by Mike Collins | Frugal, Home Ownership
When you own a home you need to be prepared to tackle some home improvement jobs yourself. If you’re going to call in a professional every time you need a drain snaked or a light switch replaced then you’re going to be spending a fortune on home repairs. ...
by Mike Collins | Home Ownership
We just bought our house a little over a year ago and since we took out a thirty year mortgage to pay for it I still have about 29 years of payments remaining. I’ll be 65 then and I’d rather not have to worry about making a monthly mortgage payment when we’re in our...
by Libby Balke | Home Ownership
So you heard the housing crisis was over. Maybe you read that housing values were climbing back up; maybe you saw on the news that new housing starts are growing; or, maybe a friend told you that selling a house isn’t as tough as it was a few years ago. As...
by Libby Balke | Home Ownership
Every year when it arrives in my mailbox, it makes my heart skip a beat: sweaty palms, rapid pulse, shallow breathing and all. I'm talking about my property tax bill – and while I know I've got the expenses covered thanks to my escrow account, it still...
by Libby Balke | Home Ownership
The first time my husband and I purchased a home, we were naive. We were in our early 20s, less than a year in to our careers, and eager to buy our chunk of the American Dream. Of course, then the American Dream disintegrated, leaving home owners like us in the midst...
by Libby Balke | Home Ownership, Saving
As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, my husband and I are currently in the process of selling our current home and buying a new one. It’s a process that’s been full of more than a few headaches, and – quite frankly – one that I...