Home Equity & Senior Housing
Bob Carlson’s ideas and strategies for managing home equity and choice of housing to maintain a budget
Found 126 Articles.
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The Surge in Reverse Mortgages
Reverse mortgages suddenly are booming. The number of reverse mortgages insured by the federal government surged by 77% in 2006. Areas with high home prices and a high percentage of older people see the greatest number of the mortgages issued. Several factors are behind the increase in reverse mortgages. The aging population increases demand, as […]
Housing Bubble Revisited
The headlines about housing certainly changed over the last year. Talk of unending years of double digit appreciation have been replaced by stories of unsold homes, sharp price declines, and forecasts of how long and how steep the decline might be. Throughout the housing boom we maintained that there was not a national housing bubble. […]
Should You Keep Your Mortgage or Pay it Off?
A home is the most valuable asset owned by most Americans. A key and confusing financial issue for many is how to manage the home equity. Proper management of the equity can increase net worth and enhance one’s life style. Managing home equity means determining the trade off between a mortgage and unencumbered home equity. […]
Factors to Consider when Using Home Equity as a Retirement Fund
Is home equity the mainstay of your retirement fund? Apparently it is for a number of people. Both anecdotal evidence and some consumer surveys indicate that a number of Baby Boomers plan to “retire on the house.” The plan is especially prevalent along the coasts and in resort areas. These are the areas in which […]
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Should You Buy or Rent the Second Home
The real estate markets are changing, especially those in resort and vacation areas. Home prices streaked upward from 2000-2005, causing us to address the possible “housing bubble” several times in this newsletter. Those articles are on the web site Archive. Now, the forecasts we made the last few years are looking accurate. The hottest housing […]
Five Proven Ways to Reduce the Mortgage on your IRA
Most people who are busy accumulating large balances in their IRAs and 401(k)s forget that the IRS holds a mortgage on those accounts. You put pre-tax dollars in the accounts and let income and gains compound tax deferred. But that balance in the IRA is not all yours. The price for those tax breaks is […]
The New Breed of Vacation Homes
A vacation home is passé for some people. While vacation and second home owner-ship are on the rise, and more Boomers plan to buy second homes, a number of people are moving on to what they consider the next level of second home ownership. This innovation is known generically as the destination club. There now […]
Boomers Retirement Housing Surprises
The Baby Boomers surprised forecasters as they went through life, and they changed many aspects of the economy. It looks like they have another series of surprises in store. The Boomers’ choices of retirement homes might be very different from what many people are expecting. These choices are important not only to those who build […]
