Thornburg net jumps five-fold. Troubled mortgage lender Thornburg Mortgage Inc. said late Monday that its profit increased by more than five times in the second quarter, due to big one-time gains from the sale of assets and decreases in the..

Home sales rose slightly in July, prices fell. Sales of new homes rose in July, but still fell short of economists' expectations, and home prices continued to sink.

Realtors say existing home sales rose in July. Sales of existing homes rose 3.1 percent in July, easily beating Wall Street's expectations, as buyers snapped up deeply discounted properties in parts of the country hit hardest by the housing bust.

Home sales numbers slip in South. Sales of existing homes in the South tumbled 18 percent in July from a year ago, while the median price fell 3.5 percent to $179,300, the National Association of Realtors said Monday.

Home Sales in U.S. Rebounded From 17-Year Low in July; Inventory Fell. New-home sales in the U.S. improved in July from a 17-year low and construction cutbacks by builders reduced the glut of properties on the market by the most in almost five decades.

Duke Realty continues to expand GE collaboration. Indianapolis-based developer Duke Realty has begun site work for office buildings on a 43-acre campus in suburban Cincinnati that will house 1,400 employees of the aerospace unit of General Electric Co.

Showpiece House Harnesses Wisdom of the Ancients. Does the classical architectural style of ancient Greece and Rome have any relevance for today's homeowners? Did the builders of preindustrial-era houses develop climate-control techniques that could be adapted to today's houses?.

Bathe Your Walls in Light. Sconces, light fixtures attached to the wall midway between floor and ceiling, can serve as primarily functional objects, or they can create a dramatic focal point in a room.

Home Front. Post Home staff editors Annie Groer and Jura Koncius are here to answer your decorating-related questions.

As the Market Turns: Real Estate TV Still Has Stories to Sell. The real estate market may have cooled considerably, but not real estate television.

For a Secure Steam Room, Sweat the Small Stuff. Q: DEAR TIM: I have wanted a steam room in my house for a long time. Are there certain things you must do to ensure that a home steam room will work well? How do you build a steam room that doesn't have any water or water-vapor issues?.

Sellers Turn to Pros to Dress Up Their Homes. For sellers, it's a stressful real estate market: Lots of houses are available; buyers look and look, leaving them panicked and their agents frantic.

A Solution to the Particleboard Problem? Particleboard has made veneered wood furniture, cabinetry and hardwood wall paneling affordable, although it's probably almost invisible in your home. Nonetheless, it's still a subject of controversy because of its health and environmental effects.

Home Front: Wet Basements, Finding a Mover, Housekeeping Help and Welcome Terri! Post Home Section staffers Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza help with your decorating dilemmas.

Assessing the Health of Trees, Preventing Lyme Disease and Attracting Butterflies. In the height of our growing season, your questions abound.

Prof. Lerner's Reading List For Garden Design 101. When it's time to rest from weeding and watering, consider some books on landscaping that will educate you about planting techniques, what to install and how to design.

The Anxiety and Mystery Of Architect Fees. Most people have no clue how much it costs to hire an architect, and with good reason. The way most architects charge for their services is confusing.

Help for Your Hands, Feet and Plants. Good footwear, gloves, tools, irrigation and plant-enhancing materials can make gardening safer and more enjoyable. Here are some new products that my associates and I have tested recently.

Do-It-Yourself: Squeaky Wood Floors. Q Our older house has developed squeaky wood floors. What can we do to alleviate this?.

Seeking Shelter in Your Garden. Gardens existed before gardeners, but gardeners can claim credit for the idea of shelters and trellises, structures that allow us to come closer to and enjoy our plants more in their natural setting.