Home & Design News

This Gizmo Literally Lets You See Through Walls

By Jennifer J. Whitcher 4 months ago


2 min read


I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have x-ray vision. As a homeowner and frequent do-it-yourself renovator, I’ve especially wondered — and needed — to know exactly what’s inside a wall.

Hey, dreams can become reality. Enter Walabot DIY, a gizmo that attaches to your smartphone via a magnet. Its sensors can “see” things within your walls, such as plastic and metal pipes, electrical wires and studs. Israel-based Vayyar Imaging, the 3-D imaging sensor company behind Walabot DIY says it can see up to four inches deep into walls made of drywall or even cement.

Related: Say Howdy to This Rolling, Robot Cowboy

So, it’s kind of like a traditional stud finder, but with super x-ray vision steroids.

Owning a home and doing renovations yourself can be a treacherous undertaking. Cutting or hammering through walls can be dangerous if you

… Read More

Buying a House is NOT For Suckers

By Jennifer J. Whitcher 4 months ago


7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


Recently, one of my favorite online financial gurus, Grant Cardone, put out a video that exclaimed, “Buying a house is for suckers!”

Related: 3 Things to Think About Before Buying Your First Home

Before that, he wrote here on Entrepreneur that, “Unless you have 20 million bucks in the bank, in cash, you have no business buying a house.”

It’s not the first time I’ve heard him say this, nor is he the only financial guru peddling this message today. Author James Altucher has described time and time again how he’s refused to own a house. Remit Sethi, the blogger behind the I Can Teach You to Be Rich brand, often cautions readers to be wary of buying real estate. Even Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has become famous for informing the

… Read More

The 10 Best Cities to Flip Houses

By Jennifer J. Whitcher 4 months ago

It requires a little more research than just watching HGTV.


6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


You’ve watched an entire season of HGTV’s Flip or Flop and you’re ready to start flipping houses. After doing a little research, you find that flipped homes produced an average gross profit of $58,250 in the first quarter of this year, according to a report by RealtyTrac. Sold.

But before you start sledgehammering that wall between the kitchen and the living room, there are many factors to consider when deciding to move into the house-flipping business — one of them being location.

Financial advising site WalletHub has you covered. WalletHub analyzed 150 of America’s largest cities to find the best places in the U.S. to flip houses, considering factors such as median purchase price and bathroom-remodeling costs. In addition to placing the cities in an overall

… Read More

10 Simple Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home or Investment Property

By Jennifer J. Whitcher 4 months ago


6 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.


As a real estate investor, author and podcaster, I’m often asked if it is “too late” to buy real estate. After all, prices have climbed dramatically over the past several years, and many homeowners and investors are worried that they’ve missed their chance.  

Related: The 10 Hottest Housing Markets for 2014

My answer is always the same: No, it’s not too late.

However, today, unlike the past, when almost every property was a good deal for buyers, you have to hunt for (and buy) only the best. And one specific way to do that is to purchase a property and increase the value significantly. That way, if home values do drop, you’ll avoid being “underwater.” 

But how do you add value on a piece of real estate without spending tens of thousands of dollars? While there

… Read More