30 year mortgage

I recently heard an interesting discussion on Dave Ramsey’s radio show about the length of time you need to live in a home in order for it to make sense going through the process and expense of purchasing it. It’s a rare occasion that I disagree with Dave Ramsey, but in this instance, I [...]

As April 15 inches closer, many are beginning to get their tax documents together and prepare to file their tax returns. However, there are many who don’t have all their tax documents by the requisite time, or who want a little extra time to make some savvy tax moves for their 2009 returns. In such [...]

Before you buy a home, you should obtain a pre-approval letter from the mortgage lender that states how much you’re eligible to borrow. This provides you with two important information: (1) the price range that you should be focusing on, and (2) the starting point for your monthly mortgage payments calculation. You can use an [...]

As the year draws to close, it’s time to take stock of what you are doing to increase your overall tax efficiency. If you are looking to get a few more deductions, this is the time to do so, whether you are paying points for a mortgage or donating to charity. And another way you [...]

At least once  a year, if not more, you visit the dentist and doctor to make sure everything’s working properly – why not give your finances the same opportunity? As we approach the busy holiday season, it’s easy to let attention slip from personal finance. If you find yourself barreling toward the end of 2009 [...]

While there are many different opinions as to how much debt is too much, the two ratios below are the most widely used measures of how much debt is manageable. These ratios are also known as debt to income ratios (DTI). Many of you are reading this and other personal finance blogs in an attempt [...]

I’m still trying to figure out why people think I’m foolish for using a credit card instead of a debit card.  I’m a Dave Ramsey listener and fan so I’ve heard him rant and rave over the credit card — burn it, torch it, drown it, just be sure to kill it (if you’re not [...]

We’ve all heard the stories of lotto winners who win millions, think they’re set for life, and then go broke within a decade. Or people who inherit large sums of money and end up in financial ruin, family feuds, or both. The word “windfall” can mean different things to different people — if you’re young [...]

One of the debates that goes on in the personal finance world revolves around the concept of whether or not some debt can be good. It is true that some debt (like a home mortgage) is viewed more favorably on your credit report than other debt (like a car loan). But, in practice, you are [...]

I began investing in single family homes with a good friend and business partner about 4 years ago. In that time, we’ve purchases and remodeled 5 single family homes, all of which are rented by reasonably reliable tenants. Over that time we’ve learned a thing or two about investing in real estate. In this article, [...]