Why Being YNAB Broke Is Good
I have tried many budgeting software programs over the past twenty years. Initially, I wrote my budget on pen and paper, which worked fine when I was single and for the first year or two of married life. Then, when our finances became more complex, I tried several electronic budgeting programs, but I didn’t find success until I started using YNAB (You Need a Budget). I have used this program for...
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How to Decide If a Location Is Right for You
The pandemic led many Americans to pick up and move to a different location. Our family has moved across the country twice, resulting in some culture and weather shocks, though we did our best to prepare beforehand. If you’re considering making a major move, take these steps to decide if a location is right for you BEFORE you move.
The Price of a Major Move
I met a family recently who lived in New...
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Our Plans for Managing a House Payment with a High Interest Rate
My husband and I have been homeowners for eight years. We bought our first home and paid an interest rate of 4.25 percent. Later, during the pandemic, we refinanced, and our interest rate dropped to 3.375 percent. However, we relocated for a job, and our new home has an interest rate of 5.57 percent. Giving up our low interest rate was painful but something we needed to do because we moved out of...
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Attorney State Versus Title State
After 20 years of renting, we’ve bought two houses in the last ten years. We’ve also sold one home. We’ve learned that selling a house can be complicated, so having a knowledgeable realtor is imperative. We’ve also learned that some states are attorney states, and some are title states, and the difference between those two types is vast. One is much easier and quicker to negotiate than the...
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Why We Won’t Buy a Home without a Home Inspection
Eight years ago, we bought our home in Arizona. We had a home inspection by a “budget” inspector, and the home inspector found very little—exposed outdoor pipes that needed to be insulated and a few roof tiles that needed to be repaired. The sellers happily corrected those problems. And then, within the first week of moving in, the water heater and the doorbell broke. Soon after, the garage...
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