If you have decided to take the plunge and build your dream home the first thing you need to do is work out how you’re going to pay for it. Financing a self-build isn’t as simple as applying for a regular mortgage. Unless you’re lucky enough to have the capital to be able to pay for it all outright, you will need to apply for a specialist self-build loan.

Many people look at the New Year as an opportunity for a fresh start. Some set goals to lose weight, quit a bad habit or finally finish that home remodeling project. One often overlooked area for New Year’s resolutions is your car. Here are five auto-related resolutions you can make that are easy to achieve and may save you money.

Owning a home isn’t a new idea and has historically been associated with financial stability, but with the recent recession that has spanned across multiple countries buying a home has gotten a bad rap. One reason home ownership is still a good investment is that interest rates on mortgages have hovered around the lowest historical average these past few years.

I’ve been hemming and hawing over writing a 2013 goals post primarily because 2012 was such a complete loss- at least when it comes to my finances. My only glimmer of success was my biking goal; I did end up averaging 80 miles a month. My blogging goal was tepid, if I can even call it that.

Sparsely populated, central California from Interstate 5 is a long road with few interesting pit stops, except maybe one; Harris Ranch. Harris Ranch is just that, a ranch, though large at 100,000 acres. Had it not been for the huge sign off the exit in Coalinga, and the restaurant, bar, and hotel, I wouldn’t have known about this particular family-run ranch or that acres and acres north of that exit belonged to them as well.