Go Green, Girls! Wallet-Friendly, Budget-Conscious Ways to Live Greener

Yes, Earth Day was officially yesterday. But shouldn't it really be Earth Day everyday?

"Going Green" feels overwhelming to me -- I can't afford to replace all of my windows in my house with brand new, evergy-efficient ones. Or buy a hybrid car when I just bought a new car two years ago. Or add solar panels to my roof.

But there are wallet-friendly, budget-conscious things that I -- and you -- can do every day.

For a short list of ways you can start living greener, just click here. (It will take you to The Gebhardt Group's blog where you can add your own wallet-friendly, budget-conscious tips in the comments section!)

Single and Proud of it? But...

Are you a single woman and proud of it? You should be proud of yourself! You are smart... You are successful...

But you are still renting your home.

• Despite the fact that you have heard that now is a good time to buy.


• Despite the fact that you know that owning a home is a better investment than renting.


• Despite the fact that you have a savings account, a money market account, a 401(k), an IRA, or other smart investments.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be giving you a series of posts dispelling myths about homeownership and offering you reasons to start thinking about owning your own home right now. This is what S.S.W.O.R.E. (Smart, Successful Women Own Real Estate) is all about.

My goal is to provide you with the education and knowledge you need to achieve your dream of homeownership. It is crucial that you feel comfortable and confident when beginning the home ownership process, and as a fellow woman I understand the importance of feeling respected and educated about the process. It is of no surprise that there are more and more women who are acquiring homes without the help of a male figure, and it is about time that there is a source in our area dedicated to catering to women's needs in this respect.

WE ARE SMART, SUCCESSFUL WOMEN: It’s All About Respect.

Should Newlyweds Buy a House? | Buying Property with your New Spouse | Buying a Home as a Joint Investment

I came across an interesting article on MSNmoney.com the other day entitled, "Should Newlyweds Buy a House?"

An interesting question, indeed.

In my dealings with a lot of newlyweds/first-time homebuyers, I have encountered this question a lot. Of course, I cannot answer this question for a client, but I can help them through the thought-process and try to help them reach a decision that they are confortable with on their own.

One of the first things we do with any buyer, not just the first-time variety, is refer them to our trusted mortgage lenders. Not only do we know that these mortgage professionals do a great job with our clients, but we have all used them personally and can attest first-hand to their knowledge and trustworthiness.

And of course, one of the tips in the article is right up this alley: Get pre-approved before house-love hits.

But it's not just about getting pre-approved and finding out how much the standard debt-to-income ratio says you can afford to spend. It's also about knowing what you are comfortable spending, and those two numbers can be very different.

Of course, the article doesn't do much to answer the question it poses in its title - should you buy a new house. That is a question that only you and your spouse can ultimately answer. But it does eloquently present some important things to think about. In addition to getting pre-approved, other helpful tips offered by this article are aggressive saving, discussing and managing timelines and researching mortgage deals.

I highly recommend this article to any newlyweds/first-time homebuyers contemplating that first big housing purchase. There is so much to think about as you venture into a life together, not to mention into homeownership together.

Women: What Are You Waiting For to Buy Your First Home?

Despite our ideals of the 21st-century woman being more independent than ever, making more money than ever before and climbing the corporate ladder, many women still feel that certain life milestones need to come in a certain order -- marriage first, buying a home second.

But it certainly isn't true for a growing number of women. Look at these numbers:

• The single female segment of the homebuyer population accounted for 18% of all homebuyers in 2004.
• Single women purchased approximately one in five homes in 2003, while more than one in ten were purchased by single men.
• More women (15.5 million) than men (11.8 million) lived alone. Among these, women were more likely than men to own their homes (56% vs. 47%).
• Over the time period of 1994-2002, the number of unmarried females owning homes climbed from 13.9 million to 17.5 million.

So what are you waiting for?

It's true that buying a home means a lot of responsibility. It's the single-largest investment that most people will make in their lifetime. And it is truly the best long-term investment you can make.

Imagine...instead of putting your hard-earned money into your landlord's pocket and building up his investment every time you write a monthly rent check, by buying a home and making a mortgage payment, you are actually investing in yourself. You are building up equity (equity: the difference between the sale price of a property and the mortgage balance owed on the property), adding to the value of your property and to your own net worth.

You probably have at least one of the following: an IRA or Roth IRA, a savings account, a money market account, a 401(k), which proves that you are thinking about your financial future. You can continue to build your personal wealth and your individual portfolio by buying a home. Don't invest in your landlord's future -- invest in your own future. And start thinking about it now. There's no time like the present!

Why You Should Use a Licensed REALTOR® When Purchasing a Home

Answering Common Excuses for Not Using a REALTOR®

Are you in the market to buy your first home? If so, I'm sure that you have heard many reasons that you should not use a REALTOR®, but I am here to debunk those home buying myths and give you some very valid reasons why using a licensed REALTOR® is in your best interests.

Test your knowledge below - Truth or Myth?

If I go straight to the listing agent, I'll get a better deal.
Myth. The real estate agent who has a home listed has a contractual obligation to the seller, not to you. That agent is duty-bound to work in the seller's best interests. By negotiating with the listing agent, without having your own agent for representation, you are denying yourself the opportunity to have a licensed professional work on your behalf.

Look at it this way: Would you, for example, want to be defended in court by the prosecuting attorney? My guess would be, no. So you probably should not rely on the listing agent to represent you. Why would you want to be represented by the agent who also represents the seller and has had a relationship with them for longer and cannot, legally, work solely in your best interests?

It will cost me too much money to work with a real estate agent.
Myth. Many consumers do not realize that, in most cases, the seller pays all of the real estate commissions, to both the listing agent and the buyers' agent. When a seller lists their home, they sign a listing agreement with the listing agent, in which they agree to the total commission to be paid on the sale of the home. This includes the commission that will be paid to the agent that represents you, the buyer. In most cases, the total commission is between 6% and 7% of the purchase price, which the listing agent splits with the agent representing the buyer.

So in short, it costs you nothing to have a licensed REALTOR® represent you in the purchase of a home.

I can find out everything I need to know to buy a home myself on the Internet.
Part Truth, Part Myth. The Internet is a valuable resource for homebuyers, especially now. Many really reputable REALTORS® have websites and blogs that provide a plethora of information that can be extremely helpful and educational for homebuyers.

However, the amount of information available can also be extremely overwhelming. Every site and article has links to other sites and articles, and the amount of information is virtually infinite. Do you have the time to read through seemingly endless articles and websites to get the information you need?

Also, almost anyone can publish articles and information to the Internet. How can you be sure that what you are reading is substantiated by fact? How can you be sure that the person who wrote that material is knowledgeable enough in the field to be qualified to give you this advice? How do you know that person is even a licensed REALTOR®?

Unlike a faceless author on the Internet, a licensed REALTOR® has a license number, and you can check the status of their license with their state real estate commission. You can interview that REALTOR® in person to see if you "click" with them and think you would enjoy working with them and trust them with your transaction. You can also ask for a list of past clients as references so that you can call and ask that person what their experience was working with that REALTOR®.

Additionally, a licensed REALTOR® has had considerable training both pre-license and post-license in all aspects of representing a buyer - don't waste your time trying to learn everything that an agent already knows. Spend your time finding the right agent, and then rely on them to do their job.

Buying a home is the American dream. A home is a great investment, but it is a huge financial commitment - for some people, it's the largest financial investment they will ever make. Shouldn't it be a priority to make sure that you have a licensed REALTOR® working in your best interests for the biggest financial investment of your life?

Copyright © 2007 Maura C. Gebhardt. All Content. All Rights Reserved.

Statistics on Women and Homeownership

Just the Facts About Women as Homeowners

B The single female segment of the homebuyer population accounted for 18% of all homebuyers in 2004.

B Single women purchased approximately one in five homes in 2003, while more than one in ten were purchased by single men.

B More women (15.5 million) than men (11.8 million) lived alone. Among these, women were more likely than men to own their homes (56% vs. 47%).

B About one-quarter of the nation's nearly eight million single mothers spend more than half of their incomes on housing, compared with one-tenth of households headed by single fathers.

B Over the time period of 1994-2002, the number of unmarried females owning homes climbed from 13.9 million to 17.5 million.

Sources: 2006 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, (Chicago, IL: National Association of REALTORS®, 2005).

Welcome to S.S.W.O.R.E.!

Smart, Successful Women Own Real Estate

Are you a woman? Are you a homeowner and/or property owner -- or interested in becoming one? Then this blog is for YOU!

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, "Single women represent 20 percent of buyers, up 50 percent during the past eight years. That's an amazing statistic! The NAR goes on to say that "single women represent the future of real estate sales."

Here are some other interesting statistics about women and homeownership:
a More than one in five home buyers is a single woman.
a Twice as many unmarried women are buying homes than single men.
a Single women make up more than one-third of the growth in real estate ownership since 1994.

But WHETHER YOU ARE MARRIED OR SINGLE, buying a home is one of the best long-term investments you can make. The money you pay monthly in rent could be much better spent by paying it toward a mortgage, with which you are basically investing in yourself and in your home's equity. Additionally, you can take that one step forward and begin to explore the possibility of owning investment properties, such as rental properties or a second home.

WELCOME TO S.S.W.O.R.E -- Smart, Successful Women Own Real Estate!