The U.S. housing market is filled with potential financial landmines but if you are looking at a certain area you might want to buy before the buying exceeds your budget.
While some markets have cooled after the pandemic-induced boom, others are poised for significant growth through the end of 2024 and throughout 2025.
There is a study that finds what markets are quickly growing based on increased home value year over year. The statistical growth from 2023 to 2024 can be used as a good indicator of how those markets are projected to continuously grow in 2025. Here are the top 3 housing markets estimated for growth that you should consider for 2025.
Sometimes you just need more space. Perhaps you would like a backyard office or just a spot where you can retreat to work on hobbies or to just relax. Definitely would be great to have a room outside of the house to do that. There are endless possibilities to adding a shed to your yard, and luckily, Costco can help with that. Rather than hiring contractors to build a small shed or guest house in your backyard, you can instead try out one of Costco’s Studio Sheds.
These sheds are less like a garden shed and more like a bona fide home addition. They come with drywall, flooring, insulation, electricity, a foundation, and so much more. It’s basically getting a prefab room shipped to your house — and you don’t even have to put together the pieces! The price includes professional installation, which will take roughly one week. This includes unpacking the pieces, creating the structure, installing the drywall and electricity, and even painting the interior walls and adding the trim. Here is a closer look at the options and what they provide.
2 Sheds, 3 Versions
If you’re a Costco member, you have two types of sheds to choose from. One is the Signature series, which has a flat pergola roof. In that series, there are three different versions you can choose from: one with French doors and a row of transom windows on top; another with French doors and windows on top and on the sides of it, creating a wall of glass; and the third is a single door to the side with a row of transom windows near the ceiling. The second option is the Portland series, which comes with a pitched roof, glass French doors, and two triangle windows on top, following the lines of the roof.
Whichever option you choose, you’ll be following the sleek shed design trend that’s taking over backyards since both picks are modern and streamlined. You will also receive all the perks of the shed, such as drywall, insulation, electricity, and so on. However, the two series differ substantially in price. The Signature series costs between $32,999 and $34,999. The Portland series, however, costs $56,919 for the 12×16 foot option, and $72,559 for the 16×16 foot option.
Since this is a big purchase, the brand offers a free consultation prior to purchasing, allowing you to ask questions and better decide if it’s worth the addition to your yard. For instance, you will need to have access to electricity within 150 feet of the shed and have a level spot to place it, all of which can be discussed in the meeting. You will also be responsible for securing your own permits or HOA permissions, though they do have a building permit plan set you can buy separately.
It goes without saying, white gardens are simply stunning. Crisp white flowers against the foliage is something that can be quite eye catching. You can make a very attractive display using plants with white flowers. White is clean, modern and simple. It’s everything a garden needs to be. I have compiled in this post, my favorite white flowering plants that are completely essential for creating that stunning white garden you have always dreamed of.
Gypsophila, sometimes known as baby’s breath
Absolutely stunning. Flowers are widely used in bridal bouquets. Featuring very small dainty flowers, Gypsophila is a must have for the classic white garden. Perennial varieties grow to about 1m high and becomes smothered in beautiful white blooms for long periods. The annual variety is small and great as a ground cover or filler in the border.
Gardenia, highly fragrant and silky blooms
Gardenia’s have to be one of my favorite all time plants. Most of all, it is highly fragrant. Gardenias will start to bloom from spring through to summer. Some varieties will bloom almost all year. They can be difficult to look after however. They are therefore they worth the extra effort required just to get the fantastically scented blooms.
Shasta daisy, an all-time cottage garden classic!
Everybody knows the Shasta daisy and it’s no surprise it’s made itself on to my list of essential plants for the white garden. Due to the fact these plants continuously flower from mid spring throughout summer. Heavy bloomer and also a perennial. What’s not to love about this all-time classic?
Iceberg right ahead! Iceberg rose that is
It isn’t surprising this one has made it to my list. I think every garden should have a rose plant in it somewhere. These look marvelous in the standard rose form. Plant standard iceberg roses in a line with a small hedge in front and under plant with dwarf white agapanthus for the perfect formal white garden.
White agapanthus
As mentioned above, dwarf white agapanthus go exceptionally well under planted with standard iceberg roses. Agapanthus is incredibly tough, hard to kill and a reliable bloomer too. Looks spectacular planted on mass too. Low maintenance and the newer varieties are not fertile, so they won’t become invasive like some of the older cultivars do.
White lavender
Perfect for that sunny location. Lavender thrives on heat and free draining soils. When you hear the word lavender you would most likely imagine the traditional purple flower, but this one is the white version. Lavenders are generally easy to look after, check out my guide to growing lavender plants for some information on how to grow them for yourself.
White Salvia covered in many blooms
Salvia are generally easy to care for, they are a reliable bloomer and have very attractive spear shaped flowers. Furthermore, they are also perennial too so you will have gorgeous white flowers year after year.
An old favorite, the hydrangea
Often referred to as old fashioned, hydrangeas have consequently made a comeback. They are featured in many modern garden designs and really do become the star of the show when they come into full flower. How can you not like hydrangea’s? Planted en masse I can guarantee these will provide a spectacular display. Dwarf cultivars are also available which are perfect for a pot on the patio.
Dhalia, the perfect cut flower
Dahlia is a much-loved plant across the planet. Flowers continuously throughout summer, perennial and perhaps the best part about this plant is that it makes a perfect cut flower. Remember to lift tubers in the autumn to avoid rotting in the winter months. Replant in the spring and they will soon grow once soil temperatures rise again.
Carpet of snow, it really does look like snow
In conclusion, my last noteworthy plant for the 10 essential plants for the white garden is Alyssum. Readily available and extremely easy to grow. This bedding plant really does live up to its name of carpet of snow. Plant on mass and it will therefore look like snow has fallen in the middle of summer. It will die off in the winter but often self-seeds. It’s the sort of plant that once you’ve had it, you will never get rid of it due to thousands of tiny seeds produced by the plant.
Here is a late addition to the white garden.
Phlox ‘David’
Tall garden phlox provides weeks of color in the late summer garden, and the heirloom varieties have wonderful old-fashioned floral fragrance. ‘David’ is one of the most popular varieties of pure white phlox: It grows 2 to 3 feet tall and has large full panicles of fragrant flowers. This hardy heirloom, which is suitable for planting in zones 4 to 8, is also very resistant to powdery mildew, which can be a problem with tall phlox. Give it partial to full sun, well-drained soil, and space for air circulation.
Trees give a property depth and dimension and add an undefinable aesthetic allure. After all, who doesn’t love the look of a big, shady tree on a hot summer day? In fact, a recent study showed that well-tended trees may impact the selling price of a home, as well as the number of days it spends on the market.
Details make all the difference. Keep walkways and paths level, tidy and weed-free, and ensure the driveway is in good repair and edged so grass isn’t creeping over it. Other little touches that make a landscape feel expensive: a handsome mailbox, pretty containers by the front door with seasonal plantings, landscape lighting with a spotlight on a tree or two, and neat shrubs, especially by the front door.
When it comes to outdoor furniture, many designers are moving away from concrete and steel toward more natural materials, such as wood, rattan and woven fabrics in earthy colors. This more naturalistic palette of materials has a rich, soothing feel.
Steve Jobs once asked: “Have you ever thought about what it is to be intelligent?” The legendary Apple cofounder asked his audience in 1982 when he won a “Golden Plate” award from the Academy of Achievement. “Probably some of you have, right? Because you meet your friend, and he’s pretty dumb, and maybe you think you’re smarter and you wonder what the difference is?”
A lot of it, he said, is the ability to zoom out and make connections that other people can’t see.
“You have to not have the same bag of experiences as everyone else does — or else you’re going to make the same connections.” What comes through in stories from some of the most creative, innovative, and successful people, he said, is that “they had a variety of experiences which they could draw upon in order to try to solve a problem or attack a particular dilemma in a kind of unique way.”
That’s it. You become vastly smarter when you’re good at making new and interesting connections, which you’re able to do with a vast array of experiences.
Sounds simple in theory. But in practice, it’s easy to get stuck in the same old patterns and ways of doing things instead of accumulating new experiences.
Breaking out of these periods of malaise requires mental strength and the discipline to make four commitments to yourself:
1. ‘I will take responsibility for being in a rut’
A friend told me she’d been miserable in her job for years and wanted to start over in a new city. She’d also quietly blamed her partner all that time, assuming he’d never move away from his family.
After we talked, she accepted responsibility for the pattern she’d fallen into and discussed a move with her partner, who was actually eager to accommodate.
Sometimes we fall into a rut and look at everyone and everything around us as the reason we’re in that rut. But getting “unstuck” starts with you. Be honest if you’ve put yourself in “park” and take ownership to get back in “drive.”
2. ‘I will recognize the pattern I’m in’
This commitment is about recognizing the specifics of the pattern you’ve fallen into and the habits weighing you down. For example:
You repeatedly tell yourself, “I’ll wait.”
You tend to avoid new challenges when they arise.
You’re always justifying why you’re stuck where you are.
You’re continually convincing yourself that “things will change.”
You want things to change, but don’t want to change them yourself.
You recognize patterns like these by having the discipline to step back once in a while to work on your life, not just in it. Ask yourself: Where and how do I seem stuck? Where am I holding myself back from things I want to accomplish, or the life I want to live?
If it helps, talk these questions through with a friend who knows you well.
3. ‘I will recommit to the idea of being challenged’
When you’re stuck in a rut, you tend to repel challenges in favor of staying in your comfort zone. You’re in a mode of repetition and choose the path of least resistance. You’re not challenging much of anything — your assumptions, the status quo, or yourself.
Remind yourself how exhilarating it can be to be challenged. Start with something small and doable. It could be anything, like attempting to play pickleball or finally taking Spanish lessons.
Begin to feel the thrill of learning, growing, and building your bank of experiences to draw from.
4. ‘I will get going’
It’s hard to change course if you don’t have a destination. Ask yourself: Where do I want to go? What’s my new goal? What’s next?
When you have that goal, write it down. Research shows that just by writing down your goals, you’re far more likely to achieve them versus simply thinking about them. You’re likelier still to succeed when you tell a friend, and even more so when you regularly share your progress.
Start by taking a single, small step. Maybe you want to get out of that nowhere job and into an industry you’re passionate about. Schedule lunch with a friend who works in that industry. Maybe you want to break out of a stale routine of chores and errands you and your partner have fallen into, so you schedule a weekend adventure to somewhere you’ve never been before. You get the idea.
Even the tiniest step can be invigorating — helping you start accumulating new experiences and making novel connections. And that’s just smart.
These terms are just the tip of the iceberg. The reality is, there are more Internet phrases and acronyms out there than anyone could possibly count, especially when you consider that many of those terms aren’t limited to the Internet. Still, these terms are a good start.
The threat level in the region has been upgraded to “Level 4 — Do Not Travel Due to Crime and Kidnapping,” the highest of the U.S. State Department’s four-tier safety ranking system.
If you are going to Mexico for vacation, make sure to review the U.S. travel advisory for Mexico. Also, enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive safety updates. In addition, it helps the U.S. Embassy or the nearest U.S. Consulate contact you in an emergency. The State Department also recommends getting travel insurance that covers evacuation assistance, medical insurance, and trip cancelation coverage.
However, the travel advisory level for Mexico as a whole has remained at “Level 2 —Exercise Increased Caution” for several years, along with other popular American tourist destinations including France and Germany.
The recent alert was issued due to “increasingly frequent gun battles” in the areas in the late night and early morning hours, as well as the rising implementation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by criminal organizations.
People should be aware of their surroundings, monitor local media for updates and notify friends and family of their safety.
