Whether you are drowning in debt or a millionaire looking for a summer home, the following blogs will help you get on the right track toward home ownership – or at least provide some humorous or insightful input while you navigate your own journey.

My Open Wallet

What: An anonymous 40-year old single woman living in New York is quite honest in her personal finance life on My Open Wallet, from what she makes to what she spends to how her net worth changes. She’s been blogging since 2005, so she’s seen the economy through all highs and lows.

Look for: Her 20 rules to getting on track financially are easily found on the right-hand side of the page, and labels such as “Best Don’t-Buys,” “Get Rich Quick” and “Weird” separate her from the rest.

Get Rich Slowly

What: Blog author J.D. Roth tells his story of conquering $35,000 in debt from consumer and home-equity loans on Get Rich Slowly and now has regular guest bloggers.

Look for: Get Rich Slowly offers up-to-date CD rates and mortgage quotes, as well as tips on lowering your utility costs, living on less in other countries, renting out your home and making drastic changes to afford what you want, including financing a house.

2million’s Personal Finance Blog

What: With a goal of having a net worth of $2 million, Brian, a 34-year-old IBM engineering manager, chronicles his net worth’s ups and downs.

Look for: Find Brian’s spreadsheet breakdown of exactly how much a baby costs pre-birth (including 529 plan contributions), what’s financially involved when you marry someone and how to buy, sell and refinance your home on 2million.

LearnVest

What: Live. Earn. Invest. LearnVest’s mantra came to be in 2008, when Harvard Business School attendee Alexa von Tobel created an online platform to help women gain control of their finances. She was frustrated that she was in line to become a Wall Street fund manager and had never taken a single finance class in school.

Look for: If you want to get financially fit in a disciplined hurry, LearnVest’s boot camp programs get you on the road to learning personal finance basics, getting out of debt, cutting costs or building wealth within 15 to 17 days.

Bargaineering

What: Noted in The New York Times and Business Week for its financial savvy, Bargaineering is the brain child of Jim Wang, who began the publication as a 20-something university graduate who knew nothing about managing money. In the five years since its inception, the blog has covered credit cards, CDs, high yield savings accounts, tax brackets, banking and frugal living.

Look for: The Bank Deals section of the sites lets you know how to make a quick $100 to $150 through current bank promotions, and the Frugality section offers tips on how to overcome frugal fatigue and encourages new savings-habits inspiration.

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When you leave the office, the last thing you want to do is bring the day’s stresses into your home. Start by leaving as much as you can at the office, and listen to classical music, your favorite CD or just silence on the way home so you don’t hear annoying commercials or songs. Then make your home a peaceful, stress-free place by following the tips below.

Organize your home

When you have time, organize a small space so you feel less stressed during the weekdays. Purchase colorful folders and a binder or filing box and file your bills, medical records, pets’ records, insurance policies and other important papers. Put clothes and shoes you no longer wear in bags to donate to charity, and put all of your jewelry in its proper place. Store seasonal items in the attic and get rid of things you no longer need. For 10 minutes each day, clear out clutter – any clutter – from one room.

Decompress for a few minutes

Each day when you get home from work, excuse yourself to a bedroom or quiet section of the house and take deep breaths for a few minutes. Leave the lights off if necessary or listen to relaxing music to clear your head from meddlesome thoughts.

Keep work separate

If you can’t leave work completely at the office, set up your own “office hours” at home when you will check and respond to emails. Keep work-related technology and papers in your home office or just out of sight of your home’s living spaces.

Make over your bedroom

Just as you keep your work out of your living space, keep your living space out of your bedroom, making it a stress-free, relaxing spot to unwind. Clean your room thoroughly, and remove the television, computer and any cell phones from the bedroom. Block out the light using heavy curtains or blinds that close completely. Paint your room in a calming shade of soft blue, green, purple or taupe, and purchase ultra-comfortable, luxurious bed linens. Install a ceiling fan, as cooler night temperatures will help you rest and relax.

Cook meals on the weekends

Part of weekday stress involves wondering what you will have for dinner, if you have the ingredients on hand and if you have time to make something. Take the guesswork out of weekday dinners by scouring weekday recipe sites such as KraftRecipes.com or Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food site and shopping for ingredients on the weekends. Or, look at sites such as Once a Month Mom to learn how to cook entire meals on a free Saturday or Sunday and store them in the freezer. Either thaw them overnight in the fridge or cook them straight from the freezer by adjusting the temperature and cooking time.

Indulge in aromatherapy

Essential oils in chamomile, lavender, marjoram, neroli, sandalwood and ylang ylang reduce anxiety and relax you, so look for those ingredients in candles and light air fresheners for scenting your home.

Create better lighting

Harsh lighting can make us feel rushed or put under a spotlight. Create a serene atmosphere by installing inexpensive dimmer switches (found at home supply or hardware stores) or replacing overhead lights with lamps. Make sure lampshades are a muted or thick off-white, beige or tan instead of bright or transparent white.

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Filing for bankruptcy or home foreclosure need not be an incomprehensible barrier to property ownership. However, it will take a while to re-establish a FICO credit score and save an adequate amount for house deposit. Those who borrow money will also need to accept that they will need to pay an extra amount each month (or higher interest rate) in order to get a bankruptcy home loan due to the greater risk of default posed to the potential lender.

If you are looking to get a mortgage loan after bankruptcy sooner than 2 years from the time of discharge, you will need to have a good payment history since your bankruptcy discharge. Also, you may need to have a down payment. If you have even 3-5% to use as a down payment, that may be enough to help you get approved.

Rebuilding Credit Scores after Bankruptcy: Buying a home is a big investment for anyone from a lender’s point of view. If you want to be trusted with a home loan, then you need to prove to lenders that you are financially stable. So let’s discuss some of the steps you can take to help start upgrading your credit scores as quickly and resourcefully as possible.

* Do not take loan at a high rate of interest as it will create more problems down-the-line.
* Don’t rush into buying a home after bankruptcy.
* Use secured Credit Cards - If you’ve lately come out of bankruptcy you might find it hard to get an unsecured credit card. In a secured credit card the amount in the savings account is used to determine the amount of credit available for a person to use. These are often easier to obtain than a traditional credit card. then they will limit your credit each month to the amount of that deposit.
* Installment Loans - This can include personal loans, student loans and mortgages ect

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Look for spec homes. These generally are already built, never lived in, and are simply awaiting buyers. Many builders erected them before the economy turned sour with expectations that they would pull in a higher price. Now that price is unrealistic, and builders are negotiating.

Don’t expect that the builder’s financing is the best deal in town. Remember: Over the years you live in your home, you’ll pay more in interest than on principal! Shop around for the best option. If your builder knows you’re being proactive, chances are he’ll give you a better deal. It might come as a lower interest rate, a percentage of the selling price returned to you at closing, shaved points, or some other benefit. He might offer you an in-ground pool if you stay with his financer. But the extra interest could cost you much more than that over the years.

Look for deals even if you are buying in a neighborhood where you wouldn’t normally expect them. When a builder is willing to negotiate, he often does so quietly, so that the people who already bought from him in the area won’t be upset with him.

If you’re looking in a development, choose one that’s close to completion. The last houses to go are generally sold at a lower rate. Don’t feel like you’re getting in on the tail end of a deal if you’re the last to move in. You’ll already know what the neighborhood demographics are. You won’t have questions about whether additional homes are going to block your view.

Another tip for purchasing a home in a development involves walking around and chatting with people who already live there. Ask if the builder lived up to his promises. You will also get a feel for the builder’s reliability and his willingness to negotiate extra features or price cuts.

If the builder offers you an upgrade to compensate for any issue, decline it in lieu of a price cut. An upgrade might place your home’s value beyond the norm in that neighborhood, which hurts you at resale time. Just ask for a price cut.

When you’re looking for your dream home, or even just the land to build it on, hire an exclusive buyer’s agent (EBA). That means your agent works independently of the local brokers. You will still sign a contract with him, but there’s no chance he will also be representing the seller. And specify in your contract, whether you go with a EBA or a local real estate agent, that you want access to all listings, not just one agency’s. You can also retain the right to look on your own.

Check your builder’s reputation with the local homebuilders association or architectural board. Also ask the local Better Business Bureau if the builder has complaints against him. Besides reviewing complaints from other buyers, look for contractors with unpaid bills, which could indicate that your builder is going through a period of instability.

Know what you want in a home ahead of time. Be specific when you sit down with the builder. Vagueness will cost you money later. Don’t let the builder push you into costlier options beyond your budgeted amount — you’ll pay for them in the end. And feel free to carry brochures from other builders with you when you visit each one — the hint of competition lubricates the wheels of deals.

Hold the builder financially accountable. Make sure the builder gets the subcontractors to sign lien waivers. If they don’t, and the builder doesn’t pay them, they can put a lien on your home. Also, make certain he cannot draw progress payments from the bank unless both you and the bank officer have approved them.

For new home communities and developments organized by state visit the home builders page on NewHomeGuide.com/

For your real estate needs in Boulder CO, try Automated Homefinder.

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