Although I wholeheartedly applaud efforts behind the Cash for Caulkers program to encourage homeowners to weatherize their homes and save energy, my mind usually drifts to other projects when the weather starts to cool.

Namely, creating a mudroom. I've always thought of a mudroom as a sort of middle ground, not only as a buffer to keep the cold, outside air from getting in, but also in terms of cleanliness. It's called a mudroom. It's OK if there's a little mud on the floor!

• Add a room without adding on

But after viewing a slide show from MyHomeIdeas.com that offers 20 Ways to Master Your Mudroom, my dream mudroom now has a few extra amenities that I never would have thought of.

It's not about the subprime market anymore. Now it's all about unemployment.

The number of homeowners behind on their loan payments reached a new high in the third quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, with about 1 in 7 borrowers now delinquent or in foreclosure. A year ago, 1 in 10 borrowers was delinquent.

"Despite the recession ending in midsummer, the decline in mortgage performance continues," said Jay Brinkmann, chief economist for the MBA. "Job losses continue to increase and drive up delinquencies and foreclosures because mortgages are paid with paychecks, not percentage-point increases in GDP."

• Long-term unemployed face dwindling options

And these unemployed, delinquent homeowners likely aren't getting any help from the government's loan-modification program, which requires that participants document their income. And no, unemployment checks do not count.

Rep. Barney Frank to the rescue.

The Massachusetts Democrat said he's pushing a proposal to offer low-interest loans to unemployed homeowners who can prove they have good chances of paying the money back in the future. The emergency loans would be good for up to 12 months and could be extended for another year if necessary.

After reading some of the comments from my post about a $100 raffle for a $600,000 home, it's no wonder some of these fundraisers for nonprofits are having such mixed success.

Sounds like a lot of people simply refuse to believe that an offer this good can exist, while others worry about more realistic concerns, such as paying the taxes and the upkeep on a $600,000 home.

And even the winners would agree with that. According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, most of them opt for the cash prize, simply because it's easier:

For cash prizes over $5,000, nonprofits must withhold 25 percent for federal income taxes. If the prize is a house, the winner must give the nonprofit 25 percent of its value for federal withholding before title can be transferred. The winner also pays closing costs, property taxes and other homeownership expenses.

There may be more than the environment and energy costs to consider if you're thinking about embarking on a greener way of life.

A post in BusinessWeek's Hot Property blog says that commercial buildings that have been certified as environmentally friendly tend to have higher productivity and fewer sick days among workers, in addition to fewer vacancies and higher rents.

From a business perspective, it sounds like investing in green building will be paying off in more ways than just the monthly utility bills -- not to mention the tax incentives and positive vibes that you're feeling from doing your part for the environment.

• How to get tax incentives for upgrading your home

But from a human perspective, I'm kind of stuck on the higher productivity and fewer sick days part.

First, there was the Cash for Clunkers program, then came the Cash for Refrigerators, and now a Cash for Caulkers program is brewing behind the scenes at the White House.

And what perfect timing. According to a recent survey from Servicemagic.com, more homeowners are interested in remodeling to create the home of their dreams instead of trying to sell in this down housing market. After all, it's the perfect time for a staycation.

• Bing: Ways to make your staycation more fun for the family

Additionally, according to estimates from The Wall Street Journal, the cost of doing a remodel is down an average of 5% to 10%, with some homeowners even reaping savings of up to 20%.

But one of the biggest reasons costs are down is because contractors and other home-improvement experts just aren't getting the kinds of jobs and making the kind of money they used to. Which is where Cash for Caulkers hopes to make a difference by giving people money to weatherize their homes.

Just how long would would it take to clean a 40,000-square-foot house?

Oops, that's just the main house. You might have to tack on a few hours (or days) for the handful of other structures on the 13-acre Southways estate.

• Bing: Need a house cleaner?

That is, of course, if you have the tens of millions of dollars needed to participate in a sealed-bid auction on the property that originally was the home of John Pillsbury, the descendant of the founder of the Pillsbury brand.

And if you think of homes like cars, meaning the fewer drivers behind the wheel the better, the property on the shores of Lake Minnetonka in Wayzata, Minn., just gets better: This is only the second time the mansion has been available for purchase since it was built in 1918.

When your family is ready for a move, what are your top considerations? Do you look at the hippest cities for young people, or the cities with the best job markets?

No, most likely, you want to know where the best places are to raise your kids. And it just so happens that BusinessWeek has compiled such a list for you, and it hasn't left affordability, jobs or a few cool factors out of the equation.

In BusinessWeek's second annual ranking, Tinley Park, Ill., pictured, takes the top spot as the Best Place to Raise Your Kids not only for the state of Illinois, but also for the entire nation.