The Next Phase

The American economy continues its slide downward affecting the field of my interest, real estate. And I just bet real estate is on your mind, too, though not likely in as wide a sense as for me. You are most likely concerned with how the market is affecting your asset - your home - whether or not you are a homeowner. In this article, I’ll explain about what to do in the current real estate market, but also how to save money and perhaps even get ahead while things around you fall apart.

I try to look for good news when I write these articles, but good and encouraging news stories are  getting harder to find. It is because of this that we all need to find ways to make it through the next few years.

One way to do this is to go ahead and buy a home while the prices and mortgage rates are low. Now, I realize you’re probably thinking that I’m just saying this because I’m a Realtor. There is no doubt that a rise in the gloomy market sales would benefit me. But I really am telling you the truth about this being a good time to buy. And remember, if you buy before the end of May, you will get to take advantage of the Buyer’s Tax Credit.

If you own your home, hang onto it unless you 1) absolutely need to move or 2) cannot make the payments. If you need to move, make sure you use a Realtor to list your home who will help you by cutting a deal with you that is more in favor of you than him or her. There are Realtors who will work with you on commissions and other costs. I am one of those and one of the few.

And if you cannot make your payments, a Realtor may be able to help you stay in your home. If you are struggling, you really need to talk with me because I can show you what to do and will tell you what will work in your situation.

Real estate aside, there are other things you can do right now to cut your living expenses beyond the trite advice of turning off lights when you leave a room and making sure to insulate around doors and windows. Your electric bill is likely a big chunk of your budget. You can cut the cost of electricity with a gadget that stops “vampire energy”. What is vampire energy? It is the use of electrical power when your appliance is shut off. Many people do not know that appliances left plugged in continue to use electricity. A “smart strip” stops this by totally disconnecting turned off appliances. The cost is between $30 and $45, but the savings can be substantial.

Programmable thermostats also save money by regulating temperatures automatically. They don’t cost a lot, but will put money into your pocket over the long haul.

Unemployment is one of the worst things that can happen to a family. So, if you find yourself in this position, there are some things you can do to affect your outflow of money. Being unemployed means you probably have more time on your hands which makes this a perfect time to learn to cook from scratch. Purchasing ingredients to make meals rather than buying pre-made meals can cut your grociery costs by as much as one-third to one-half.

Additionally, if you purchase large sacks of wheat and rice in their grain form and a grinder, you can make delicious bread, pasta, crackers. This may seem somewhat drastic, but it really isn’t if you consider that a 50 pound bag of wheat is less than $40. Bags of rice from Sam’s Club is around $50. Fifty pounds of grain can feed a family for a long time.

Consider purchasing a whole beef animal with a bunch of friends from a local farmer. He will charge you a lot less than the supermarket for the meat, but you will have to have a local meat cutter process it for you. Still, the cost will be less.

With all that extra time on your hands you can get into food preservation. For under $100, you can get a food dehydrator. Go on http://www.dehydrate2store.com/ to see how easy it is to start preserving and storing food. Food savings can be substantial by doing this.

Read The 2 Secrets of Wealth Creation. In it, I show people how to use gold and silver to secure their future.

Being a Realtor is not my main purpose in life. It is a way for me to help people live the life they want. Sometimes we have to change the means we use to get to the life we want. It is helping people learn how to get around their roadblocks that I like the most. I hope this article has inspired you to start thinking about living a good life in a different way than you are used to. In the future, I will share more tips and strategies.

This entry was posted on 02/03/2010 at 11:31 and is filed under Advice For Buyers, Advice For Sellers, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.