Monthly mortgage payments are 60% higher than a year ago, according to NAR. Buyers can save by shopping around for different types of loans.

John Campbell of Keller Williams Realty is the listing agent for Villa de Leon, a "fan favorite" on Modernism Week's Signature House Tour in Palm Springs, Calif. Artwork featured in the home is available for purchase separately.

Rewarding your top-performing team members with experiences—such as a trip to an interesting destination or event—instead of monetary incentives could boost retention and employee engagement, write Kenny Straus and Patrick Sipp of Flying Pig Adventures. "An experience like a river rafting trip or a spa day can be shared among the entire team in a way that a gift card can't, allowing for more camaraderie and strengthened work relationships," they write.

Communicating with employees during times of change requires leaders to focus on building awareness and answering questions about how new strategies will affect them, writes Tim Creasey. The approach should concentrate on the people most affected, "those who must adopt and use the change in their work to make the project successful," Creasey writes.

Designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen says dark, shiny floors can make small living spaces seem larger, as the darker shade will "maximize the amount of daylight."

Design-build contractor Marous Brothers Construction tackles the complexities of guiding clients to a detailed plan to fulfill a vision and then building the result using a portfolio of enterprise tools. Charles Rathmann explores the blend of software from different providers that Marous has assembled with a focus on the ability of accounting and project management solutions having the ability to communicate.

Male real estate professionals should be as concerned with their personal safety as females. Practitioner Gene Lentz explains how, even standing 6-foot-3, he almost became a victim himself.

NAR Spire pairs real estate pros in underserved areas with experienced practitioners to help them find new business opportunities.

Citing her personal experience, Elisabet Velasquez shares insights on housing insecurity's impact on mental health. "Displacement is its own kind of war zone," Velasquez writes.

Wells Fargo has agreed to a $94 million settlement to settle class-action claims that the bank unilaterally put hundreds of thousands of borrowers into forbearance, damaging credit ratings. The settlement is awaiting a judge's approval.