After the ink dries on your closing agreement and you test the keys in the lock, it’s time to face the prospect of turning that now empty house into your next home. So, how do you satisfy your champagne decorating tastes on what’s likely to be the diet cola budget you have left?
Did you fall in love with your home at first sight? For many homebuyers, the first step through the door seals the deal. They just feel right…at home. However, with time, love for your home is a lot like the love you feel for your family and friends. There are some things you need to get used to, and it takes some maintenance to keep the feeling going strong.
Many of us avoid budgets. Maybe it’s the name, or perhaps the assumption that being on one requires giving up the things we want. Yet, that’s not really what a budget, or adhering to one, is about.
Debt is one of those things that can be both hard to live with and hard to live without. Many of us choose the former. In fact, the average household carried $137,063 in debt (including mortgages) last year.
It used to be that the type of home you had determined the type of dog you chose. Today, the reverse is increasingly true. A growing number of homebuyers look at properties to determine how well they will meet their current—or future—dog’s needs.
Whether you are already a homeowner or thinking about buying your first home, the new tax laws—officially known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)—will challenge how you think about the cost of homeownership. What the TCJA should not change is the reason you choose to own a home, which is more likely to involve quality-of-life and wealth-accumulation goals rather than your tax bill.
For many of us, the new year comes with resolutions, and getting organized tends to be a popular one. Perhaps not so coincidently, January is also Get Organized Month. Whether your document clutter is in digital or paper form, organizing it so you can find what you need more easily saves time and frustration. But how long should you hold on to this information?
Vibrant, eye-catching, and bold, purple—and its variants—combines the cool calmness of blue with the fiery energy of red. It has been the color of choice for everything from rock music royalty to, well, actual royalty.
A 2017 Nielsen study found 87% of adults in the U.S. gave “getting healthier” top priority as they headed into the new year. While that no doubt included a change in eating habits, exercise was likely also part of the resolution.
The beginning of a new year comes with the opportunity for improvement and renewal. According to experts, making resolutions and sticking to them can lead to realistic lifestyle changes. Since most healthy habits begin at home, here are some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions—and ways your home can help in keeping them.