How to Avoid Being House Poor (Even When Everyone Says You Can Afford It)

I was talking with a client about his situation. Good income, nice house, and every month still felt tight. Savings never grew. Every repair went on a card. Vacations kept getting pushed to next year. A friend listened to me describe it and said, "You know you're describing being house poor, right?"

What Happens to Your Family's Home If You Die Without Life Insurance?

A while back, a woman I will call Rachel lost her husband, Paul, to cancer. (Her name and his have been changed here, out of respect for their privacy.) They had two kids and a home and the same mortgage most families carry. What they also had, because Paul set it up before he ever got sick, was a l

How Lenders Actually Count Overtime, Bonus, and Side-Gig Income

A friend of mine, Jason (this is actually his real name, but I think there are too many to know for sure who he is), spent weeks fighting with his lender over money he had actually earned. He works overtime. A lot of it. But the lender he picked did not really understand how his income worked, so Ja

Can I Buy a Rental Property While Still Paying Off My Own Mortgage?

A friend of mine, I will call him Tom (and yes, you better believe that's not his real name), was about to move into a new home and had a decision to make about the house he was leaving. He could sell it, or he could keep it and rent it out. On paper it looked like easy money. He had built up equity