Danielle Braff – Page 5

Annemarie Kill and her husband, John Duffy, spent thousands of dollars trying to repair their Oak Park home's wood-burning fireplace before abandoning the effort and installing a gas fireplace. In a former home, they'd been hit with thousands of dollars of unexpected repairs.

House hunters, be wary: 7 seemingly small flaws may point to a money pit

May 20, 2019 at 8:43 a.m.

When Annemarie Kill and her husband, John Duffy, bought their first house in Chicago’s Galewood neighborhood in 2003, the duo knew it needed some cosmetic work — in fact, they...

A challenge for the Schwartz family was helping their middle child, who lives out of state, feel like she belongs. They make sure to FaceTime frequently.

How to make blended families work

December 14, 2018 at 8:34 p.m.

When two people decide to become a family, it’s tricky blending lifestyles, finances and personalities. But when you add in unrelated children to create a blended family, chances are high...

Kate Rockwood, center, sits with wife, Rebekah, and kids Levi, 3, and Esther, 4, in their Logan Square home. The Rockwoods faced delays when attempting to buy their home because Kate is self-employed.

How to land a mortgage without a salary. For freelancers, a good home loan is hard to find.

May 30, 2019 at 1:15 p.m.

When millions of Americans look in the mirror, their manager is staring back. Last year, about 41 million people ages 21 and above were self-employed in the United States, according...

Irwin Obispo plays with his 3-year-old daughter, Ava, at their home in Orland Hills, Ill., on Jan. 21, 2018. Ava was born 10 weeks early in 2014.

Dads are more stressed than moms after bringing preemies home

August 19, 2019 at 3:50 a.m.

Baby Ava weighed 2 pounds, 15 ounces when she was born 10 weeks early after her mother had preeclampsia. When she was born in 2014, she didn’t move or cry...

Fallen out of love with your roommate? Find your next one Tinder-style

May 20, 2019 at 8:41 a.m.

After a weekend getaway to Pittsburgh years ago, Julia returned to her Chicago apartment to find clothing, liquor bottles and sex toys cluttering her living room. A giant candle had...

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married at St. James's Palace on Feb. 10, 1840.

Should you stay friends with your ex on social media? Vote

May 23, 2018 at 8:30 p.m.

Lovisa Tedestedt's Facebook account is littered with ex-boyfriends. Tedestedt has been married for 13 years, and her husband, Magnus, is aware of and accepting of her somewhat unconventional pool of...

Karen Heiting was dropped off at a church in downtown Chicago as an infant. She found her family using ancestry.com last year and met her brothers, pictured in the photograph, Ed Biancalana, left, and Ray Biancalana, who live in Northern California.

Friends could be family. Family could be unrelated. What people are finding out from DNA sites

December 14, 2018 at 11:03 p.m.

When she was an infant, Karen Heiting was abandoned on a doorstep of a church in downtown Chicago. She wasn’t born in a hospital, and she had no identifying information....

Julia Rohan and Mark Vanderhoff work from their home in Chicago on Nov. 27, 2017.

Should you be best friends with your spouse?

December 15, 2018 at 5:16 a.m.

Julia Rohan sits just 1 foot away from her husband in their home office — but after the work day is over, she doesn’t want a break from her best...

Kailey Whipple and husband Ryan Fueller rent out their parking spot in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood.

No car needed: Homeowners get creative with alternative uses for parking spots

May 20, 2019 at 8:40 a.m.

In 2012, Bryan and Jen Danger quit their jobs, rented out their Portland, Ore., house and drove south through Mexico and Central America for 1½ years. When they returned home...

Shayna Harris and her daughter Isabela de la Sancha make dinner together Nov. 20, 2017, at their Chicago home.

Feeling guilty about not spending time with your kids? Here’s what really matters

April 6, 2019 at 1:11 a.m.

Shayna Harris works incredibly long hours at her startup, which leaves very little time to play with her 2 ½-year-old daughter, whose bedtime is 7 p.m., just 1 ½ hours...

All Stories