Posts from February 2020

I've been thinking a lot about space lately. Not the Elon Musk kind of space, but the general space that we occupy. I've been ruminating on both personal space (Are you a close talker?) as well as the space in our homes and workplaces. How much space do you need or want? Does lots of space make you uncomfortable? Do confined spaces make you squirm? Today I want to talk a bit about space both in our homes as well as our own personal space. I think you'll see how they sync up pretty well.

I'm a bit of an introvert. While I love spending time with my friends, in general I prefer to not be in a large crowd and truly detest being in a room full of people I don't know. Stick me at a poker table with 6 or 7 of my good friends and I'm the happiest guy in the room. My roommate and I frequently land in our living room (sans TV)...

Click Here to Read More...

I have often lauded the benefits of buying a fixer-upper. I love the potential they offer and the ability to (in many cases) get a "deal" on the property. The value and equity coming from your investment in the repairs that need to be made. Another benefit is the ability to upgrade or fix those things in the manner that you specifically desire. This is an area of discussion we often have with sellers. Do they make the repairs themselves or leave it as-is and let the buyers personalize the home however they desire. Of course there's a lot that goes into that discussion and loads of factors that can sway you either way.

Today I want to focus on a few items that buyers should be wary of when evaluating a fixer-upper. In many of these cases, the sellers would be very well served to fix these issues prior to...

Click Here to Read More...

The one thing I know for sure about relationships is I don't know much about relationships. Sitting on the precipice of a half-century, I'm still single. If I'm being completely honest, I'm pretty happy with that. I have had some good relationships and I'm still working on that magic formula that leads to one that stands the test of time. Sure it has a lot to do with the people IN the relationship, but as I get older (and hopefully a smidge wiser) I'm learning that you really do need to give it some attention. Like so many plants that have passed through my life, if you ignore them and neglect feeding/nurturing them, they will wither and die.

If you have been reading along for a few weeks, months or even years (wow!) you know that this little article is intended to be focused on real estate. So while I am excited about what...

Click Here to Read More...

This week I'd like to encourage a little common sense when it comes to your finances and the purchase of a home.

First on the list is debt. Nearly all of us carry it like an albatross around our necks. There can be a healthy debt load but there can also be the dangerous kind. We're not going to delve into all the potential woes if your debt becomes too much of a monster. The goal here is to trim it down to a more manageable and tolerable level. My parents just purchased a new (to me) vehicle. It turns out they have great credit (owning a home and not missing payments will help with that!). They don't carry a very large debt load (literally none) and pay off any bills they have on time and in-full.

On average, Americans carry almost $60,000 in household debt and about $11,000 in credit card debt. That is a sig...

Click Here to Read More...