leap. You've found the perfect place and may have even started deciding where to put the furniture, but you still have one big obstacle standing in your way: getting a mortgage....
Breaking down the costs – Royal wedding: How much will it cost?
Everyone knows weddings are pricy. Meghan Markle's upcoming wedding to Prince Harry in the UK will take things to the next level. Seasoned wedding planners estimate the cost for the May 19 wedding could reach £1 million ($1.4 million) or more. The cost for special...
Toll Brothers’ record shows the American housing boom has no end in sight
Unemployment keeps falling and home prices keep going up. It's a great recipe for a strong housing market. Nothing has been able to stop the housing boom -- not even higher interest rates. Luxury home builder Toll Brothers (TOL) said Tuesday that demand for its houses...
