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Angi launches new 'AI Helper' to service request experience
Angi launches new 'AI Helper' to service request experience

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Angi launches new 'AI Helper' to service request experience

Angi is introducing a new, 'AI Helper' to its service request experience, as part of its continued effort to simplify how homeowners connect with top-quality service pros and meet demand for smarter, more intuitive home improvement solutions. This innovation coincides with Angi's 30th anniversary, marking three decades of connecting homeowners with skilled pros and driving industry innovation. At the heart of this enhancement is an intelligent system that leverages advanced large language models and new job assessment questions, developed in close collaboration with service pros, to create more accurate service requests. Homeowners can describe their needs in their own words, and Angi's AI refines these requests into clear, precise language preferred by service pros. This results in higher-quality matches, ensuring a smoother experience for both homeowners and pros by setting the right expectations upfront. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See today's best-performing stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on ANGI: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Cisco upgraded, CoreWeave downgraded: Wall Street's top analyst calls Angi Inc. downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Citizens JMP Angi Inc. price target raised to $27 from $6 at Benchmark Angi Inc. price target lowered to $20 from $24 at UBS Angi Inc. Reports First Earnings as Independent Company

Deferred Home Projects: Health, Safety, Fiscal Risks You Can't Ignore
Deferred Home Projects: Health, Safety, Fiscal Risks You Can't Ignore

Forbes

time10-06-2025

  • Business
  • Forbes

Deferred Home Projects: Health, Safety, Fiscal Risks You Can't Ignore

Ignoring roof leaks can be a costly mistake, damaging home and putting health and safety at risk. Almost three quarters (71%) of homeowners have delayed a planned project this year, citing inflation, high interest rates and economic concerns for their postponements. These were among the findings of an April 2025 online survey of 1,000 respondents who had hired a professional for a project in the past year, conducted for home improvement platform Angi. The impact of these delays can impact owners' health and safety, as well as the structural integrity and resale value of their homes. The two projects owners would improve first if they had no budget constraints were kitchen remodels (31%), followed by bathroom remodels (22%), then outdoor area improvements (13%), the survey reveals. Enhancements in any of those three could make a home more comfortable, functional, accessible, safe, healthy and valuable, since they tend to be prioritized by homebuyers too. 'Even with delays, there's a strong underlying desire to improve key areas of the home,' the survey reports. Chris Desino, owner of Ocala Horse Properties in Central Florida, is seeing this in his market, he says, with older homeowners delaying the installation of more accessible showers, non-slip flooring and grab bars. 'They would feel safer and be able to remain in their houses longer with these modifications.' Concerns about the rising costs of the modifications, despite the even greater potential costs of a fall-driven hospital bill, is causing them to postpone. Desino anticipates these delays continuing through 2025, barring any economic confidence boosts this year. 'The need remains. Fear and uncertainty are the only reasons it is being delayed,' he asserts. One interesting and somewhat counterintuitive finding from the survey is an observation about younger owners and owners of younger homes (less than 20 years old). Both groups are significantly more likely to have already taken on improvements like kitchen remodels or smart home upgrades this year. 'In fact, they are more than twice as likely to have started a kitchen remodel or installed a smart home device compared to owners of homes 50-plus years old,' the survey reveals. It's possible that this is somewhat DIY-driven, with younger owners reducing labor costs by taking on work themselves. It's also possible that they see a longer time horizon in their homes than older residents who may be thinking about downsizing or relocating near their adult children's families, (a trend dubbed 'baby-chasing'), in the next few years. Among the Angi findings were 62% of respondents being more concerned about the costs of maintaining their homes than they were at the end of 2024, and 48% reporting that the stress of home repairs has increased since January. 'This aligns with what we saw in our 2024 report, where maintenance was already the top source of budget-related stress — surpassing even healthcare, childcare, and debt' the survey notes. Rising costs are driving homeowners to choose more affordable materials and services, bundling repairs to potentially reduce labor costs, as well as starting projects earlier to avoid anticipated price hikes, Angi observes. Prioritizing maintenance makes sense from a safety point of view. For example, as the company's co-founder and chief customer officer Angie Hicks points out, 'By staying current on upkeep — such as clearing gutters, servicing HVAC systems, and checking for leaks — homeowners can reduce unexpected emergencies and restore a sense of control and peace of mind.' Some maintenance projects involve significant investments, and are also being deferred, Desino shares. He has seen several owners defer storm window strengthening and electrical problem repair. 'Many individuals are opting to wait and hope for better financial circumstances, despite the fact that they are crucial for safety, particularly in Florida,' he comments. Roofing is one repair that is being deferred, much to owners' detriment, Waukesha, Wisconsin-based roofing and exterior remodeling contractor Tyler Hull reports. 'Lately, we are seeing families delay re-roofs on houses with 20-plus-year-old shingles. They are hoping to stretch another season, even with visible curling or active leaks in valleys. It is risky. Water gets into sheathing and insulation, which triples the cost of repair within six months.' Clients are concerned about job loss and tighter credit, he suggests. He's even seeing clients hold back on paying for repairs after spotting damage signs like attic moisture. 'Some had mold spreading near vents but still paused work.' Hicks agrees that deferred maintenance can lead to health and safety risks to a home's occupants. 'Water damage is both a structural threat and a health hazard because lingering moisture can lead to mold, which aggravates allergies and respiratory problems.' Smartly placed leak detectors can address some of these challenges and may also deliver insurance policy discounts. The Angi owner also cautions, 'Allowing landscaping to become overgrown or letting dead vegetation accumulate increases the fuel load around a home and elevates wildfire risk.' 'I believe people are scaling down or pressing pause because they are afraid of locking into high material costs or losing flexibility,' Hull theorizes, adding, 'but safety repairs are not optional, and comfort projects done right actually save on energy and long-term wear. You wait too long, you pay in other ways.'

5 Home Renovation Projects That Are Most Tariff-Proof
5 Home Renovation Projects That Are Most Tariff-Proof

Yahoo

time03-06-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

5 Home Renovation Projects That Are Most Tariff-Proof

Even home renovation projects aren't immune to global politics. President Donald Trump's tariffs have shaken up the world economic order, and according to Better Homes and Gardens, they could cause the prices of construction and renovation materials to rise. But not every project is equally affected. 'When thinking about projects that aren't going to be as impacted by tariffs, you'll want to think about projects where the materials are typically sourced in the U.S.,' Angie Hicks, co-founder of home services website Angi (formerly Angie's List), wrote in an email. Read Next: Find Out: For homeowners looking to protect their budgets, these five renovation projects are among the most tariff-proof. Also see four ways the middle class can tariff-proof their wealth. 'Many maintenance and repair projects are tariff-proof in that they are unavoidable,' explained Marine Sargsyan, staff economist at Houzz, an online platform for home remodeling and design. 'Considering that more than half of U.S. homes were built before 1980 (51%), it's no surprise that dated exterior features and core systems require attention.' Unlike elective renovations, these projects are driven by necessity. Homeowners are more likely to prioritize them regardless of rising material costs. 'We always recommend tackling maintenance projects first to help prevent surprise expenses later,' Hicks said. 'This means making sure your roof is in good shape, getting an HVAC tune-up or taking care of any plumbing issues.' Check Out: Another type of renovation project homeowners should consider is a home system upgrade. 'While tariffs may impact some of the materials required to complete these projects, labor has a more significant implication on project budgets and timelines,' Sargsyan said. According to the 2025 U.S. Houzz & Home Study, some system upgrades, such as plumbing and electrical, have consistently been the second-most-frequent type of project for the past few years. 'Median spend for home system projects remained relatively stable year over year across almost all categories, with the exception of plumbing systems, for which spend jumped by 25%, to $1,500,' she added. Hicks wrote that a great example of a home renovation project that uses locally sourced materials is painting. While many American manufacturers of paint import ingredients, not all do. For example, Benjamin Moore's website states that the company makes all of its own resins and pigments in the U.S. Miller Paint is another American paint company that makes premium paints in the U.S. formulated specifically for the Pacific Northwest. 'You could also consider projects that are using locally sourced lumber for building things like shelves, cabinets and flooring,' Hicks explained. The U.S. obtains most of its lumber domestically, but it also imports a significant portion from Canada. 'The Q2 2025 Houzz U.S. Renovation Barometer found that construction professionals are most concerned about tariffs on lumber (83%),' Sargsyan explained. 'While a proposed additional 25% tariff on Canadian lumber was delayed and ultimately exempted, the dust hasn't settled and policy direction remains uncertain.' You can check where the lumber was sourced by its grading stamp, shelf tag at the store or lumberyard, or request the supplier or contractor to provide a certificate of origin. Some wood species are predominantly U.S.-grown, such as Southern Yellow Pine (SYP). You can also verify lumber origin using the FSC Search tool. 'Landscaping could be a great project as long as you're using plants and trees that are sourced in the U.S.,' Hicks recommended. Houzz found that more than half of renovating homeowners (53%) improved their outdoor spaces and typically completed nearly two outdoor projects on average. 'As we enter the summer season, it's a great time to invest in outdoor areas to extend the livable space of your home,' Sargsyan said. Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates I'm a Retired Boomer: 6 Bills I Canceled This Year That Were a Waste of Money These 10 Used Cars Will Last Longer Than an Average New Vehicle This article originally appeared on 5 Home Renovation Projects That Are Most Tariff-Proof Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data

Gig Economy Q1 Earnings: Angi (NASDAQ:ANGI) Simply the Best
Gig Economy Q1 Earnings: Angi (NASDAQ:ANGI) Simply the Best

Yahoo

time19-05-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

Gig Economy Q1 Earnings: Angi (NASDAQ:ANGI) Simply the Best

Looking back on gig economy stocks' Q1 earnings, we examine this quarter's best and worst performers, including Angi (NASDAQ:ANGI) and its peers. The iPhone changed the world, ushering in the era of the 'always-on' internet and 'on-demand' services - anything someone could want is just a few taps away. Likewise, the gig economy sprang up in a similar fashion, with a proliferation of tech-enabled freelance labor marketplaces, which work hand and hand with many on demand services. Individuals can now work on demand too. What began with tech-enabled platforms that aggregated riders and drivers has expanded over the past decade to include food delivery, groceries, and now even a plumber or graphic designer are all just a few taps away. The 6 gig economy stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts' consensus estimates while next quarter's revenue guidance was 0.6% below. Luckily, gig economy stocks have performed well with share prices up 19.7% on average since the latest earnings results. Created by IAC's mergers of Angie's List and HomeAdvisor, ANGI (NASDAQ: ANGI) operates the largest online marketplace for home services in the US. Angi reported revenues of $245.9 million, down 19.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts' expectations by 2.7%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates and a decent beat of analysts' number of service requests estimates. Angi achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat but had the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. The company reported 3.36 million service requests, down 18.5% year on year. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 45.6% since reporting and currently trades at $16.38. Is now the time to buy Angi? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Formed through the 2013 merger of Elance and oDesk, Upwork (NASDAQ:UPWK) is an online platform where businesses and independent professionals connect to get work done. Upwork reported revenues of $192.7 million, flat year on year, outperforming analysts' expectations by 2.2%. The business performed better than its peers, but it was unfortunately a mixed quarter with a solid beat of analysts' EBITDA estimates but a decline in its customers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 27.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $16.92. Is now the time to buy Upwork? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free. Founded by Stanford students with the intent to build 'the local, on-demand FedEx", DoorDash (NYSE:DASH) operates an on-demand food delivery platform. DoorDash reported revenues of $3.03 billion, up 20.7% year on year, falling short of analysts' expectations by 2.1%. It was a slower quarter as it posted EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts' expectations and number of orders in line with analysts' estimates. DoorDash delivered the fastest revenue growth but had the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. The company reported 732 million service requests, up 18.1% year on year. As expected, the stock is down 3.1% since the results and currently trades at $199. Read our full analysis of DoorDash's results here. Based in Tel Aviv, Fiverr (NYSE:FVRR) operates a fixed price global freelance marketplace for digital services. Fiverr reported revenues of $107.2 million, up 14.6% year on year. This print surpassed analysts' expectations by 1%. More broadly, it was a slower quarter as it recorded a decline in its buyers and a slight miss of analysts' number of active buyers estimates. Fiverr scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The company reported 3.54 million active buyers, down 11.6% year on year. The stock is up 17.6% since reporting and currently trades at $31.47. Read our full, actionable report on Fiverr here, it's free. Notoriously funded with $7.7 billion from the Softbank Vision Fund, Uber (NYSE:UBER) operates a platform of on-demand services such as ride-hailing, food delivery, and freight. Uber reported revenues of $11.53 billion, up 13.8% year on year. This result came in 0.5% below analysts' expectations. All in all, it was a mixed quarter for the company. The company reported 170 million users, up 14.1% year on year. The stock is up 4.7% since reporting and currently trades at $89.90. Read our full, actionable report on Uber here, it's free. In response to the Fed's rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been gradually trending down from its post-pandemic peak, trending closer to the Fed's 2% target. Despite higher borrowing costs, the economy has avoided flashing recessionary signals. This is the much-desired soft landing that many investors hoped for. The recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November 2024) have bolstered the stock market, making 2024 a strong year for equities. Donald Trump's presidential win in November sparked additional market gains, sending indices to record highs in the days following his victory. However, debates continue over possible tariffs and corporate tax adjustments, raising questions about economic stability in 2025. Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Join Paid Stock Investor Research Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.

4 Times When Spending Extra To Save Time Is Worth It, According to Rachel Cruze
4 Times When Spending Extra To Save Time Is Worth It, According to Rachel Cruze

Yahoo

time17-05-2025

  • Business
  • Yahoo

4 Times When Spending Extra To Save Time Is Worth It, According to Rachel Cruze

Doing things yourself to save cash makes sense when you're on a tight budget or working on goals like paying off debt. But if your financial situation supports it, having someone else do the work can give you more time to do enjoyable things like exercise or visit loved ones, and reduce your stress. In a recent YouTube video, personal finance expert Rachel Cruze discussed four times she's found it worth spending extra to save time and have more balance. She recommended considering these ideas once you're debt-free with emergency savings. Cruze said hiring a house cleaner is great for reclaiming time, especially if you've got a busy schedule. She started with a monthly service and eventually moved to a weekly cleaning once her budget allowed for it. According to Angi, you can expect to pay about $25 to $80 an hour for a house cleaner, depending on your house's features and the level of cleaning. You might get a better deal if you set up more frequent cleanings or work with an individual cleaner. While the cost might seem high, not needing to buy certain cleaning equipment and supplies anymore can help offset the expense. There's also the satisfaction of having a clean home. Cruze discussed how ditching the lawn mower and hiring a professional gave her husband more time to enjoy Sundays with the family. She said, 'He still will do stuff for sure in the yard himself because he just likes it, but to get his time and energy back, it's worth it.' Besides saving yourself from doing a tiring outdoor chore, you wouldn't have to worry about maintaining a mower or buying fuel. Plus, using a professional can pay off when a nice lawn improves your home's curb appeal and market value. Angi noted that Americans pay $123 on average for a lawn mowing visit, with yard size playing a major role. Try getting quotes from local landscaping companies and checking service marketplaces like Thumbtack and TaskRabbit, which might be cheaper. While you might already pay for child care when you're working, Cruze said it was nice to have someone watch the kids occasionally at other times. You could use that time to run errands, go out with your partner or simply relax. A few options include hiring a babysitter, using a drop-in care center or sending your kids to special day programs. Consider your budget since care costs widely vary. The 2025 Cost of Care Survey found that parents paid $21.07 an hour on average for an after-school babysitter. However, your location, the care arrangement and other factors will affect the cost. Don't just go with the cheapest care option. Carefully vet any person or care center so that you know your kids will be safe. You can also ask your loved ones for trusted child care recommendations. Cruze said, 'This is one that I started during COVID, and I was using Instacart to do all my grocery deliveries.' While she's enjoyed saving time and avoiding stressful Costco runs, Cruze explained that cost concerns have led her to use delivery services less often. After all, you're not only paying for delivery or subscription fees, but you also must account for tips and potentially higher prices. To save some money, consider ordering directly from stores like Walmart and Kroger, which mentioned they don't mark up prices online, and look for deals and coupons. You can also compare service fees and check about promotions that waive fees on orders above a certain amount. More From GOBankingRates Here's How Much Cars Made in the US Cost Compared to Mexico, Canada and China I'm a Retired Boomer: 6 Bills I Canceled This Year That Were a Waste of Money 4 Grocery Items To Buy Now Before Tariffs Raise Prices This Summer The New Retirement Problem Boomers Are Facing Sources Rachel Cruze (YouTube channel), 'When Spending Extra to Save Time Is 100% Worth It' Angi, 'How Much Does Professional House Cleaning Cost? [2025 Data]' Angi, 'What Are the Average Prices for Mowing Lawns? [2025 Data]' 'How much to charge for babysitting' This article originally appeared on 4 Times When Spending Extra To Save Time Is Worth It, According to Rachel Cruze

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