My colleague Andrea Browne recently bought her first home and shared some great advice in a recent Starting Out column about the process. If you're thinking about buying your first home, follow the four steps she says that you need to take before starting your search to prepare yourself financially for the biggest purchase of your life. And I've rounded up more tips below from some of our favorite personal finance bloggers about home buying, mortgages and home ownership.
10 Tips Most First-Time Home Buyers Don't Consider [Five Cent Nickel]
"It’s been exactly one year since my husband and I purchased our first home. As one might expect, we’ve learned a number of valuable lessons."
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Can You Trust The Mortgage Company You Found On The Web? The Best Online Mortgage Lenders Compared [Money Under 30]
"We review the best online mortgage lenders so you know whom to trust and what to expect when you get mortgage quotes or apply for a home loan online."
6 Things That Drive Up the Cost of Your Mortgage [Credit.com]
"Don’t be fooled by a lower-priced mortgage offer if your financial picture contains any of these key cost drivers."
HELOC Renaissance: The Surge in Home Equity Borrowing [LearnVest]
"While it might be tempting to take on new debt in order to pay off old ones, there’s a hidden danger in doing so: Defaulting on a HELOC could carry far worse consequences than defaulting on a credit card or other type of loan."
5 Ways to Lower Your Housing Costs [MoneyNing]
"If you’re in a situation where your housing costs are more than you can handle, here are five ways to bring them back down."
3 Home Additions That Will Raise Your Insurance Rates [Cash Money Life]
"While no one expects an addition or a remodel to their house to be cheap (even if you do plan to do most of the labor yourself), there is one expense that many homeowners overlook when planning their new additions: insurance premiums."
-
Dow Adds 646 Points, Hits New Highs: Stock Market TodayIt was "boom" for the Dow but "bust" for the Nasdaq following a December Fed meeting that was less hawkish than expected.
-
5 Types of Gifts the IRS Won’t Tax: Even If They’re BigGift Tax Several categories of gifts don’t count toward annual gift tax limits. Here's what you need to know.
-
The 'Scrooge' Strategy: How to Turn Your Old Junk Into a Tax DeductionTax Deductions We break down the IRS rules for non-cash charitable contributions. Plus, here's a handy checklist before you donate to charity this year.
-
Five Ways to Save on Vacation Rental PropertiesTravel Use these strategies to pay less for an apartment, condo or house when you travel.
-
How to Avoid Annoying Hotel Fees: Per Person, Parking and MoreTravel Here's how to avoid extra charges and make sure you don't get stuck paying for amenities that you don't use.
-
How to Appeal an Unexpected Medical Billhealth insurance You may receive a bill because your insurance company denied a claim—but that doesn’t mean you have to pay it.
-
Amazon Prime Fees Are Rising. Here’s How to Cancel Your Amazon Prime MembershipFeature Amazon Prime will soon cost $139 a year, $180 for those who pay monthly. If you’re a subscriber, maybe it’s time to rethink your relationship. Here’s a step-by-step guide to canceling Prime.
-
How to Haggle for Almost AnythingSmart Buying Learning how to haggle is an invaluable skill. These strategies will help you negotiate a better price for just about any product or service.
-
Disability Insurance Can Provide COVID CoverageCoronavirus and Your Money If you are concerned about long-term complications from COVID-19, consider disability insurance coverage.
-
21 Things You Can't Return to Amazon — Either Online or In-StoreDid you know there are things you can't return to Amazon? Before adding these 21 items to your cart, be sure to read Amazon's return policy first.
-
How to Avoid a Charity Scampersonal finance Scammers never quit, even when you're trying to be altruistic. But you can avoid getting duped if you do your homework.
