How long have you been renting? Do you want to break the cycle of renting ?

It may be easier than you think. Do one of two things. Go see a local Realtor or a local loan officer.

They will talk to you about your credit rating and how much you can afford. No one is going to try to sell you more than you can afford, so take the first step and go.

Talk to someone so you can stop renting. You will thank me when you’re smelling your own roses. I promise.

“Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

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Buying your perfect house!

You found the perfect house. It just came on the market and you want it.

Your friends and your dad tell you to make them a really low offer because they may be ready to give it away. About .005 percent of the time this may work. However, the other 99.5 percent of the time you make the seller mad.

Guess what? Human nature is to say they can pay asking price or we will sell to someone else. Let’s change from a house to your car that you love.

Let’s say it is worth $23,000. I offer you $14,000 and ask that you put new tires on it and have it waxed for me!! Now you get the point … no way that deal will work out.

If you find that perfect house, I’m not saying you have to pay asking price, but how many other people may be willing to buy it?

Sometimes on houses that are in great locations, are priced right and are in good condition bring asking price or sometimes more than asking price. What I am saying here use some common sense and get the house you want.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” — Mother Teresa

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Retire smart, retire inspired!

Retirement is not an age, it is a financial number.

What are the two things people worry about when talking about retirement? Running out of money and becoming a burden to their family.

Guess what, that is why so many people do not like to talk about retirement. If you do everything right over a period of time you will have some things you never had before — time and money.

I am making a strong suggestion that you and your spouse have a meeting two times a year to look at what you are doing to make progress.

Little things make a difference. Adding $100 to your house payment each month may cut five years off of the loan. Making 13 payments a year will cut about 10 years off of your loan.

If you were going on a trip you would get a map. Have a money map of where you’re money is going every month. This is all important so please take the time to get you a money map and follow it. If you will do this you will thank me.

“The price of success is much lower than the price of failure.” — John Wooden