You've been dreaming about getting your kitchen remodel project under way for months - the nice new countertops, the beautiful cabinets, the perfect floor, and the chic appliances. But have you thought about how you're going to live - or eat - while the project is under construction? You should.
      It's a situation that is occurring more frequently as households throughout the country upgrade, replace, and transform their homes on the heels of rising home appreciation rates and low interest rates. Each year about 26 million Americans spend more than $180 billion on improvements to their homes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
      But whether you're undergoing a two-week or two-month remodel, you'll need to know how the process will go - how you'll cook if you're going through a kitchen remodel, and how you'll shower and primp for work if you're having a bathroom remodel. And how you'll live

     Purchasing and keeping your homeowners insurance policy is increasingly difficult these days. Premium costs are escalating at double-digit rates, many companies' renewal policies are tightening, some companies aren't even selling new policies in some states, and if you live in a wildfire- or hurricane-prone area, or have a history of numerous claims, getting insurance is sometimes a complicated - and expensive -matter.
      And that can make the whole home-buying process more difficult, especially if you're buying your first house.
      One of the biggest triggers leading to these new restrictions and rate increases is the emergence of mold lawsuits and the direction jury verdicts and judicial interpretations are taking, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
      While damage from mold is specifically excluded from the standard homeowners policy, it is covered if it is the result of a covered peril, like a pipe that bursts causing water damage.
      But now insurers say that if they are going to be asked, by juries and court rulings, to pay for what isn't covered, that consumers will suffer.
      "Potential rate increases needed to cover the cost of mold claims threaten to make home insurance coverage