Mallory Carra

Ready to turn your apartment into a spooky scare den for a huge Halloween bash? Actually, you might want to hold off on turning your rented abode into a haunted home. That big costume party you’re planning and all those jack-o’-lanterns you carved…

You’d think the natural progression of modern romance goes like this: Meet cute, fall desperately in love, live together, walk down the aisle, buy a dream house, and have some adorable kids. Great dream, right? Well, I’m sorry to burst your fantasy…

I have a confession to make: I hate my new roommates. They eat all my food. They hit me in the face while I watch NBC’s The Voice and I refuse to change the channel (hey, I like Adam Levine). And sometimes when I come home from work, I find my…

With the final days of 2014 approaching, it’s time to start thinking about the new year. You could be like me and resolve to experience lots of new things, like taking improv classes, getting a pet, and visiting Australia … or you could be looking to…

Growing up, I thought my parents were the most fearless people ever. They were never afraid to take an impromptu drive to Toronto, get lost around Lake Tahoe, or visit Los Angeles’ ultrafancy mall The Grove during the holiday rush. Challenges never…

It was way older than me. It had numbers that didn’t follow any kind of known logic. And it looked like a Chernobyl waiting to happen. But my previous landlord insisted that this was a perfectly good (but super-old-school) microwave — plus, it was…

PassiveAggressiveNotes.com) Let’s be completely honest with each other — that’s the big lie we tell at the beginning of every roomie relationship, including the one I had with Debbie (not her real name). And that pledge failed as soon as I turned on…

Maybe you’ve reached the point where you’re ready to put down some roots — and a down payment too. You’re ready to take the plunge and graduate from landlords and leases to legit property owner. Or maybe you’re a homeowner who wants to downsize, and…

Everyone said it was going to be tough, even grueling, and that defeat was definitely possible — but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. Last fall, I was dead set on finding the apartment of my dreams. Armed with a notebook, pen, and a list of…

Besides your closing documents, the most exciting piece of paper you’ll see when home buying is your pre-approval letter. With it in hand, you’ll know exactly what your budget is, you can move quickly when you find a great house, and you can make…

You’ve finally found a house that checks all the boxes, so now it’s time to make an offer, sign on the dotted line, and book the movers, right? Not so fast. That dream home for sale in San Francisco, CA, can turn out to be a real nightmare if the…

Being young and dumb, I ignored the following red flags when I signed a two-year lease: the complex had changed management seven times in two years; paperwork was always “disappearing” from the office; and I was a naive 24-year-old who didn’t realize…