Good financial planning begins long before you buy your first home. But it’s never too late, even if you’ve owned your home for years. A homeowner budget keeps you on track so you can afford your daily routine and your future responsibilities, and it also help you work toward a comfortable …
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Tina Gleisner, Homeowner Advocate
Life is a roller coaster, something I didn't recognize until I was laid off by IBM weeks shy of retirement eligibility. This taught me I couldn't trust large corporations so I abandoned my technology career and started a handyman business. Here's my story and how I became a home expert, using my …
Preparing Your Homeowner Budget
You probably became familiar with budgeting long before you thought about buying a house or condo. Keeping your credit straight was part of the path that brought you to home ownership in the first place. But a homeowner budget has a few categories that are different from what you might be used …
Building a Master Suite, A Homeowner Story
Building a master suite is a great way to add value to your home. Krista and her husband needed more space as their children grew, so they converted a den and part of the living room into a master suite, including adding a ¼ bath. Project: Building a master suite Homeowner: Krista Lewis Budget: …
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Are You Ready to be a Homeowner?
There’s a lot more to being a homeowner besides signing the mortgage paperwork and moving in. Although home ownership gives you more autonomy than renting or leasing an apartment or house, new roles emerge that you should be aware of. There’s no landlord to replace a broken water heater or make …
How to Remove Escrow Account from Mortgage
As a homeowner, the best escrow decision you can make is to refuse to use an escrow account when closing on a new mortgage. This is the only point in the process where you're in control. Once you've allowed an escrow account to be setup, you're at the mercy of the mortgage servicer. They control the …
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