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Thinking of buying a home?

Thinking of buying a home? Not sure how much to save for a down payment?

The recommended rule of thumb is to save 25 percent and no less than 20 percent, which will cover the down payment and all other taxes and closing costs. Paying a higher deposit may cause the seller to give a better price, but putting down a large deposit isn’t always best. There are a couple of things to keep in mind:

First, don’t take the down payment from your emergency funds, as you may need to do emergency repairs on your newly-bought home (plumbing, leaking roofs, etc.).
Second, if you can get a higher investment rate than your loan rate, it is smarter to make a smaller down payment, so you may put more of your money into an investment that gives you a higher return.

Be smart; that way, the next time you look at a home you just have to have, you can have it. Just think how wonderful that will feel. You’ll probably want to celebrate.

What’s on my desk

I spend more and more time at my desk these days, doing everything from preparing the family taxes to working on this blog. Because of this, my workspace is constantly changing. Holding the clutter at bay is challenging, so I prefer to keep nearby only a few quality items that serve multiple purposes over a stockpile of things I might never need.

My daily planner

My planner is one of those simple ring binder journals you can pick up from any stationery supplies store. White paper. No ruled lines to cage my venturesome handwriting and doodling. I’m an obsessive note-taker and fill pages to the margins with to do lists, rough sketches, and ideas for blog posts. I usually go through one planner every month.

Staying Organized

Who me? Organized? My husband might tell you otherwise, but I do find it hard to keep track of our weekly schedule. You know: school, swimming, grocery shopping, tidying up, paying bills, remembering appointments and so on. Fortunately, in our house we all pitch in. No one person does everything. But we do have a little secret that helps our day run more smoothly.

Travel Tips

There are millions of tips out there on how to fly with kids, what to bring on camping vacations, which suitcase to buy, where to go and what to see in just about every corner on Earth. What I want to share today is something a little different – something that we discovered last summer during a family hike in the Appalachians.