Our Latest Blogs
5 Keys to Breaking Bad Financial Habits
We all have good and bad habits with money. Many of these habits came from what we learned as kids at home. As adults, we may not have taken out the time to evaluate the true worth of these habits, attitudes, and beliefs about finances. The good thing is that we’re not stuck with these bad money habits. Here are five key tips and tricks to break those bad financial habits. How Bad Do You Want It? It’s been said,
7 Financial Goals for the New Year
The new year has already begun, which makes now a great time to review your finances and set financial goals for this year. When setting financial goals it’s important to determine your short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals. Based on those goals, calculate definite amounts you would like to save, invest, spend and set a specific plan in place. Don’t forget to revisit your goals often so that you can keep track of your progress and refine your plans along the
How to Get the House You Want in a Competitive Market
The U.S. housing market is having quite the year! The National Association of Realtors shows there was only a 4.4-month supply of homes for sale in February. A six-month supply indicates a balanced market between buyers and sellers. Less than that is considered a seller’s market. Some red hot cities have seen historically low inventory. San Francisco, Denver, and San Diego have recently had only two to three months of unsold inventory. Buying a home in such a market isn’t
Know Your Neighborhood Before You Buy
How important is the quality of the neighborhood to you as a home buyer? According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2016 Profile of Home Buyers, 64% of people married with kids found the quality of the neighborhood important. A great neighborhood can add quality to your life with good neighbors, amenities, education, and more. If you are house hunting a thorough investigation of the neighborhood and community needs to be done to make sure you are moving to the
When is the Best Time to Buy a House? Now, Before Rates Rise
For the general public, this time of year is not usually considered the best time to buy a house. People are busy preparing for the holidays, kids are still in school, and it’s too cold to be moving to a new place. However, due to the speculations of rising mortgage rates and increasing housing prices for 2017, this could be a great time for those looking for a good deal on their future home before it gets more costly. Are
Don’t Be Afraid to Talk About Your Finances
People don’t bring up money management and personal finances in conversations on a daily basis. Studies show that people would rather talk about politics or religion than money. Why are we so afraid of having the money talk? Should we be more open about sharing our personal finances, know-hows, and mistakes? Today, we’re breaking down the money taboo as well as sharing the importance of talking about money. Why are so we afraid to talk about money? It’s considered impolite
10 Top Tips of Real Estate Investing
Real estate investing can be a fantastic way to build your investment portfolio with tangible assets. But, like any type of investment, real estate has its unique quirks and pitfalls. Here are 10 tips to help you make a real estate investment that will produce a profit for you. 1. Do Your Homework About Your Real Estate Market Is the market in an up or down cycle? This simple check can save you a ton of headache and thousands of
Advantages of Living in the Suburbs
Last month we talked about the advantages of living in the city. Today, we’re going to be talking about the advantages of living in the suburbs. The suburban life may not be for everyone, but there are a lot of advantages to living in the suburbs. We’ve gathered 5 main reasons on why people decide to live in the suburbs. Affordability In the suburbs buying a house or renting an apartment is usually cheaper than in the city. For the
