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  • by Joel McDonald

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Joel McDonald profile image95

Five Disadvantages of Renting

If you're renting an apartment, chances are that you've had somebody tell you you're just "throwing your money away." In most cases, that's the truth. But there are several other disadvantages to renting an...

5 comments    recreation real estate renting
91

Free Christmas! A Christmas Gift Idea For Families On A Tight Budget

My wife Christy is the sweetest, most loving person I know. She lives for Christmas every year, and when I say she lives for Christmas, I mean that boxes, and boxes, and boxes of Christmas decorations come...

7 comments    christmas christmas gift ideas
Joel McDonald profile image83

Mortgage Meanings: Front End Ratios vs. Back End Ratios

When you have decided the time has come for you to look into buying a home for you and your family, there are a few things you need to understand about the aspects of how financial institutions come to the...

2 comments    mortgage home loans loan limits
Joel McDonald profile image87

How to Pay off Your Home Loan 10 Years Earlier

Are you tired of writing a mortgage check for your real estate every month? Does it bother you to think about all the interest you're paying? Everybody knows you get to deduct mortgage interest from your...

20 comments    finance home real estate
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How Can Your Crawl Space Save You Money?

Many people have taken a look at their home energy bills and taken steps to spend less and save more. Energy efficient windows, programmable thermostats, and energy star appliance purchases are just a few of...

0 comments    home improvement saving money
Joel McDonald profile image82

Mortgage Restructuring -- Do You Qualify and Is It Right for You?

Mortgage restructuring is one of the many ways that you as a homeowner can avoid having to face the difficult choice of losing your home to foreclosure. The first thing to know when looking into mortgage...

1 comment    finance tips how
80

Appraisal vs Assessment.What's the Difference?

You're probably thinking that your home's value has already been assessed-so if you're selling it, why does it need to be appraised?Conversely, if you're buying a home, why can't you just go off the...

0 comments    real estate assessment appraisal
Joel McDonald profile image80

What is an ALTA Title Insurance Policy and Do You Need it When Buying a New Home?

The ALTA Insurance Policy is one that uses agreed upon standard language and terminology, as set out by the American Land Title Association, or ALTA. When you are purchasing a property, you will go through a...

3 comments    real estate home insurance alta
78

Stucco vs. EIFS Siding: Which is Better?

 Can you tell EIFS from stucco? Both of them are exterior building finishes and they look alike, but that's about all they have in common. Traditional stucco sounds hard and solid when you tap it. It's very...

0 comments    materials stucco eifs
79

The House That Jack's Building - Top 2010 Trends in Housing and Decorations

Consumers have changed the way they're looking at housing options since the real estate and financial market debacles knocked them flat. Uncertain which features will hold value, people are getting back to...

0 comments    decorations top 2010 houses
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