Home / Laurie’s Weekly Blog: Home Buying

Thinking about buying your first house?  Anticipate the costs of owning and budget for it first.  Start living like you are already a homeowner in your cash flow and see if you can manage what would be the equivalent to a mortgage, real estate taxes, utilities, repairs and insurance.  Factor any income tax savings from having the interest and tax deduction.  Married already and both working?  Try not to buy a home that will require both full-time wages to pay for it.  Anticipating job changes and new babies will help you afford a home through life cycle changes. See more information at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentRELATED ARTICLE: Financial Considerations for First-Time Homebuyers