After some time searching at locations, checking out neighborhoods, calculating expenses with spreadsheets, and more we have finally decided on a place to buy! We signed the purchase agreement this weekend and we are taking the first few steps toward becoming home owners.

We went with a town house that will have a mortgage we can afford. Getting the best deal with the mortgage is important since it will be our biggest expense for the next 30 years. We also planned to include buffer room in our budget to rebuild our savings since a lot of it will be used for the down payment. I’ll update you as we go through the process and share some of the highlights.

Blog Carnivals

• The Carnival of Personal Finance was hosted by Almost Frugal.
• The Carnival of Debt Reduction was hosted by Simply Forties.
• Check out the Festival of Frugality at It’s Frugal Being Green.

Great Personal Finance Posts

• 33 College Budget Calculators for Students:  Budget Now to Reduce Your Debt
• Marriage – Joint vs. Individual Checking Accounts
• Should You Hate Debt… Should You Hate Anything?
• Find Out Where Your Spending Leaks Are, and Fix Them
• Manage Your Budget by Tracking Your Spending
• College Money Tip #17: Rent Some Textbooks
• My Experience With An Aggressive Financial Planner
• How I’ve Made Over $1000 with CashCrate

Photo credit: FotoDawg

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