It’s that time of year, school levies. Throughout the nation, cash-strapped schools are begging their community for more support and in many parts of America, communities are not ponying up for their schools. My home is located in West Chester, OH – which is home to Lakota High School, one of the better school districts […]
Real Estate
How Big Should My Emergency Fund Be?
Emergency Funds are an essential part of living a stress free life. Some individuals can live paycheck to paycheck and find inner balance, but most would prefer to avoid this lifestyle. So how large should your emergency fund be? Many experts say 6-months of expenses, but that is far too broad of a rule. So […]
Will the Baby Boomers Destroy the Housing Market?
According to US census data, there are 131,704,730 “housing units” in the United States (as of 2010) and there are 112,611,029 “Households.” If those numbers aren’t scary, let me add more concern by foreshadowing another starling danger about the US real estate market. The baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age. In fact, many estimates […]
Buy a Very Cheap Condo or Townhouse Instead of Renting?
If you are a real estate junkie like myself, you might commonly see cheap condos in your area for sale. When I say cheap, I mean virtually giving them away. I thought about buying a condo, but ultimately decided to avoid them. Let me tell you the appeal to condos and what ultimately scared me […]
Realtor Commissions Will Steal The Equity In Your Home
Planning on selling or buying a home anytime soon? Realtor commissions are something you should understand first. The current market rate of a realtor’s service is 6% of your home’s selling price. That means if you sell your house for $200,000 – the realtor commission is $12,000 of your money. This equates to the first […]
Negotiate the Price of Your Professional Services for your Home.
Getting a roof replaced, your house painted, windows installed, or a dead tree removed from your yard? Be sure to get multiple quotes and negotiate your price. This is one tip that can save you $100’s if not $1000’s of dollars over the course of your home. Let me give you a couple of examples […]