Ryan Vaught's (rvaught) Blog

September 10, 2009 Buying the first house you like is not necessarily a good idea. If you don't shop around and see what else is out there, you could miss out on a good deal or potentially regret your purchase.  While you don't need to visit every home in the neighborhood, you should compare at l...

September  2, 2009 This is from a good article I found on www.frontdoor.comabout how you can avoid being in over your head on house payments if you are honest and conservative in figuring out all of your monthly expenses.  In all your excitement about the prospect of buying a house, you'll be tem...

August 31, 2009 Just because a lender is willing to loan you a fortune doesn't mean you should take it. Buying more home than you can afford can quickly lead to financial trouble. As a rule of thumb, your mortgage payment should be less than 28 percent of your gross monthly income. Besides your m...

 August 26, 2009 Ambitious first time buyer?  Want a custom home but can't afford to buy new?  Not afraid of spending some cash and possibly getting your hands dirty and doing some work yourself?  Like the neighborhood and the price but not the condition?  If you answered yes to these questions t...

August 25, 2009 On to mistake #7 of the 10 mistakes home owners make that can cost them.  Make sure to check out the past 3 weeks of blogs for mistakes #8, 9 & 10 if you missed them.   Yeah, so this example of a house...?...is extreme but it is true that fixing up a fixer-upper can be quite expen...

August 21, 2009 5 steps to finding a place where you belongHere are the last two steps, #4 & 5 to choosing a neighborhood.  If you missed the others, check out my blogs from earlier this week.  Hope these tips have helped you in your home search. STEP 4 -- Find the Clues Once you've done the back...

August 19, 2009 5 steps to finding a place where you belong Steps #2 & #3.  Check Monday's blog for step #1 on how to choose a neighborhood. STEP 2 -- Zero In on the AreaIf you're moving within the same city, you probably already know the various neighborhoods. Choose the ones that best match you...

August 17, 2009 Mistake #8: Not researching the neighborhood Week 3 of my 10 week series on home buying mistakes that can cost you.  This week we're looking at mistake #8, "Not Researching the Neighborhood".  Here's the scenario: You've just moved into your dream home but you didn't have time or ...

August 14, 2009 Boost your odds for a successful resale down the road with these four essentials As promised from Wednesday here are #3 & #4 In-Demand Amenities to look for in  your next house.  If you haven't read Wednesday's blog, start there to read the #1 & #1 in-demand amenities.   #3: Moder...

 August 12, 2009 Boost your odds for a successful resale down the road with these four essentials If you're buying an investment property, buying your first home or buying your dream house it's important to think about the amenities.  If you plan wisely and purchase a property with these followin...