MoneyWisdom Blog

It'll soon be time to open the pool and get the yard ready for the backyard barbecues.   Here are five tips to ensure a trouble-free swimming pool opening this summer:

Topics: Home Ownership

Whether you decide to tackle a do-it-yourself project or hire someone else to remodel your kitchen, beautify your bathroom, or finish the basement, these three common mistakes can throw a wrench in your plans for a stress-free home renovation project.

Topics: Home Equity, Home Ownership, Investment Property

Looking for simple renovations that will give your home a face lift? Start with your bathroom, especially if you have pink tile and a baby blue toilet.  Outdated bathrooms can stop potential buyers in their tracks. Even if you're not looking to sell, it's nice to feel like you're living in the current decade. Besides increasing the value of your home, the bathroom can be a place to get creative and have some fun. Here are five major benefits a bathroom re-do can offer:

Topics: Home Ownership

If you’re shopping for a home for the first time, you’ve probably heard of an Adjustable Rate Mortgage, or ARM. It’s a type of home loan with an interest rate that changes over time.

Topics: mortgage, Home Ownership

As a homeowner, I often find myself researching how to increase home value without draining my savings.  My neighbors seem to have some pretty creative ideas: one added landscaping, another updated a bathroom.  These ways were well and good, but I needed something a little different, something that would not only increase my home's value, but also help me in my day-to-day home ownership expenses.  The one thing I kept coming back to was insulation.

Topics: Mass Save, Home Ownership

Heating your home can be expensive, and this year it may be more so. The U.S. Energy Information Administration is forecasting that heating bills for American families will be higher than last year because of higher forecast energy prices. They predict natural gas bills to rise by 5%, electricity by 3% and home heating oil by a whopping 20%. How can you cut the high costs of heating your home this winter? Here are 7 winter energy savings tips that'll bring the cost of heating your home down:

Topics: Savings, budget, Home Ownership

Longer nights and falling leaves are the precursor to heating bills and chilly times at home. When you winterize your home now before the snows blow in, it can minimize the impact to your wallet later on. Here, ten easy winterizing tips at a variety of price points...plus a bonus tip:

Topics: Mass Save, Home Ownership, Green

Like many young couples, Bryan and Allysann looked forward to owning their first home together. They quickly discovered, however, the financial requirements for home ownership can be daunting … even a bit discouraging.

Topics: mortgage, Home Ownership

Maybe you’re tired of writing rent checks each month, knowing that your hard-earned salary funds your landlord’s real estate investment. Or that living below a bunch of hard-partying college kids has worn thin, along with your apartment walls, which are more like Egyptian papyrus — and as old, too!

Topics: Money Management, mortgage, Home Ownership

First-time homebuyers are sometimes caught off guard by overlooked expenses, which can create an uncomfortable financial pinch. Be sure you consider these one-time and ongoing expenses.

Topics: budget, Home Ownership