Category: Housing

  • Dealing With Financial Risk in Retirement

    In the last article, we looked at what I believe to be the greatest risk in retirement: retiring without a clear sense of calling and purpose. But I also mentioned some other risks—the financial ones. The Bible encourages us to take wise precautions as part of good stewardship to protect ourselves from the adverse effects…

  • Is This a Good Time to Upsize, Upgrade, or Downsize Your House?

    I was recently talking to a friend who is getting close to retirement and wants to downsize. He knows he can sell his current home for much more than he could a year ago, but he’s finding his target house hard to find and more expensive as well. He’s not alone. That’s because we are…

  • Housing Decisions and Financing Options in Retirement

    We discussed paying off the mortgage and home equity in the last article and how our house decisions are both financial and emotional, and very personal. There’s also a spiritual component. We want to seek God’s guidance for any major home or home-financing decisions to ensure that we wisely steward the gifts he has given…

  • Is Paying Off Your Mortgage Wise Stewardship?

    Real estate and mortgages are very much in the news right now. The market is “hot,” and long-term interest rates remain at historic lows. Therefore, lots of people are thinking about selling—perhaps to upgrade or downsize. Others want to refinance to reduce their payments or to get access to some of their equity for improvements,…

  • The Expenses Side of the Retirement Equation

    As I mentioned in my last article about spending in retirement, this one is a chapter from my new book, which I plan to self-publish very soon. The book, which will be titled “Redeeming Retirement: A Practical Guide to Catch Up,” is targeted at the large number of middle-aged and older households who realize (or…

  • Is Purchasing a Vacation Home Wise Stewardship?

    I was recently asked by a friend what I thought about buying a vacation home, specifically a beach house. They said they have a relative who owns one and rents it out with annual positive cash flow. We didn’t have a very in-depth discussion, but I have been thinking about it since. Something that occurred…

  • Home Equity and Your Retirement

    Owning a house is a great thing. Mostly because we all need a place to live, and if you are fortunate enough to own your own home, you are truly blessed. Actually, among the developed countries in the world, a relatively large percentage of people do own their homes. The most recent statistics for the…

  • Your 4 Most Important Financial Decisions: #1 – The House Purchase

    I think it was Ben Stein who, when asked about the key to financial success in life, replied “one dog, one house, one wife.” You may see the wisdom (and wit) in that, but it may not be quite that simple. We make financial decisions almost every day – most are minor, some are major.…