Are you house hunting or about to start? Learn how you can buy the right house for you and your budget.  Mistakes Home Buyers Make Buying a house is usually one of the biggest purchases you can make and the financial paperwork of getting a mortgage gets complicated quickly.  Besides having a down payment ready, you have other costs like  Home inspection Lender fees Appraisal Title search and insurance fees And so forth If you’re buying a $300,000 home, you’re looking at paying anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000 in closing costs. If you’re living in an HCOL area, those numbers leap up.  It's really important to make sure you're ready for this leap before you signed the papers. You rush into it and you’re stuck with a mortgage you can’t comfortably afford, making your home a burden, not a blessing.  If you live in a hot real estate market it’s even more of a challenge. You’re dealing with multiple bids, some of them being much higher than the listing price. Here in Raleigh, it’s not uncommon to be competing with all-cash offers.  In the middle of 2020, my mom moved to be closer to us in Raleigh and we helped her with the home buying process. It was stressful because there were so many more buyers than houses. It took some patience, reflecting on what features she needed and truly wanted, and honing in on the budget, but thankfully she bought a great place for herself.   Whether you’re a first-time buyer or not, my advice is to detach yourself emotionally from the process. That’s easier said than done.  That’s why I want to share from the archives an interview I did with Jonathan White. He’s the author of A Tale of Two Houses: Our journey of buying a home the right way after buying one the wrong way.  As you can guess from the title, Jonathan understands some of those house-buying traps many of us fall into. He made In this episode we get into: Some of those home-buying myths that can get you into trouble Unexpected expenses that come up as a homeowner Why you need to run your own numbers Are you ready? Let’s get started!  Resources on Getting a Great Deal on Your Mortgage If you’re looking to buy, here are some resources to help you find a great deal with your mortgage Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint Grow Your Stash Faster: High Yield Savings with CiT Bank Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money What You Need to Know About Mortgages Understand Mortgage Loan Options Free 5 Days to $5K Course 9 Questions to Ask Before Buying a House Is It Better to Rent or Own a Home? How to Snag a Great Deal When Buying a House Buying a Home: From Contemplation to Closing Thank You to Our Sponsor Coastal! Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! If you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better, come check out Coastal today. See how Coastal can help you with your mortgage needs! Rollover Your 401(k) Easily with Capitalize We’re grateful for wonderful partners like Capitalize. Not only do they support the podcast, but they help make managing your money so much easier.  Did you know that it’s estimated that there are currently over 24 million “forgotten” 401(k) accounts? In fact, the average American changes jobs every 4 years.  And because of the Great Resignation, you or someone you know might be changing jobs even more  It’s an extreme case of out of sight and out of mind. Is your old 401(k) in there somewhere, left behind at a job you're no longer with? One huge benefit with an IRA is you get to choose how your money is invested, not your old employer.  If you want to consolidate your old 401(k) and have more options with how you invest, it may be time to roll them over into an IRA.     With Capitalize, they handle the process from start-to-finish – for FREE. They handle the process from start-to-finish, and yes that includes calling the 401(k) provider on your behalf.  Find out how and get started today! Avoid House Fever and Myths Even though had a background in acco