In today’s economy, homeowners have really been getting the short end of the stick. Whether you’ve lost your home due to foreclosure, tried to move and sell your home, or tried to refinance and discovered that your home is worth less than what you owe on it, you’ve probably gotten bitten a couple of times. Are you looking at the possibility of selling your home soon, or are you considering refinancing sometime soon? If you...

The American Dream used to be described having a spouse, 2.5 kids, a dog and/or cat, and most importantly, owning your own home, complete with white picket fence. As the economy struggles, the American Dream seems to be shifting quite a bit from that ideal. More and more people wait until they’re in their late 20’s or so to get married (if they get married at all), families are smaller, and buying a house has being replaced with living...

Many Americans are opting to rent instead of buy right now. From the inevitable increase in interest rates to the increase in difficulty in actually getting a loan, renting is becoming more appealing by the day. Homes for rent are becoming nicer, allowing families to be able to rent without struggling for space. The renting market has gotten better, except in college towns, because college kids are becoming more likely to commute in the...

Buying a home is going to become more difficult in the coming months, due to the U.S.’s lower credit rating and the possibility of interest rates rising in the near future if the Federal Reserve doesn’t thwart it in some way. But, what if you already have a home, and you’re finding that the poor economy is leaving you strapped for cash, especially for things you truly need? One of the options that you have is called a Home...

A friend of mine bought a house in early 2010. He moved last week due to a change in career. In between that, though, was an inspection mess that no one saw coming: the electrical fixtures in the house were not up to standard Now, this happens all of the time. Most times, it’s agreed that the person selling the house is the one to take care of the financial end of inspection failures. And that’s what had supposedly happened when the...

I was in a tough spot. I’d had to move out of a place I was living for various reasons, and was bunking with a friend and her family until I could find somewhere else to live. Thankfully, as long as I was looking, they didn’t care how long I took, but I wanted to inconvenience them as little as possible. I wasn’t employed yet, but I knew what I wanted to do and what I needed to do. So, before I even started to do anything, I made two...