• General Information

    Movie Love

    In honor of Valentine’s Day I thought I’d ignore the twelve steps and take a moment to discuss love in movies. Movies are largely responsible for our idea of what love should be, despite the fact that they’re rarely accurate to real life. The best example I’ve thus far seen is what I call the “end of movie coupledom moment”. Have you ever noticed that at the end of these romantic movies the couples seem to always end up in the middle of a city, kissing passionately in some public place? It’s almost always outside and everyone stops to smile at them or has to walk around them. I’m not…

  • General Information

    Pre-Approval vs. Pre-Qualification

    Pre-Qualification: Answer some questions online or over the phone about what you make, what you spend, what your credit is like, what you think you can afford/want to spend. You answer as you decide. However you decide.The amount you are “pre-qualified” for depends on what you tell the lender. This will not get you a mortgage, just get you an idea, again, based on what you tell the lender, of what you’ll be able to afford. Pre-Qualification: Fill out lots of forms, give personal and financial details that allow the lender to SEE (vs. hear it from you, you big liar) what you make, what your debts are like, and…

  • General Information

    Define Needs for Your New Home

    The big challenge on this one is to define the NEEDS vs the WANTS. I don’t need hardwoods or built-in bookcases or a third bedroom. My problem is that I want all these things. Since I’ve jumped ahead a few steps I can tell you that making a list of “wants” rather than “needs” actually isn’t a problem. It’s really very fun! Until you start the house hunt and the realization hit you that not only can you not afford the hardwoods, built-in’s and a third bedroom, you can’t afford ANY of them. Unless you enjoy a three-hour commute. But that’s for the ‘Neighborhood’ post…