No time to design the ballroom or choose the fountains? $17.5 million gets you a ready-made mansion today.. Have you noticed the empty mansions for sale? Sure, some extravagant new houses are on the market because times turned harder for the original buyers.

Home Front: Getting Started on Nursery Decor, Midcentury Lighting and Allergy-Free Couches. Post Home Section staffers Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza take questions on your decorating dilemmas. This week, they find out how museums pick colors for their gallery walls, and why people paint their porch ceilings blue.

Looser Credit on the Way In 'Declining' Markets? Could the mortgage industry scrap its controversial practice of listing hundreds of local real estate markets as "declining" -- and restricting lending there through higher down payments or credit scores?.

Outdoor Shed Can Answer Your Storage Problems. Where do you store your lawn mower, gardening implements and other tools? If the answer is the garage or the basement, odds are that your gear is hard to get to or tough to find when you need it.

Late Spring Answers on Tulips and Training, Butterflies and Begonias. Washington's growing season is in full swing. Q: My wife loves tulips. Is it true they only last one to two seasons? Are there any species that come back every year?.

Don't Overlook the Kitchen Exhaust. Q: DEAR TIM: The plans for my new kitchen call for a range hood exhaust fan. Is one fan more effective than another? Years ago, the downdraft exhaust fans were popular. What kind of fan is in your kitchen? How do I make sure the one I select will adequately ventilate my kitchen?.

Keeping Closer Tabs On Brokers. Should your mortgage loan officer's fingerprints be on file in a national electronic database, even if he or she has never been convicted of a crime?.

In the U.K., a Different Standard For Broker Transparency. For perspective on institutional practices, nothing beats seeing how those practices differ elsewhere. Recently, I looked at how mortgage brokers and the lenders they deal with operate in the United Kingdom.

For Tile Matchmakers, Patience Is the Most Important Tool. Q: DEAR TIM: I have ceramic floor tile in my kitchen. We removed a wall to open up the floor plan, and now I must replace the cut tiles with full ones to make the ceramic tile floor look perfect. My builder left behind a box of the original tile, so I have the pieces I need.

To Reduce Greenhouse Gases, Start by Shrinking Buildings. New Mexico architect Edward Mazria has a proposal to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. His target: buildings.

Understanding Your Credit History Is the First Step Toward a Higher Score. I have heard from numerous readers who were confused by a recent column on how to clean up your credit history and credit score.

Much to Learn and Admire in the Dog Days. Take advantage of some interesting exhibits, lectures, workshops, tours and other educational programs in August. Events are free unless otherwise noted. Many require registration, so call ahead.

Stray Light Has Sky-Gazers Yearning to Be in the Dark. For the environmentally concerned sky-watchers among us, it isn't enough that the world should go green. It should go dark green. As in, "Turn off all the unnecessary lights, please.".

The Art and the Science of the Trench Drain. Q: DEAR TIM: Do you think a trench drain will solve my soggy yard and the chronic leak in my basement? Many of my neighbors suffered from a recent heavy rainfall, and we all are tired of dealing with water in and around our homes. Will a trench drain really work?.

New Tax Credit Amounts To a Free Loan for $7,500. Anyone who has been hesitant about jumping into real estate until conditions settle down should keep in mind these dates: April 9, 2008, through June 30, 2009.

When Walls Get in the Way. The homes of yesteryear may possess charm that new construction can't match, but the rooms can be a bit small for 42-inch plasma screens and entertain-a-crowd cooking. Often, master baths are tiny, living rooms aren't so great, and galley kitchens seem built for galley slaves.

All Signs Point to Confusion. Do you ever think about how much we depend on highway signs? They tell us where we are; provide essential direction and destination options; and display critical rules about driving, stopping or parking.

Home Front: Ideas for an Extra Room, Kitchen Paint and Tile, Disassembling a Couch and more.

The Good, the Bad and the Untidy: Thoughts on Early Spring. With spring upon us, many plants are already in full bloom and will soon require attention.

Keep a Replacement Showerhead Watertight. Q: DEAR TIM: I need to deal with a leaking showerhead. At first I was just going to fix the leak, but my wife wants a new showerhead. Are they difficult to replace? Are there some tips you can share that will make it appear as if a master plumber did the job?.