Phil M. Sinha

L.A. County ends controversial PACE home improvement loan program

By Phil M. Sinha 12 hours ago

Los Angeles County has ended its controversial PACE home improvement loan program, a decision that follows years of criticism that the county enabled predatory lending and put people at risk of losing their homes.

County officials — who launched the PACE program in 2015 to fund energy- and water-efficient home improvements — said they made the decision after determining the program lacked adequate consumer protections.

Homeowners repeatedly alleged the private home improvement contractors who signed them up for PACE misrepresented how the financing would work, saddling them with loans they could not understand or afford.

The county also faced lawsuits alleging that government authorities failed to properly oversee the private lenders it partnered with to issue loans that, if unpaid, could lead to foreclosure.

The criticisms mirror complaints directed at other Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, programs across California that fund environmentally friendly home improvements such as solar panels,

… Read More

The Best Celebrity Home Goods to Shop Now

By Phil M. Sinha 2 days ago

Click here to read the full article.

For celebrities, side hustles are nothing new. Plenty of stars have their own clothing lines, wines and spirits, beauty brands and other companies to keep them busy. One category that is continuously growing is celebrity home goods. While you may never have a mega-mansion or tricked-out pad of the rich and famous, you can bring a little piece of their home into yours. These are the best celebrity home goods out there, plus picks from each to spruce up your own space.

 

More from Variety

1. Giuliana Rancic, August & Leo

TV host Giuliana Rancic teamed up with her longtime friend, interior designer Lonni Paul, to recently launch August & Leo, for HSN. In case you’re wondering where the name comes from, they’re both Leos born in August. The collection encompasses everything from furniture to linens to accent pieces and starts at

… Read More

Mixed Outlook for Retail Building Products Amid Coronavirus

By Phil M. Sinha 5 days ago

The Building Products – Retail industry comprises U.S. home improvement retailers, manufactures of industrial and construction materials and distributors of wallboard and ceilings systems. Some of the industry participants also offer products and services for home decoration, repair and remodeling, and in-home delivery and installation services.

The industry players provide a wide array of products, ranging from cement or concrete foundation materials to roofing boards and shingles. The companies also sell lumber, insulation materials, drywall, plumbing fixtures, hard-surface flooring, lawn and garden, and decor products. Some players also deal in threaded fastener products, and manufactured and natural stone tiles. The industry players cater to professional homebuilders, sub-contractors, remodelers and consumers.

Let’s take a look at the industry’s three major themes:

  • The industry’s prospects remain closely tied to U.S. housing market conditions, and repair and remodeling (R&R) activity. The bleak near-term prospects of the housing market amid coronavirus-induced high unemployment and
… Read More

Amazon’s best-selling seat cushion has done wonders for my bum while working from home

By Phil M. Sinha 6 days ago

Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. 

For the foreseeable future, I’m going to be working from home, and while adjusting to this “new normal,” I decided that it’s finally time to amp up my work-from-home station. (I mean, it’s about time since we’re on our third month of working from home).

While I have yet to invest in an additional computer monitor (that’s next on my list), and there are so many other work-from-home accessories you can shop, my new favorite obsession is this best-selling seat cushion I found on Amazon.

Never did I think I would be the person to geek out about a seat cushion, but here we are. The Everlasting

… Read More