Kenponet — Your home, in plain numbers
New This week · The plain-English housing desk
Home costs, minus the guesswork.
Guides on renting, buying, owning and upkeep, with the numbers and the rules laid out so you know what to do before you sign, buy or call a contractor.
Three editors, one rule: put a number on it first
01 · Featured
The ones readers keep forwarding.
Three favourites from the archive, from negotiating your rent to the repair bill that grows the longer you wait.
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BUYING AND MOVING How to Negotiate a Home Price This Fall as Inventory Climbs to 1.60 Million
Sales are slow, listings are piling up and mortgage rates sit above 7 percent. Buyers finally have some leverage, if they know how to use it.
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MAINTENANCE AND COSTS Electricity Bills in 2026 and 2027: What EIA Expects and How to Cut Yours
Federal forecasters expect the average residential rate to hit 18.2 cents per kilowatt-hour this year and 18.7 next year. Here is what that means for your bill.
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OWNING How to Cancel PMI in 2026: What the New Executive Order Changes and What It Does Not
A new order wants mortgage insurance dropped sooner, but it will not help most current homeowners soon. The rules that already exist can.
Read story
Why Kenponet exists
Rates and rents move. Good numbers last.
Headlines about rates and rents change by the week. What you need is the version you can act on: the cost, the rule and the first step. That is the one we write.
02 · Read by length
How long have you got?
Every story, sorted by how long it takes to read. Tap a length or let it turn on its own.
01 / 04
Quick
Short reads that fit between two meetings.
02 / 04
Coffee
One cup, one idea, explained properly.
03 / 04
Lunch
Pieces worth a proper sit-down.
04 / 04
Deep
The long ones, for when you want the whole picture.
03 · Browse by topic
Find your corner of home.
Five desks we keep coming back to. Point at a row for a peek at its newest story.
Recently published
More stories (22)-
Just in OCT 23 Flood Insurance Deadline: What Happens to Your NFIP Policy After December 11, 2026 The National Flood Insurance Program expires December 11, 2026 unless Congress acts. Here is what a lapse means for your renewal, your closing and your options. -
BUYING AND MOVING OCT 23 How Much Are Closing Costs in 2026? Averages by State and How to Cut Them The average US closing cost was $4,528, or 1.04% of price, but Delaware buyers paid 3.06%. Here is what is included and how to plan your cash to close. Read - RENTING OCT 23 2027 Rent Increase Caps in Canada: B.C. at 2.2% and Ontario at 1.9% B.C. and Ontario have set their 2027 rent caps. Here is what each allows in dollars, how much notice a landlord must give and what to do about a bad notice. Read
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RENTING OCT 22 Rental Junk Fees in 2026: What Landlords Can Charge and What Rules Apply Hidden monthly charges are the target of a federal settlement, a possible FTC rule and new city and state laws. Here is how to spot them before you sign. Read -
RENTING OCT 22 Rent or Buy in Fall 2026? What the Latest Home Sales Data Means for Renters September home sales rose, prices hit a new high and mortgage rates climbed to 6.86%. Here is how to read those numbers if your lease is up soon. Read -
MAINTENANCE AND COSTS OCT 22 Home Energy Rebates in 2026: How Much You Can Get for a Heat Pump and How to Claim It The federal HOMES and HEEHR rebates are still alive in 2026, but they run state by state and the money can run out. Here is how they work. Read -
RENTING OCT 21 No Heat in Your Rental? Tenant Heat Rights for the 2026-27 Season Heat season is here. What temperature your landlord must keep, how to report a cold apartment, and where to get help with the bill. Read -
OWNING OCT 21 Property Tax Bills Are Rising in 2026: How to Check Your Assessment and Appeal Property tax collections are up 4 percent from a year ago. Here is how to check the assessment behind your bill and appeal it if it is wrong. Read - MAINTENANCE AND COSTS OCT 21 How to Prepare Your Home for an El Niño Winter in 2026-27 NOAA expects a wet winter across the South and East Coast. Here are the cheap jobs that keep water out, and when to buy flood insurance. Read
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Caleb Thornton
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