How Much House Can You Afford?
With interest rates at an all time low and housing prices stagnating, now is a great time to buy for the right person. Using an emortgage calculator to figure out how much house you can afford is a great start. But first you need to determine if you have what it takes to own a home. As someone who is on a mission to own a house within the next few years, I’ve done some research and realize if a person has their financial house in order (oh the pun, the pun) they’re off to a great...
Read MoreSaving for a Down Payment
The following is a guest post from Wayne at Young Family Finance, where he writes about the financial challenges for young couples and families, like choosing between daycare or stay at home parenting. Are you at the point where you want to buy your first home? The middle class strive to own their own homes. Building wealth in real estate is one of the easiest ways to set up an easy retirement. I know that my parents followed this route and will retire in 5 years with a mortgage that is paid...
Read MoreOur Five Steps to Buying a Home
This is a guest post from Erika at Newlyweds on a Budget. She writes about managing finances, being a newlywed, and frugal living. I am currently 27 and live in a shack with my husband of a year and a half. We have paid off credit card debt, paid off our car loan, have survived living on one income for four months, and are planning on starting 2012 with a bang to save up for a house down payment. We hope to own a home in five years. This is our plan. 1. Pay off remaining $2,000 credit card...
Read MoreUsing Mortgage Calculators to Guide Your Home Buying Decision
For the past two years, my goal has been to purchase a small-ish house in the near future. My “near future” has changed a bit over time from 18-months to more like 2-3 years mostly because I really would like to save an ample down payment on a house. But with all my research on the price of homes in my neighborhood or a neighborhood in which I’d like to purchase a home, it really comes down to “What can I afford realistically?” During the housing boom, many people...
Read MoreSelling the American Dream
This post was originally published on October 21, 2009. However, some of my best posts were written within the first few months of blogging when I had only a handful of readers. Enjoy a blast from the past… (can you tell I’m swamped this week!) My husband and I love watching movies at night, thanks in part to Netflix, it’s really easy for us to download a new or older flick. However, we have noticed a disturbing trend in movies, even those that are 20 years old or more. The...
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