http://www.myownhomebuilder.com Build your own home to save money and build equity. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:36:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Ok, so why would anyone want to build their own home? Well, I had never given it a thought until my wife and I decided we wanted to retire in the Texas Hill Country.  We spoke with a few custom builders and discovered that we could not afford a custom ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/why-build-your-own-home/ I just hate surprises, don't you.  I like to keep track of my monthly expenses and have a good idea of what I have to pay at the end of the month.  My utility companies do not offer bill averaging which is why I came up with this utility spreadsheet. It's ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/new-utility-spreadsheet-and-its-free/ Well it’s been awhile since I wrote and for that I apologize. But a bit of news from my father-in-law, Bobby, made me think that some of you might get hurt if I don’t provide some much needed information. Let me explain. I recommended a concrete sub-contractor to my father-in-law. He ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/caution-did-your-sub-pay-your-bill/ If you're going to build your own home and really want to save some money, consider doing some of the work yourself. There are several good reasons to do some work yourself, aside from saving money. The first and most important reason is you control the quality of the work. ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/want-to-save-even-more-money-building-your-own-home/ When budgeting for building your own home you should have a master budget for overall expenses, and a nice clean way to help you build a budget for your interior needs. This spreadsheet will allow you to plan each detail for each room down to the light switches. Although the ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/free-home-construction-interior-budgeting-spreadsheet/ Build your own home and gain some great tax benefits in the process. Read the related article here. If you are planning on building a home in the Greater San Antonio Area - Contact Me Before You Build. Don't forget, having the Master Plan Budgeting Worksheet is essential. Learn More ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/free-home-building-spreadsheet/ Loan to Value (LTV) When you decide to build your own home and need to borrow funds to accomplish the task, you will need to obtain an interim loan. This loan will provide funds to pay sub-contractors and buy materials. When you are done building, the interim loan is changed to ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/what-is-loan-to-value/ About Credit Scores When you apply for credit - whether for a credit card, a car loan, or a mortgage - lenders want to know what risk they'd take by loaning money to you. Credit bureau scores are often called "FICO scores" because most credit bureau scores used in the U.S. ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/your-credit-score/ Tax Tip - Sales Tax Deduction If you file a Form 1040, and itemize deductions on Schedule A, you have the option of claiming either state and local income taxes or state and local sales taxes. (You can’t claim both.) If you saved your receipts throughout the year, you can add ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/tax-benefits-building-your-own-home/ Another Reason to Build Your Own Home Another reason to build your own home is accelerated equity buildup. It stands to reason that if you pay less for the same house and it appraises for the same amount of money, your equity will be higher. Put in simple terms. You buy ... http://www.myownhomebuilder.com/increase-equity-build-your-own-home/