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☆ Home Depot misses on revenue, as high interest rates hurt sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

It said it expects total sales to grow about 1% in fiscal 2024, including those extra days. Home Depot on Tuesday posted quarterly revenue below Wall Street's expectations, as shoppers postponed bigger discretionary projects like bath and kitchen remodels because of higher interest rates and made spring purchases late. The logo of U.S. home improvement chain Home Depot is seen in Mexico City, Mexico, on Jan. 15, 2020. In the fiscal first quarter, customers made fewer visits to Home Depot's stores and website and tended to spend less when they did. Home Depot has seen sales moderate after more than two years of explosive demand during the Covid pandemic.

Persons: Richard McPhail, McPhail Organizations: CNBC, LSEG, U.S, Depot, Home Locations: Mexico City, Mexico, Texas

☆ The exclusive island where people keep giving away homes for free — even though the typical house costs $3.6 million
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But in stark contrast to the eight-figure homes is another common Nantucket practice: giving away homes for free. It is much cheaper, however, to move a "free" house onto a property than to construct an entirely new dwelling. Some of the 'free' homes do good for the communitySome of Nantucket's year-round workforce lives in repurposed "free" homes. Maremagnum/Getty ImagesBuyers of the "free" homes fall into three main categories, Cohen told Business Insider. Since 1994, Housing Nantucket has repurposed 39 "free" homes into income-capped rentals on the island.

Persons: —, Stephen Schwarzman, Dave Portnoy, Anne Kuszpa, It's, Steven Cohen, Cohen, they're, there's, Kuszpa Organizations: Service, Blackstone, Barstool, Wall Street Journal, Housing, Business Locations: Nantucket, Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Housing Nantucket, Miacomet

☆ Last-minute Brexit bill risks higher food prices, UK business groups warn
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —British business groups are warning that newly announced post-Brexit charges on plant and animal imports could push up food prices not long after food inflation came down from double-digit rates. The port and the undersea tunnel beneath the English Channel handle the majority of UK food imports. Annual UK food price inflation topped 19% in March 2023, the highest rate in 45 years, and stood at more than 10% as recently as in October. Some are already “deciding that it is too expensive or too much hassle to serve the UK,” he told CNN. A government spokesperson said the new charges “were at the bottom end of the range” discussed with UK businesses during a consultation period last summer.

Persons: Tom Southall, William Bain ,, ”, James Barnes, “ Organizations: London CNN, European Union, Department for Environment, Food, Rural Affairs, Channel, Chain Federation, Chambers of Commerce, ”, CNN, EU . Trade, Horticultural Trades Association Locations: British, Port, Dover, Eurotunnel, Southall

☆ Chair Powell says the Fed isn’t more tolerant of higher inflation. Some economists disagree
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some economists interpreted that as a sign that the Fed is now more tolerant of higher inflation. Powell pushed back on the perception that the central bank has grown more comfortable with inflation being higher for longer than expected in his post-meeting news conference. and my sense coming out of this month’s meeting was that Fed Chair Powell wants to get this easing cycle going sooner rather than later. What’s allowing the Fed to be patient or more tolerant of higher inflation? They’re willing to essentially look through some of the bumpiness in the inflation data at the beginning of the year.

Persons: Jerome Powell, That’s, Powell, “, ” Powell, “ We’re, Mohamed El, Erian, ”, Bell, Lydia Boussour, they’re, What’s, we’ve, Nathaniel Meyersohn, Read, Levi Strauss, Tupperware Organizations: Washington CNN, Federal Reserve, Financial Times, Fed, Home Depot, Home, P Global, Institute for Supply Management, Maine Foods, Dave, Buster’s Entertainment, US Labor Department, US Commerce Department, Stanford University Locations: EY, Cal

☆ What Home Depot’s $18 billion deal says about its strategy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —In its largest acquisition ever, Home Depot is expanding its business targeting professional contractors and builders as the home fixer-upper market stalls. SRS, which will operate independently, Home Depot noted, has 760 warehouses and more than 4,000 trucks to deliver its goods. Home Depot in recent years has purchased other businesses targeting professionals who undertake both complex and simple housing projects. Home Depot’s push for pro customers comes as its DIY customers have slowed their spending. Home Depot expects the SRS acquisition, accomplished through a mix of cash and debt, to be completed by the end of the year, but it could face regulatory hurdles.

Persons: Billy Bastek, Lina Khan Organizations: New, New York CNN, Home Depot, Home, Depot, Federal Trade, Meta, Microsoft, Kroger Locations: New York

☆ A boomer moved back to Virginia after living in Florida for a decade. She said she would 'never own another home' in the Sunshine State and loves the slower pace of life.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Nancy, a 68-year-old retiree, moved back to Virginia from Florida due to escalating costs and the heat. “There’s so much you don’t know about living in Florida and owning a home in Florida until you’re actually living it,” Nancy said. The Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey found that between 2021 and 2022, nearly 23,800 people moved from Florida to Virginia, while almost 33,000 moved from Virginia to Florida. AdvertisementNancy moved with her husband to Cape Coral 11 years ago after four of her five kids moved there. They settled on Cape Coral for the beach access and warm weather, and for the first few years, they made the most of their time there.

Persons: Nancy, —, aren’t, Virginia —, “, you’re, ” Nancy, “ I’m, isn't, ”, Hurricane Ian, Virginia Nancy, it’s Organizations: Service, Sunshine State, Virginia Tech, Bureau, Survey, Florida —, Cape Coral, Coral, Insurance Information Institute, Hurricane, Radford University Locations: Virginia, Florida, Nancy, Cape Coral, Georgia, Texas, Northern Virginia, Fairfax County, Cape, New Hampshire, Virginia Tech, Coral

LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — For people around the world, the green leaves that sprouted from a scorched, 150-year-old banyan tree in the heart of devastated Lahaina symbolized hope following Maui’s deadly wildfire this summer. Before colonialism, commercial agriculture and tourism, thousands of breadfruit trees dotted Lahaina; the fire charred all but two of the dozen or so that remained. By contrast, researchers believe breadfruit and kukui nut — now the state tree of Hawaii — were among the many edible plants Polynesian voyagers brought around 1,000 years ago. Efforts to revive the banyan and other important surviving trees have included trucking in water, applying compost extract and testing soil. But replanting breadfruit in urban areas comes with challenges, said Steve Nimz, an arborist on Oahu who has been helping restore Lahaina’s trees.

Persons: landscapers, ”, Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, King Kamehameha, ulu, ” Kekona, Lahaina’s, replanting, Steve Nimz, “, Hokuao Pellegrino, ” Pellegrino, replant, Pellegrino, he's, reintegrating breadfruit, ___ Komenda Organizations: University of Hawaii, Development Locations: LAHAINA, Hawaii, Lahaina, ulu, Maui, Manoa, U.S, India, Lele, Hilo, Lincoln, Oahu, Waikapu, West Maui, “, Tacoma , Washington

☆ Last victim of 'Happy Face Killer' is identified, investigators say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Faith Karimi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Florida authorities this week identified her as Suzanne Kjellenberg, who was 34 when she was killed in Jesperson’s cross-country murder rampage. Landscapers found her remains along Interstate 10 in September 1994, said Sheriff Eric Aden of Okaloosa County in Florida. Jesperson, dubbed the “Happy Face Killer” for his letters, had confessed to killing a woman named “Susan” or “Suzette” after his arrest at the time, but her identity was unknown for decades, Aden said. Serial killer detailed victim’s last momentsJesperson got the nickname “Happy Face Killer” after he sent confessions to journalists and police departments around the country to gain notoriety. A break in the case came when the medical examiner’s office sent samples to Othram, a Texas-based company specializing in forensic genetic genealogy.

Persons: CNN —, Keith Hunter Jesperson, Suzanne Kjellenberg, Landscapers, Eric Aden, ”, Susan ”, Suzette ”, Aden, Jesperson, Kjellenberg, Troy Wayrynen, ” Aden, “ Suzanne Organizations: CNN, Sheriff’s, Oregon State, ”, FBI Locations: United States, Florida, Okaloosa County, Okaloosa, California , Nebraska , Wyoming , Oregon, Washington, Oregon, Aden, Tampa, Holt, Texas, Wisconsin

☆ The One Tool You Need to Make Your Lawn Look Superb This Fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sal Vaglica | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LAWN AND ORDER The head of the Ryobi 40-volt HP Brushless 15-inch Carbon Fiber Attachment Capable String Trimmer Kit can be swapped out with several other types of tools, making it an extremely capable gardening companion. Illustration: Fernando CabeloIF YOU BELIEVE a once-over with a mower on Saturday is all the maintenance a front lawn needs, you might be an average American suburbanite. When pro landscapers dragoon your neighbor’s turf, mowing is just part of the plan. It’s all the other things—string trimming around fence and mailbox posts, edging next to sidewalks, blowing clippings off the driveway—that elevate a green lawn into the envy of the neighborhood. Those actions can create a mantle of striped emerald so manicured you feel unfit walking on it, like your grandma’s freshly vacuumed carpet.

Persons: Fernando Cabelo Organizations: YOU

“We were very fully making a ’70s movie,” Payne says, recently speaking by phone from his desk in Omaha, Nebraska. Payne, 62, shot “The Holdovers,” set at a New England boarding school, largely with filmmaking equipment and camera lenses from that period. “We were trying to play the exercise of: We are in 1970 making this movie,” he says. I told (screenwriter) David Hemingson: ‘We’re writing for Paul Giamatti. But as long-term and ’70s-oriented as making “The Holdovers” was, it struck Payne as a contemporary story, too.

Persons: Alexander Payne, ” Payne, Payne, ”, he’s, “, Paul Giamatti, Giamatti, Paul Hunham, Hunham, Payne pares, Angus, Dominic Sessa, Mary, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Barton, —, David Hemingson, That’s, aspersions, Randolph, Cessa, hadn’t, ‘, Dominic, ” Cessa, you’d, He’s, ” Payne’s, Marcel Pagnol, “ Trump, Nixon, Marx, Jake Coyle Organizations: curmudgeonly Barton Academy, Deerfield Academy, Jesuit, Twitter Locations: Omaha , Nebraska, New England, Hunham, Vietnam, jostle, Western Massachusetts, New York, “ Nebraska

☆ These tiny creatures are losing their battle to survive. Here’s what we can do to save them
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Amy Chillag | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The first time Mike Parr, president of the American Bird Conservancy, saw one, it was feeding on blossoms of a lemon tree in California. These tiny creatures are one of 70 bird species on the “Tipping Point” list that will lose another fifty percent of their populations in the same time frame if conservation doesn’t improve. You can create more habitat for birds by planting native species and not overly tidying your yard. They kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds every year in the US alone, according to the American Bird Conservancy. You can also help fight for the survival of bird species by donating to these groups: American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society and International Bird Rescue.

Persons: Mike Parr, ”, Parr, “, Laura Erickson, ” Parr, they’re, “ We’ve, Greg Homel, landscapers, catios, they’ve, everybody’s Organizations: CNN, American Bird Conservancy, Cornell, of Ornithology, Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society Locations: California, Alaska, Mexico, Rocky Mountain, North America, United States, Arizona

My husband and I were ready to sell our home — then our buyer backed out due to an interest rate hike. Reduce your risk when you buy before you sell with a guaranteed backup offer from Calque. In May 2022, my husband and I decided to list our house for sale. We strategically switched RealtorsI can't stress enough how important choosing the right Realtor for the job is. We considered different loan typesAt first, I was afraid to accept offers from FHA loan buyers.

Persons: —, didn't, we'd Organizations: Calque, Federal Reserve, Realtors Locations: Calque

☆ I spent 5 years interviewing 233 millionaires—here are 5 things they never waste money on
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Tom Corley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

I spent five years studying 233 millionaires to learn about their habits and the way they think. But almost everyone told me that what contributed more to their wealth was that they stopped wasting money on certain things:1. Cheaply made productsThey refused to drop money on the latest fashion trends, or inexpensive and poorly constructed furniture. Outdoor tools and equipmentWhile some still enjoyed doing outdoor work, like mowing their lawn, weeding, landscaping and trimming, the vast majority — once they got wealthy — hired landscapers to take care of all outdoor upkeep. This meant they no longer spent money repairing or replacing old equipment.

Persons: —, landscapers

☆ 3 reasons it can be smarter to rent, even if you can afford to buy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"If you can't commit to being there [at least] three years, don't buy," said Elliott. Benefits of ownership are 'vastly overstated'Richard Newstead | Moment | Getty ImagesThe financial benefits of homeownership are "vastly overstated," Boudreaux said. For one, a financial assessment of affordability is incomplete if consumers only compare monthly rent and mortgage costs. Secondly, a tax deduction for mortgage interest isn't as valuable as it once was, Boudreaux added. Jude Boudreaux senior financial planner with The Planning CenterIn a general sense, it's also more difficult to get the financial benefits of a tax deduction.

Persons: Kamila Elliott, Elliott, Boudreaux, Guido Mieth, There's, landscapers, Richard Newstead, Trump, Jude Boudreaux, it's, Laurie Goodman, Christopher Mayer Organizations: Wealth Partners, Urban Institute, Columbia University . Home Locations: Atlanta

☆ Some delivery workers biked 50 miles in the thick of the NYC wildfire smog: 'It's an ominous feeling'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Wood bikes an average of 40 to 50 miles a day shepherding food and other products to people's doorsteps. The next day, he woke up and did another full day of work outside, despite the city's record-setting poor air quality and a noticeable toll on his lungs. You have to be willing to work in the weather conditions that nobody else wants to work in," Wood says. Delivery workers are among the many kinds of jobs that require outdoor labor. Construction workers, landscapers and highway maintenance laborers, for example, have to spend the majority of their day outside, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Persons: Josh Wood, Uber, Wood, doorsteps, It's, Ligia Guallpa Organizations: Empire, CNBC, Unidos, Workers ' Justice, Deliveristas Unidos, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Canada, New York City, midtown Manhattan, York City, New York, landscapers

☆ Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Are Getting Banned in Parts of the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Outsized pollution and noise from devices like gas-powered leaf blowers are driving the efforts. The gas-to-electric transition at the neoclassical landmark, which has stood for more than two centuries in Georgetown, came ahead of a ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers that went into effect in the nation's capital last year. California next year will ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers, among other equipment, though the state will still allow existing devices to be used. That's in part because about 30% of the oil-and-gas mix that powers so-called two-stroke engines, which often run tools like leaf blowers and string trimmers, isn't burned. Whalley was already a proponent of ditching the gas-powered tools because she'd done so at her own home.

Persons: —, It's, Martha Washington, Allyson Whalley, isn't, Kalen Roach, Roach, Whalley Organizations: Service, California Air Resources Board, DC Sustainable Energy, Companies Locations: Washington , DC, Tudor, Georgetown, . California, Washington

☆ Old trailer parks are being torn down, driving up homelessness as one of the last options for low-income renters fades away
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Anita Snow | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Residents of mobile home parks in Arizona are being asked to leave, so student housing can be built. Mobile homes, not always mobile, are hard to repair so they're being razed. "We are in the deepest affordable housing crisis we've ever experienced," said Joanna Carr, acting head of the Arizona Housing Coalition. Efforts under way to revitalize old mobile homes have limits. Many park residents are Spanish-speaking immigrants earning minimum wage as landscapers or restaurant workers.

☆ Elon Musk's tirade about remote work being 'morally wrong' has tech workers up in arms, with some calling him a hypocrite
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Hundreds of tech workers on Blind debated Elon Musk's stance against remote work. Some tech workers called Musk a hypocrite and poked fun at his comments about the "laptop classes." The billionaire said on Tuesday that remote work is "morally wrong." Some tech workers aren't happy about Elon Musk's recent tirade on remote work and the so-called "laptop classes." Following his comments, many tech workers took to Blind to call Musk a hypocrite and poke fun at his billionaire status.

☆ ‘Love & Death’ and the Feminine Urge to Commit Murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Alexis Soloski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That killing and Montgomery’s eventual acquittal (she claimed self-defense; the jury believed her) have inspired two series more than 40 years later: “Candy,” which debuted on Hulu last May, and “Love & Death,” which premieres on HBO Max on Thursday, with new episodes following weekly. But in most true-crime narratives, these mothers, daughters and wives are the victims. This grants these series, which typically attract a majority female audience, a unique appeal and horror. “It is scary!” Jessica Biel, who played the title role in “Candy,” agreed in a recent phone conversation. Biel spoke of Montgomery’s service within her community, her care for her children.

☆ Hard work just doesn't pay like it used to
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Ethan Dodd | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Today's workers, especially gig workers, don't have the security that hard work once promised. Fueling the pessimism about hard work might be that Americans have "been doing nothing but hard work for the last two decades," Jennifer Klein, a Yale labor historian, told Insider. Blame the rise of gig work for hard work not paying offThough Americans work fewer hours now than they have in years past, they're working harder than ever. As a result, "people have experienced hard work and intensified work, but in very, very unpleasant and not particularly rewarding terms," she added. However, deregulation of employment and the dismantling of the New Deal structures of fair work have decoupled hard work and security, Klein said.

☆ HR exec was making $165k per year —then switched to a gardening career, earning $15 an hour. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jantsch, 30, is a "Former Head of People turned gardener," according to her LinkedIn profile. She told followers she previously made $165,000 per year in HR, but now makes $15 per hour at a plant nursery. And, Jantsch justifies her $15 per hour pay at the nursery as an investment to learn from the best in the field. Market needAccording to Jantsch, her journey into gardening started in 2021 when she moved to Boise and noticed a lack of landscapers who understood drought-tolerant gardens. "I've been feeling so restless and unsure with my tech career, and your journey is really motivating to see," one commenter wrote.

☆ Former HR exec: I left my job making $165k per year to earn $15 an hour as a gardener. Here are the three reasons why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jantsch, 30, is a "Former Head of People turned gardener," according to her LinkedIn profile. She told followers she previously made $165,000 per year in HR, but now makes $15 per hour at a plant nursery. She listed three key reasons for the switch and invited followers along via Instagram on her journey to become a gardener in Boise, Idaho. And, Jantsch justifies her $15 per hour pay at the nursery as an investment to learn from the best in the field. "I've been feeling so restless and unsure with my tech career, and your journey is really motivating to see," one commenter wrote.

☆ These van-lifers stay in scenic mansions for free as traveling house-sitters — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Danielle Gross and Gunnar Michels got married as strangers on TikTok on Valentine's Day in 2021. Michels posted a video on TikTok for a stranger to be his bride and selected Gross from around 1,000 responses. Courtesy of Danielle Gross and Gunnar Michels"The house was absolutely gorgeous," Gross said. "We pull up with our ambulance and then we slowly bring our belongings into the house," Michels said. Courtesy of Danielle Gross and Gunnar MichelsMichels and Gross said horse-sitting at another house was a breeze.

☆ Tipping Point: New tip guidelines for holiday giving
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Chris Taylor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

“I talk on etiquette issues all year long, and tipping is the one that always gets thousands of comments. The findings are a mixed bag for service providers, with some good news and some bad news about what is coming their way. But when it comes to holiday tipping, people just do not know what to do. That is called tipflation or tip creep, Farley says, and you should feel under no moral obligation to do so. But it's better to focus on the ongoing service providers in your life, who should be recognized with a healthy year-end tip.

☆ Women working in real estate as brokers, property managers, and clerks make more money than their male colleagues in these US cities — and they're not the places you'd expect
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Women made up about half of the US real-estate workforce but generally earned less than men in 2021. An analysis found that in some cities, women made up most of the workforce and earned over $50,000. Cities including Toledo, Ohio, and Orlando, Florida, are the top places for women in real estate to work. But the analysis also found several places where women outperformed men in number of employees and in pay. In several metropolitan areas, women made up a bigger share of the real-estate workforce and made more money than their male counterparts.

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