maui vacation condos for sale: How to Save for Your Retirement - 01/16/22 04:41 PM
How to Save for Your Retirement Having a student loan payment each month as a college graduate leaves little room in the budget to contribute to a retirement savings account.
College grads without student loans are much more likely to save for retirement. By the time they reach age 30, grads without student loans are predicted to have double the amount saved for retirement as individuals with student loans, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.
What can those with student loan debt do to fix this?
Pay Your Student Loans First
If you can’t afford to save … (4 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Growth vs. Value Investing: Know the Differences - 01/16/22 04:37 PM
Growth vs. Value Investing: Know the Differences Your investing style and tolerance for risk can help determine what type of stock mutual funds you invest in. The two main types of funds — growth and value — have different characteristics that can match your investing style.
Owning a mix of both funds is probably a smart move, but it can still be worthwhile to understand how each fund works. Here are some short explanations of growth vs. value funds:
Characteristics
Growth businesses are likely to reinvest profits, instead of paying out dividends to shareholders, as a way to grow. Growth stocks … (0 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Contribute to a 529 College Savings Plan With Gift Cards - 01/09/22 01:10 PM
Contribute to a 529 College Savings Plan With Gift Cards Parents contributing to a 529 college savings plan may find it difficult, if not a little time-consuming, to transfer cash and checks that their children receive on their birthdays, Christmas and other celebrations into the popular college savings fund.
Instead of not knowing if their cash gift is going to pay for college or for a night out on the town, grandparents and others can buy gift cards and have the money deposited in the student’s college savings plan.
The 529 gift cards are used at GiftofCollege.com, a registry for online … (2 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Maintaining Your Kitchen Appliances - 01/09/22 01:08 PM
Maintaining Your Kitchen Appliances Being a homeowner can be costly, but some expenses can be trimmed with regular maintenance. Since so many appliances run in the kitchen, it’s one of the best places to start.
Here are some of the best ways to keep your kitchen appliances running well so that they last through their normal lifetime, and hopefully beyond:
Refrigerator
Refrigerators have a life expectancy of 13 years, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Mold should be the main thing to try to prevent the spread of in a refrigerator. This requires regularly removing all food from it … (3 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Smart Thermostats: Top 4 Expert Picks - 01/09/22 01:04 PM
Smart Thermostats: Top 4 Expert Picks Programmable thermostats let you set the temperature in your home and have the thermostat change it based on the time of day. What makes them ‘smart’ is that they can learn from your behaviors, let you control the climate remotely, show you energy consumption in real-time and even adjust themselves based on conditions like humidity.
You can tell them to shut off after you leave for work and spring back into action in time to ensure the house temperature is comfortable by the time you get home. Many models can be managed from your phone … (2 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Steps to Take After Identity Theft - 01/08/22 02:56 PM
Steps to Take After Identity Theft Reacting quickly is essential after you’ve been the victim of identity theft. It can lessen the damage by thieves and lower the stress of having your credit card lost or stolen.
You may notice when you get home that your credit card is missing. Or you may get an email from your credit card company that there is some suspicious activity on your account.
Whatever alerts you to identity theft, here are some steps to take immediately after realizing it:
Get on the phone
Depending on the circumstances, you may want to first call the … (2 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Retro Colors Make a Comeback: What's Hot in Decor Right Now - 01/07/22 11:01 AM
Retro Colors Make a Comeback: What's Hot in Decor Right Now Everything old is new again, and that goes for decorating with color. While the last decade in home décor has largely been defined by white and varying shades of beige and gray, today’s designers are harking back to yesteryear with paint colors, furniture and even kitchen appliances.
Part art deco, part ‘50s suburban and part ‘60s mod, these awesome retro colors are fresh and refreshed to fit today’s tastes, say the color mavens at Sherwin Williams, whose wall color faves this year include shades of pink, aqua and pale or … (1 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Financial Priorities for Newlyweds - 01/07/22 10:54 AM
Financial Priorities for Newlyweds Deciding where to live, if you’re going to have children, and who takes out the garbage are some of the big and small decisions newlyweds have to make together after the wedding gifts are put away and they’re ready to start their lives together.
There are also financial decisions to make as a married couple, though they may not be as easy to discuss as who’s making dinner on Sunday nights.
Here are some financial priorities newlyweds should set — together:
Set a budget: A good way to start is by living within your means and setting a … (1 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: How To Hit Your Homebuying Goals This Year - 01/07/22 10:40 AM
Some Highlights If you’re looking to buy a home, you may want to put these items on your to-do list to ensure you hit your goals. It’s important to start working on your credit and saving for a down payment early. When you’re ready to begin your search, work with a real estate professional and get pre-approved so you know how much you can borrow. Connect with a real estate advisor so you have the guidance you need to achieve your homebuying goals this year. … (1 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Retirement May Be Changing What You Need in a Home - 01/06/22 12:43 PM
The past year and a half brought about significant life changes for many of us. For some, it meant entering retirement earlier than expected. Recent data shows more people retired this year than anticipated. According to the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, 2021 saw a retirement boom:
“At least 1.7 million more older workers than expected retired due to the pandemic recession.”
If you’ve recently retired, your home may not fit your new lifestyle. The good news is, you’ve likely built-up significant equity that can fuel your next move. According to the latest Homeowner Equity Insights report from CoreLogic, homeowners gained more than $50,000 in equity over the … (3 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: 4 Things Every Renter Needs to Consider - 01/06/22 10:47 AM
4 Things Every Renter Needs to Consider
 
As a renter, you’re constantly faced with the same dilemma: keep renting for another year or purchase a home? Your answer depends on your current situation and future, but there are several benefits to homeownership every renter needs to consider.
Here are a few things you should think about before you settle on renting for another year.
Rents Are Rising QuicklyRent increasing each year isn’t new. Looking back at Census data confirms rental prices have gone up consistently for decades (see graph below): If you’re a renter, you’re faced with payments that continue to climb each year. Realtor.com recently shared the Rental Report, and it shows price … (1 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: There Won't Be a Wave of Foreclosures in the Housing Market - 01/06/22 10:44 AM
When mortgage forbearance plans were first announced and the pandemic surged through the country in early 2020, many homeowners were allowed to pause their mortgage payments. Some analysts were concerned that once the forbearance program ended, the housing market would experience a wave of foreclosures like what happened after the housing bubble 15 years ago.
Here’s a look at why that isn’t the case.
1. There Are Fewer Homeowners in Trouble This TimeAfter the last housing crash, over nine million households lost their homes to a foreclosure, short sale, or because they gave it back to the bank. Many believed millions of homeowners would face … (3 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: How to Sneak in More Veggies - 01/05/22 11:12 AM
How to Sneak in More Veggies Trying to munch more veggies on the reg, but sick of salads and steamed sides? Below are a handful of simple ways you can up your veggie count with ease.
Blend them. If you’re a smoothie fan, you’ll be thrilled to know that adding a handful or two of baby spinach to your morning blend won’t alter the flavor or texture of your favorite drink. It will, however, give you an added vitamin punch and a bright color.
Juice them. Dust off that unused juicer and aim to make a fresh juice at least once a week. … (1 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: How to Choose the Best Houseplants - 01/05/22 11:08 AM
How to Choose the Best Houseplants Just like picking paint and furniture, it’s important to spend time choosing the best plants for your interior space. Not only should you be considering the care your new plant friends will need, but also how they will impact your space as they grow to their full forms. Below are several tips for picking the best houseplants.
Understand sun exposure. The quickest way to shrivel a houseplant is by giving it the improper amount of sunshine. Take the time to get to know the sunniest and shadies areas of your interior, and pick plants that … (1 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: What Is a Negotiated Debt Settlement? - 01/05/22 11:05 AM
What Is a Negotiated Debt Settlement? If you’re buried by credit card debt, a negotiated debt settlement with your creditor may be worth checking into. Negotiated debt settlement is a general term for discharging debt in a way that appeals to the credit card holder and the card’s issuer.
It’s best to negotiate from a position of strength by not having submitted late payments or having missed them, which can cause a credit score to fall. If that happens, cardholders will likely have a harder time getting concessions in a negotiated debt settlement. Instead, they should start talking to their creditor … (2 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Why Waiting To Sell Your House Could Cost You a Fortune - 01/05/22 10:07 AM
Many homeowners who plan to sell in 2022 may think the wise thing to do is to wait for the spring buying market since historically about 40 percent of home sales occur between April and July. However, this year’s expected to be much different than the norm. Here are five reasons to list your house now rather than waiting until the spring.
1. Buyers Are Looking Right Now, and They’re Ready To PurchaseThe ShowingTime Showing Index reports data from more than six million property showings scheduled across the country each month. In other words, it’s a gauge of how many buyers are out looking at homes … (1 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Avoid the Rental Trap in 2022 - 01/04/22 09:53 AM
Are you one of the many renters thinking about where you’ll live the next time your lease is up? Before you decide whether to look for a new house or another apartment, it’s important to understand the true costs of renting in 2022.
As a renter, you should know rents have been rising since 1988 (see graph below):
In 2021, rents grew dramatically. According to ApartmentList.com, since January 2021:
“. . . the national median rent has increased by a staggering 17.8 percent. To put that in context, rent growth from January to November averaged just 2.6 percent in the pre-pandemic years from 2017-2019.”
That increase in 2021 was far greater than … (2 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: How Much Do You Need for Your Down Payment? - 01/03/22 12:32 PM
As you set out on your homebuying journey, you likely have a plan in place, and you’re working on saving for your purchase. But do you know how much you actually need for your down payment?
If you think you have to put 20% down, you may have set your goal based on a common misconception. Freddie Mac says:
“The most damaging down payment myth—since it stops the homebuying process before it can start—is the belief that 20% is necessary.”
Unless specified by your loan type or lender, it’s typically not required to put 20% down. According to the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of … (4 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Hate Your New Couch or Paint Color? How To Avoid (or Cope With) Renovation Regret - 01/03/22 12:10 PM
Confession: All my life, I’ve wanted a chaise lounge. Chalk it up to Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda canoodling on one in “The Lady Eve.” A chaise always seemed like a highly comfortable perch for a grown-up. Plus, it has a chic French name.
I eventually bought a chaise … that took up way too much space in my living room and blocked an entry. After all, chaisemeans “long chair.” And yes, that chair was long indeed, as was the lasting sting of my buyer’s remorse.
Unfortunately, when you’re faced with a big design decision, this regret will rear its head … (2 comments)

maui vacation condos for sale: Why Selling Your House with a Real Estate Professional Is Essential - 01/03/22 12:08 PM
Selling your house is no simple task. And when you sell on your own – known as a FSBO (or For Sale by Owner) – you’re responsible for handling some of the more difficult aspects of the process without the expert guidance you need.
The 2021 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) surveys homeowners who recently sold their house on their own and asks what difficulties they faced. Those sellers say some of the biggest headaches are prepping their house for sale, pricing it right, and handling the required paperwork.
Working with an agent is the best way to ensure you … (1 comments)