But if none of them apply to you, do yourself a favor and buy. I was a renter from the time I left my parents’ home until I was 38. From that point forward I owned a home, As of 3 years ago, I’m also a landlord, leasing out my previous home. Based on that […]
A deeper dive into a familiar question by someone who has rented, purchased, and rented out properties. Here are some critical points missed by many analyses
For most homeowners, the biggest financial obligation is their mortgage payments. It’s not only the largest payment, and the largest total amount, but it’s also the largest thing someone depends on. It represents your home. The place you and your family live. It might have also become your new office over the past year. It […]
I believe there are a lot of benefits to being a homeowner—having a space to call your own, being able to make changes so it becomes exactly what you envision, and building up equity in your home over the years. These are just some of the advantages that come to mind, and there are so […]
Homeownership is still a big part of the American dream, although smart buyers consider the pros and cons carefully first. Important Considerations of Homeownership If you’re sure buying a home is for you, here are a few of the most important things to consider. Location is still the one thing you can’t change Unless you’re […]
If you follow such personal finance gurus as Suze Orman, Dave Ramsey, and many others, you’ve heard them tell you repeatedly to pay down your home mortgage as quickly as possible. Whether by making an extra payment each year, or by adding extra money to each payment, they want you out of that debt as […]
How to Manage Your Risks and When to Avoid Them Altogether In an excellent primer on the drawbacks of real estate investing, Ben Le Fort makes the case that “real estate is the most overrated asset in history.” Why You Should Consider Real Estate Investing However, there are good reasons why people swear by real […]
The Definitive Answer on Buying vs. Renting I was in my late 30s and still renting. I’d completely bought into the American Dream, so I knew I was throwing away money each month. I knew I had to do something about it, but somehow just thinking of scraping together a down payment, and worse, committing […]
Mortgage Accelerator Offers Are Bad for Your Financial Health When I bought my first home, the mortgage servicer included a pitch with each monthly statement. They called it a “Mortgage Accelerator” offer, which painted a really pretty picture. If I signed up, they would bill me half my monthly payment every other week instead of […]