Evolving Personal Finance » housing
Do You Want a Vacation Home?
When I was in high school, I was invited to a friend’s family lake house along with several of our other friends. We stayed there for a couple nights, waterskiing and eating and hanging out all day. It was great fun to be hosted by that family and I had never had an experience like that before – it was tremendously generous. I learned that the lake house was owned by my friend’s parents jointly … Read entire article »
Considerations for Grad Students Buying Houses
Many graduate students consider buying a home near their universities, especially when they are just starting a PhD program. I don’t have to tell you that the mortgage rates and home prices in many areas of the country make the prospect incredibly tempting! The problem is that most students are probably like I was when I started my PhD program – single, next to broke, and looking forward to 5-6 years of a ridiculously low … Read entire article »
Filed under: grad school, housing
The Month I Had an $11 Electric Bill
I’m happy to share with you today a guest post from Jen, who blogs at The Happy Homeowner. A former self-professed Princess of Interest, she’s completed a radical financial change over the past 5 years. From debt-ridden and clueless to a homeowner with retirement accounts, she’s all about finding unique ways to save money. Thanks for helping me out while I prepare for my preliminary exam, Jen! Yes, you read that correctly. The amount of my … Read entire article »
I Wish We Could Buy a House
Not a day goes by that I fail to read a blog post or hear a story that references the incredibly low mortgage interest rates available for people with good credit. I am super jealous of people able to borrow at those rates for a reasonable long-term investment! I admit I’ve even been making occasional visits to zillow.com and trulia.com to check out home prices in San Diego. Why I Want a House (and Mortgage) Incredibly Low … Read entire article »
How to Be an Exemplary Boomerang Kid
Last week I wrote about thoughtless boomerang kids, but not every young adult who lives with her parents post-college takes that not-so-grateful attitude. It is possible for the boomerang experience to be a positive one for both children and parents, but it takes preparation, intentionality, and consistent follow-through. (Of course, there are pockets within our society that have a social contract wherein it is expected that young adults will live with their parents until they get … Read entire article »
Boomerang Kids, Listen Up: It’s Not All about You
I run into a variation of this statement quite often around the PF blogosphere: “I chose to live at home* to save money while I paid off debt/saved for the future.” I don’t want to link to specific articles, though there are many, because I don’t want to call out the authors individually. But I want to say that this type of statement drives me up the wall! My request to you boomerang kids is this: Please don’t … Read entire article »
The Cost of an In-Town Move
It took over two months, but all of our moving-related expenses have finally come into our mailbox and been tallied! I can now report how much the move cost us. We moved from a 1200 sq. ft. apartment to a 1200 sq. ft. townhouse 5 miles away (and much closer to school and church). We had a week of overlap in rent and utilities between the two places and during that time we boxed and packaged … Read entire article »
Filed under: housing
The Great Debate: 15-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgages
Another way to put the question is what is the better priority – paying off debt or building wealth? Do you pay attention to interest paid or cash flow? This debate can be perfectly summarized by two radio personalities/podcasters I listen to: Dave Ramsey vs. Ric Edelman. I like both of them in different ways but on the question of what kind of mortgage to get they are polar opposites. Ramsey permits the idea of a … Read entire article »
Does Your Class Match Your Income?
My thoughts today might turn out to be offensive to some of my readers. I don’t intend them that way and I don’t have any specific people in mind. I’m just reflecting on my own experiences, observations, stereotypes, and biases. And I haven’t done much research for this either, so it’s certainly possible that you’ll disagree with my assertions. In the process of looking for apartments, Kyle and I toured one complex that isn’t as nice … Read entire article »
Filed under: housing, personal, psychology
Searching for a New Home
A few weeks ago we received the alarming news that our leasing office is raising our rent from $1005 to $1065 per month. Five years ago, when Kyle first moved in, the rent was closer to $900 per month and last year, the increase was only $5 per month, so overall they have been moderate until this year. While we are extremely happy with our apartment and will attempt to negotiate this increase, we decided … Read entire article »
Filed under: housing
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