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If your bathrooms are feeling a little dated or worse for wear, here are some tile ideas to give them an elevated look.

Herringbone Marble Tile

If youre not the type who buys into trends, you can rest assured that this classic herringbone pattern will look just as stylish twenty years from now as it does today.

Patterned Encaustic Tile

This trendy and vibrant tile choice comes in a variety of cement styles, from geometric to exotic patterns, and can completely transform the feel of your bathroom.

Glass Mosaic Tile

These small, shiny mosaic tiles come in a stunning array of shimmering colors and are surprisingly durable, guaranteed to create a breathtaking bathroom.

Matte Black Subway Tile

If you’re going for a modern or minimalist style, this low-luster, sleek ceramic, stone or even porcelain tile, can bring your bathroom to life.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Every year in the U.S., fire kills over 3,000 people, injures thousands more and causes billions of dollars of damage. House fires are a major contributor to those horrific statistics, which is why its important to make fire safety a priority in your home. Here are some tips from the U.S. Fire Administration to help keep you and your family safe:

Fire Alarms
You may have less than three minutes to escape a home fire, so every second counts. For early fire detection, install smoke alarms on every level of your home and inside and outside all sleeping areas. Test your alarms monthly to ensure they work and dont need new batteries, and replace alarms that are at least 10 years old.

Kitchen
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking is the No. 1 cause of home fires. To prevent a cooking fire, stay in the kitchen when youre frying, grilling, broiling or boiling food. If you leave the kitchen, turn the burner off. Keep things that can burn away from your cooking area, and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so they wont get bumped.

Heating
Heating is the second-leading cause of home fires. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from fireplaces, wood stoves, portable heaters and radiators. When you leave a room or go to bed, turn heaters off or unplug them. Have your furnace, chimney and chimney connector inspected by a professional every winter, and make repairs before cool weather sets in.

Electronics
To prevent an electrical fire, plug only one heat-producing appliance, such as a microwave, coffee maker or portable heater, into an electrical outlet. If you have an electrical cord that is frayed or broken, throw it out. Use extension cords as a temporary power supply only.

Candles
Any open flame is dangerous, so if you use candles in your home, put them in sturdy holders. Place candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn, and make sure pets and children cant reach them. Blow out all candles if you leave the room, get sleepy or go to bed.

Cigarettes
If you smoke at home, youre at higher risk for a fire. Use deep, sturdy ashtrays, and make sure to put cigarettes all the way out. Smoke only when youre alert”never in bed or if youre drowsy.

Escape Plan
As mentioned, time is precious when it comes to a fire, so establish an escape plan with your family about what to do if there is one. Make sure everyone knows two ways out of each room, and agree on a distant place outside your home where you can all meet safely, such as a sidewalk across the street. To ensure family members remember the plan, practice it together at least twice a year.

If you keep these simple tips in mind, your home is bound to be much safer from fire.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Here are some tips for getting the highest ROI.

Go Beyond Cosmetic Repairs

Most homebuyers know to look beyond cosmetic damage. More importantly, theyll want to know that the major systems are in good working condition.

Rethink Luxury Fixes

If youre updating your kitchen or bathroom before listing your home, make sure you’re not going overboard on the finishes unless it’s a luxury listing.

Dont Get Too Trendy With Paint

A fresh coat of paint will work wonders when it comes to giving new life to any room in your home, but when selling your home, its best to not get too colorful.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

There are many ways parents can help their children purchase a home: contributing to a down payment, helping with closing costs, co-signing a mortgage or allowing their kids to move back home so that they can save money.

While most of these avenues involve giving your children money, deciding where that money should come from is an important decision. For parents nearing retirement, pulling money from a savings account or a 401(k) retirement account can be problematic if the money is needed for retirement. Without it, they could end up moving into the house they helped their children buy.

A poll by loanDepot found that more parents are planning to help their millennial children buy their first home. Sixty-seven percent said they planned to pull the money from their savings account.

Here are the percentage of poll respondents who planned to use other sources of parental support:

Refinancing their own home: 8 percent
Taking out an unsecured personal loan: 8 percent
Selling equities: 5 percent
Borrow from 401(k): 4 percent
Sell primary home: 2 percent

For the parents who do pull money from their savings account to help with a down payment, theres some disagreement with their children over whether the financial support is a gift, loan, inheritance or something else, the poll found.

Most parents (68 percent) view it as a gift, while more millennials (36 percent) viewed the financial support as a loan to be repaid (29 percent).

A down payment on a home is the most common form of assistance from parents, with half of those polled planning to help in that way on future purchases. The other methods were:

Allowing their kids to continue living at home to save money: 33 percent
Paying other expenses so the children could save money: 30 percent
Kids moved back home: 22 percent
Help with closing costs: 20 percent
Co-sign the mortgage: 20 percent
Help pay down student loan debt: 18 percent
Help pay their rent for a period of time: 8 percent

Allowing an adult child to move back home so they can save money may be the least costly option for parents wanting to help their children buy a home, as it shouldnt require parents to pull money from their savings or retirement accounts that they will surely need down the road.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.