Sep
3
Why First Time Home Buyer Programs Are a Bad Idea
September 3, 2008 | 1 Comment
Another home remodeling project is almost complete. My back hurts, my hands are scraped up pretty good and I'm tired. Working on my house always makes me wonder if I made the right decision about buying a home. If I could go back in time and give a younger me advice, what would I say?
I [...]
Aug
11
Should I Buy a New House?
August 11, 2008 | 3 Comments
I've been struggling with a decision. Should I stay in my house or sell it and either move into a condo or buy a new house? There are pro's and con's for each.
I live in a rather modest home (especially compared to today's standards). We have one child and we could use [...]
Aug
6
Should you rent or buy? That's one of the hardest questions to answer. Most articles don't tell you what you really need to know. This one does. I'll give you the facts about home ownership.
Fact: Houses need maintenance. Your maintenance costs could be as high as thousands of dollars a year (or more).
Fact: Your must [...]
Aug
4
Track Home Improvment Expenses for Tax Purposes
August 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Should you keep track of your expenses (and receipts) from home improvement projects? What are the tax consequences?
Taxes
Generally, there are no tax breaks for most home improvement/remodeling projects (excluding those projects that qualify for some type of tax break based on energy savings) in the year that you make the improvements.
From Jackson Hewitt:
The terms repairs [...]
Jul
30
The Real Reason I Paid Off My Mortgage
July 30, 2008 | 2 Comments
I paid off my mortgage last year. Why did I do it? The time was right for me and it still might be the right time for you to do the same thing. I'll explain why.
I've been on a rampage against the mortgage lately. In my last article (more reasons to pay off your mortgage), [...]
Jul
29
More Reasons to Pay Off Your Mortgage
July 29, 2008 | 4 Comments
What is it about the mortgage that makes so many people rally to its defense? You would think it's a member of the family. I'd really like to chance my mind on the mortgage just to be a contrarian. However there is just too much evidence that paying off your mortgage is the best move [...]
Jul
28
I believe that you should pay of your mortgage early. I did it and I still consider it one of the best things I've done. However, there are a number of people claiming that paying off your mortgage is foolish. Let's debunk some more of these myths.
The blog 7million7Years has an article about why paying [...]
Jun
25
Should I Pay Off My Mortgage? The Easiest Test Ever
June 25, 2008 | 4 Comments
Should you pay off your mortgage early? It's a difficult question to answer. There are many factors to consider. However, there is one easy way to make the decision. I've created a simple test to answer the question "should I pay off my mortgage early?".
Why Is It Such A Hard Question?
Vested Interest in the Mortgage [...]
Apr
11
Making Up Excuses to Keep Your Mortgage?
April 11, 2008 | 5 Comments
Do you still have a mortgage on your home? If you’re like most people I’m guessing you do. However, most people aren’t wealthy. There are many myths about why you should keep your mortgage. I’m going to dispel them in this article.
Before we get started, let me just say that I [...]
Apr
2
Top 10 Riskiest Real Estate Markets According to Forbes
April 2, 2008 | 1 Comment
Forbes.com has compiled a list of the 10 real estate markets with the most risk. Are you living in one of these areas right now? What makes these areas so risky? Let’s find out.
10. Atlanta, Georgia
At number 10 we have Atlanta, GA. "Hotlanta" is not so hot when it comes to real [...]