Enjoy it while you’ve got it and try to prepare for the future,because it all can change with the setting of the sun.Taking reasonable precautions for the future is a prudent thing to do and which seems to be lacking in a lot of people now dependant on the government for a living.I’m still wondering why my property taxes go up instead of down like the value,since no major home improvements have been added.THE MATH JUST DOESN"T ADD UP!Let’s all start a call for a 8.59 percent drop in home taxes.

I don’t have those things either, but I own my home and I have money in the bank.  Never was that way when I was married!  lol

well i dont have a trophy wife or a new infiniti but life is looking pretty good about now.

I was taught the 25% rule on the cost of a home all my life and I guess that sank in, because I never wanted to be a slave to a house.  Or, any other material thing as far as that goes.

Worked out pretty good for me and the timing couldn’t have been better.

i didint really nderstand it and apprecaite it until after i had done it and gotten to the end of the road. (Morgatge, retired from army, kids out of scheeol etc) aure makes like a lot easier now. not extravagant but i notice the position of the sun changing in the sky from season to season, i am not often hungry, and my roof keeps the rain off. and have been doing it a fwe years now adn still under 50! got a few toys but realizing as i write this my truck is nine years old and my bike 25. its about being conservative, (And a democrat at that)

Clay, at first I thought, no way with the one week and all the household. But when I put the calculator to it, it worked out for us. Mortgage, electric, gas, water, garbage, sewer and insurance included made up about $718. Not bad! I’ll try not to break my arm patting myself on my back!

If you figure in some car payments, that insurance and fuel… it is easy to get overwhelmed and looks impossible for the average worker to support a family even living in a working class neighborhood.

i moved from a house in fairhope that was sold in 1970 for 14k, in the mid 90’2 it was on the market for 285. that was pretty funny to me. dad would have stroked had he known what that property would do. they would both stroke if they knew the appraised per acre assessment on the farm. land and housing prices are unreal. agree that one week of one partners pay should cover housing, that should be the test. ideally one week would cover ALL your housing expenses insurance, utilities etc. in a perfect world.

I understand the percentage of subprime loans to go south was about 30% with 18% being to low income buyers.

Banks and mortgage companies INFLATED the value of homes because of greed. The house sells for more, people FINANCE more. This is about greed. Wanting to have more than you can afford, cost of living increases without an increase in wages and did I say GREED?

My rule has always been, rent or house payment should equal one week’s pay. If I am really frugal, I will go for NET PAY. IT keeps things real.

many others did as well and thats the group i want to see punished. i didint refinance and although my interior is certainly dated, its paid for. i spend 295.00 a month less and i have 2500 square feet of heated cooled enclosed space to keep the rain off and the criminals at bay. i did work 10 days last month, remember the average is 20 but i made two months worth of money. thats where we are supposed to be at thispoint of our lives i think, not straddeling a note it takes you and your wife hustling to meet. JMO though, could be wrong. as i sit out in the orchard after being off since the monday before memorial day and not even pondering work till next thursday. anway its jacked up and i have used my soapbox time. look for the prices to lower though before they settle out, gotta get to a real level on value and its still a little off, about 10-15% over there and more than that over here.

I paid my house off early, because I was past the point where the interest did me any good on my tax return.  Plus, I don’t like having debt.  Makes me feel more free.

After I paid off my house, a financial whiz kid recommended that I re-finance my home at full value, take the cash and put it into mutual funds, etc.  I thought, yeah right.  D@mn glad I didn’t listen to that nonsense!