Home Improvement

Editor's note: As a special feature for April, TheStreet.com offers a 20-part series on virtually everything you need to know about real estate. This installment is part 13.

The days when you could expect any kind of home renovation -- from a fresh coat of paint to a new addition -- to pay for itself are gone.

Softer housing prices are limiting the impact of major home improvements on resale value. At the same time, the cost of remodeling continues to escalate because many homeowners are choosing to fix up their homes rather than sell them and move to better digs. ...