March ' 17 Mortgage Update

Principle paid down: $717.07
Interest: $265.91
Loan Balance: $84,635.89

The pay-off date is now September 2030.

We plan to continuing to pay an extra $313 a month to get used to paying a larger mortgage before we move, and to pay it off quicker since this is our only debt. If we keep it up, our pay-off date is August 2025.

In order to move, we are hoping to have at least $150,000 of equity to use as our down payment to allow us to afford our high cost of living area which is close to both our jobs and we both don't want to commute anymore than we already do.

If we sold our place today, we'd walk away with $150,3641.11... (assuming our place is worth $250K and we pay 6% closing costs). 

Which means we actually have the equity we wanted to move... which is kind of a big deal, considering this is 3 years ahead of schedule...

However, properties have also jumped up in price significantly.

It looks like a rough estimate says we can afford something in the $325,000 range and keep a similar payment to what we have now, but the range for a 2 bedroom in our area now is around $325,000- $350,000 instead of the $280k - $315k that it was... with nicer places at $375k - $400k... which on our current plan will still take around 3 years to come up with if we don't get a significant promotion.  :(

The long history summary... 

It took me $7,057.08 to get the keys to my condo and then I spent another $17,672.29 to remodel and repair it... In short, I was -$24,729.37 in the hole on day one...

• In 2009 I got the First Time Home buyer's Credit giving me $8,000.00. I also got to write off some of the property tax I paid in addition to taking the standard deduction. This gave me an extra $90.10... but then I had to pay an Electrician $95.00 to fix an outlet... I also got a refund from my botched tile job that gave us another $1,265.00.

• In 2010 I saved $1,087.00 on my federal taxes and $461.00 on my State taxes from itemizing my homeowners expenses. (This is what I received ABOVE what I would have gotten back with just the standard deduction).

• In 2011 I spent $12.97 at home depot and $72.29 on a kitchen door. When we subtract those costs from what we saved by living in our condo instead of renting, we came out ahead $494.04 (See Mortgage Update + Condo Costs December '11 for that break down.) We also received a small $70 refund check from over paid closing costs. We didn't Itemize our taxes in 2011.

• In 2012 we finished our Kitchen/Laundry door which cost us $103.24.. We also replaced both our glass slider doors which cost us $2,957.00... and repaired our dryer for $81.42....It ended up being $3,383.47 cheaper to OWN our condo than to rent an apartment on a monthly basis, (See Housing Costs 2012 for the break down) so even after we subtract the windows and other minor repairs, we still came out ahead $241.81 by owning our condo instead of renting...

• In 2013 we got $52.53 back from challenging my property taxes in 2012. I also refinanced our condo, costing us $447.00 up front for our home appraisal... but we got a check back at closing for $747.20 and a check from my old escrow account for $489.74... We also got to skip a mortgage payment too! In addition, they automatically lowered my property tax value, giving us a check for $86.77.. and we saved $5,191.81 by NOT renting a place (see Housing Comps 2013)!! Additionally we ITEMIZED our taxes in 2013, saving $702.45 on a federal taxes and $503.74 on our State Taxes. (Again, this is difference we saved by itemizing our taxes, instead of taking the standard deduction -- which we could only do because we owned our condo).

• In 2014 we did a few home repairs totaling $976.00... but even with those factored in, we still saved $3,119.04 living here instead of renting an apartment (See Housing Costs 2014 ) For 2014 we spent $14,172.96 to live in our condo, instead of $17,292 to live in an apartment. We also saved an additional $377 by itemizing and writing off our property taxes and interests.

• In 2015 we started to aggressively pay down our mortgage again. We also spent $359.26 to fix a few things around the house. Even with the additional mortgage payments, we still saved $1,045.74 by staying in our condo instead of renting (See Housing Costs 2015, which shows an apartment would have been $20,856 a year!)

• In 2016 we itemized our taxes again and got to write off our interest and property tax. It was these two expenditures that put us over the threshold to make itemizing the way to go, saving us $950.00 more than if we had claimed the standard deduction. Despite playing extra on our mortgage and $581 in minor repairs and a new front door lock, we still saved $1,986.55 over renting (see our 2016 housing update for the break down).

All of that "math" leaves us $3,274.84 in the green before we even talk about equity!

February '17 Mortgage Update

Principle paid down: $714.70
Interest: $268.28
Loan Balance: $85,352.96

The pay-off date is now September 2030.

We plan to continuing to pay an extra $313 a month to get used to paying a larger mortgage before we move, and to pay it off quicker since this is our only debt.

In order to move, we are hoping to have at least $150,000 of equity to use as our down payment to allow us to afford our high cost of living area which is close to both our jobs and we both don't want to commute anymore than we do.

If we sold our place today, we'd walk away with $149,647.04... (assuming our place is worth $250K and we pay 6% closing costs). 

Getting the Keys...

It took me $7,057.08 to get the keys to my condo and then I spent another $17,672.29 to remodel and repair it... In short, I was -$24,729.37 in the hole on day one...

• In 2009 I got the First Time Home buyer's Credit giving me $8,000.00. I also got to write off some of the property tax I paid in addition to taking the standard deduction. This gave me an extra $90.10... but then I had to pay an Electrician $95.00 to fix an outlet... I also got a refund from my botched tile job that gave us another $1,265.00.
• In 2010 I saved $1,087.00 on my federal taxes and $461.00 on my State taxes from itemizing my homeowners expenses. (This is what I received ABOVE what I would have gotten back with just the standard deduction).
• In 2011 I spent $12.97 at home depot and $72.29 on a kitchen door. When we subtract those costs from what we saved by living in our condo instead of renting, we came out ahead $494.04 (See Mortgage Update + Condo Costs December '11 for that break down.) We also received a small $70 refund check from over paid closing costs. We didn't Itemize our taxes in 2011.
• In 2012 we finished our Kitchen/Laundry door which cost us $103.24.. We also replaced both our glass slider doors which cost us $2,957.00... and repaired our dryer for $81.42....It ended up being $3,383.47 cheaper to OWN our condo than to rent an apartment on a monthly basis, (See Housing Costs 2012 for the break down) so even after we subtract the windows and other minor repairs, we still came out ahead $241.81 by owning our condo instead of renting...
• In 2013 we got $52.53 back from challenging my property taxes in 2012. I also refinanced our condo, costing us $447.00 up front for our home appraisal... but we got a check back at closing for $747.20 and a check from my old escrow account for $489.74... We also got to skip a mortgage payment too! In addition, they automatically lowered my property tax value, giving us a check for $86.77.. and we saved $5,191.81 by NOT renting a place (see Housing Comps 2013)!! Additionally we ITEMIZED our taxes in 2013, saving $702.45 on a federal taxes and $503.74 on our State Taxes. (Again, this is difference we saved by itemizing our taxes, instead of taking the standard deduction -- which we could only do because we owned our condo).
• In 2014 we did a few home repairs totaling $976.00... but even with those factored in, we still saved $3,119.04 living here instead of renting an apartment (See Housing Costs 2014 ) For 2014 we spent $14,172.96 to live in our condo, instead of $17,292 to live in an apartment. We also saved an additional $377 by itemizing and writing off our property taxes and interests.
• In 2015 we started to aggressively pay down our mortgage again. We also spent $359.26 to fix a few things around the house. Even with the additional mortgage payments, we still saved $1,045.74 by staying in our condo instead of renting (See Housing Costs 2015, which shows an apartment would have been $20,856 a year!)
• In 2016 we itemized our taxes again and got to write off our interest and property tax. It was these two expenditures that put us over the threshold to make itemizing the way to go, saving us $950.00 more than if we had claimed the standard deduction. Despite playing extra on our mortgage and $581 in minor repairs and a new front door lock, we still saved $1,986.55 over renting (see our 2016 housing update for the break down).

All of that "math" leaves us $3,274.84 in the green before we even talk about equity! Like the wise always say, if your going to be in the same place for a while. It's hard to believe October will mark 8 years I've lived in this place!

Mortgage Update Aug 15

Principle paid down: $358.96
Interest: $311.00
Additional Principle: $1,723.17
New Balance: $98,815.10

The pay off date is July2032. March 2032.


We just knocked off almost 5 months (March is like a $20 payment) by paying extra this month!

This also brings us closer to our 5 year goal of moving and having $150,000 of equity when we sell. Right now if we assume our place is worth $220k and we pay 6% closing costs, well have $130,911.63 in 5 years. Only $19,088.37 to go and 59 months to do it!



Getting the Keys...

It took me $7,057.08 to get the keys to my condo and then I spent another $17,672.29 to remodel and repair it... In short, I was -$24,729.37 in the hole on day one...

• In 2009 I got the First Time Home buyer's Credit giving us $8,000.00. I also got to write off some of the property tax I paid in addition to taking the standard deduction. This gave us an extra $90.10... but then I had to pay an Electrician $95.00 to fix an outlet... We also got a refund from my botched tile job that gave us another $1,265.00.
• In 2010 I saved $1,087.00 on my federal taxes and $461.00 on my State taxes from itemizing my homeowners expenses. (This is what I received ABOVE what I would have gotten back with just the standard deduction).
• In 2011 I spent $12.97 at home depot and $72.29 on a kitchen door. When we subtract those costs from what we saved by living in our condo instead of renting, we came out ahead $494.04 (See Mortgage Update + Condo Costs December '11 for that break down.) We also received a small $70 refund check from over paid closing costs. We didn't Itemize our taxes in 2011.
• In 2012 we finished our Kitchen/Laundry door which cost us $103.24.. We also replaced both our glass slider doors which cost us $2,957.00... and repaired our dryer for $81.42....It ended up being $3,383.47 cheaper to OWN our condo than to rent an apartment on a monthly basis, (See Housing Costs 2012 for the break down) so even after we subtract the windows and other minor repairs, we still came out ahead $241.81 by owning our condo instead of renting...
• In 2013 we got $52.53 back from challenging my property taxes in 2012. I also refinanced our condo, costing us $447.00 up front for our home appraisal... but we got a check back at closing for $747.20 and a check from my old escrow account for $489.74... We also got to skip a mortgage payment too! In addition, they automatically lowered my property tax value, giving us a check for $86.77.. and we saved $5,191.81 by NOT renting a place (see Housing Comps 2013)!! Additionally we ITEMIZED our taxes in 2013, saving $702.45 on a federal taxes and $503.74 on our State Taxes. (This is what we would have owed had we not had our property to write off).
• In 2014 we did a few home repairs totaling $976.00... but even with those factored in, we still saved $3,119.04 living here instead of renting an apartment. We also saved an additional $377 by itemizing and writing off our property taxes and interests.

All of that "math" leaves us $2,292.14 in the hole. If we assume our home is worth at least what we paid for it ($120k), we have $21,184.90 in equity...

Leaving us a profit of $18,892.76 after 5 yrs & 10 months!

For 2015, we will again assume our monthly mortgage payments are going to be a wash since it's cheaper to OWN our home then to RENT an apartment. (Check out Housing Comps 2015 for how we figured that one out). So far in 2015 we spent $14,073.13 to live in our condo (including all the extra principal payments), instead of $13,904.00 to live in the apartment. This may be the first year we pay more for our condo than apartment, but I think by years end it will even out.

• Mortgage: $11,6536.13 (P&I, property taxes, additional mortgage principle)
• HOA: $2,420.00

 Currently we have a net loss of: $169.13

Mortgage Update October '14

Principle paid down: $332.80
Interest: $3337.16
Additional Principle: $0.19
New Balance: $107,560.80

The pay off date is June 2033. 

If I continue to pay the minimum on my loan, we will end up paying a total of $69,410.24 in interest over the course of our entire loan. 

Before our refinance, we would have paid $116,404.23 in interest.

Getting the Keys...

It took me $7,057.08 to get the keys to my condo and then I spent another $17,672.29 to remodel and repair it... In short, I was -$24,729.37 in the hole on day one...

• In 2009 I got the First Time Home buyer's Credit giving us $8,000.00. I also got to write off some of the property tax I paid in addition to taking the standard deduction. This gave us an extra $90.10... but then I had to pay an Electrician $95.00 to fix an outlet... We also got a refund from my botched tile job that gave us another $1,265.00.
• In 2010 I saved $1,087.00 on my federal taxes and $461.00 on my State taxes from itemizing my homeowners expenses. (This is what I received ABOVE what I would have gotten back with just the standard deduction).
• In 2011 I spent $12.97 at home depot and $72.29 on a kitchen door. When we subtract those costs from what we saved by living in our condo instead of renting, we came out ahead $494.04 (See Mortgage Update + Condo Costs December '11 for that break down.) We also received a small $70 refund check from over paid closing costs. We didn't Itemize our taxes in 2011.
• In 2012 we finished our Kitchen/Laundry door which cost us $103.24.. We also replaced both our glass slider doors which cost us $2,957.00... and repaired our dryer for $81.42....It ended up being $3,383.47 cheaper to OWN our condo than to rent an apartment on a monthly basis, (See Housing Costs 2012 for the break down) so even after we subtract the windows and other minor repairs, we still came out ahead $241.81 by owning our condo instead of renting...
• In 2013 we got $52.53 back from challenging my property taxes in 2012. I also refinanced our condo, costing us $447.00 up front for our home appraisal... but we got a check back at closing for $747.20 and a check from my old escrow account for $489.74... We also got to skip a mortgage payment too! In addition, they automatically lowered my property tax value, giving us a check for $86.77.. and we saved $5,191.81 by NOT renting a place (see Housing Comps 2013)!! Additionally we ITEMIZED our taxes in 2013, saving $702.45 on a federal taxes and $503.74 on our State Taxes. (This is what we would have owed had we not had our property to write off).

All of that "math" leaves us $5,788.18 in the hole. If we assume our home is worth at least what we paid for it ($120k), we have $12,439.20 in equity...

Leaving us a profit of $6,651.02 after 5 yrs & 1 months!

Even though we broke even at the end of 2013, I still want to keep track of how much money our condo is saving us each year, especially since we are hoping to stay a few more years. For 2014, we will again assume our monthly mortgage payments are going to be a wash since it's cheaper to OWN our home then to RENT an apartment. (Check out Housing Comps 2014 for how we figured that one out). For 2014 we have spent $11,743.71 to live in our condo, instead of $14,410.00 to live in the apartment.

• Mortgage: $7,106.39 (P&I)
• Extra Mortgage Principle: $14.52
• HOA: $2,505.00
• Property Taxes: $611.80
• Homeowners + Earthquake Insurance: $530.00
• Small Home Repairs/Improvements: $976.00
• $6.44 fix something under the sink
• $53.91 New front door deadbolt
• $87.10 Bathroom Faucet + Tp Holder
• $47.35 (Bathroom Fan)
• $155.20 (Attic Foil)
• $626.00 (Paint, Can Lights, Electrical, Ceiling Fan)

So far we have saved $2,666.26 by owning our condo and not renting an apartment in 2014.

Current Housing Market:
One-Bedrooms 

• Asking $220,000
• Listed August 27, 2014
• Sold: $220,000 (January 2014)

Two-Bedrooms

• Asking $239,900
• Listed 4/9/14 - $274,000
• Price Change 5/5/14 - $264,900
• Price Change 6/3/14 - $269,900
• Price Change 7/31/14 - $259,900
• Price Change 8/27/14 - $249,900
• Price Change 9/22/14 - $239,900
• Asking $248,000
• Listed 4/22/14 - $280,000
• De-listed 5/1/14
• Price Change - $272,000
• Listed 8/23/14 - $264,000
• Price Changed 248,000
• Asking $250,000
• Listed 8/19/14 - $250,000
• Asking $278,000
• Listed 5/8/14 - $265,000
• De-listed 6/18/14
• Re-listed 8/27/14 $278,000
• Sold - $228,000 (April 2014) | $241,000 (July 2014) | $245,000 (May 2014) | $255,000  (September 2014)| $265,000 (September 2014) | 278,000 (July 2014)

Based on the current market, I think my unit would sell for a little north of $200k as a 1 bedroom in awesome condition. I think $220,000 might be a stretch, but my unit is nicer than the current one bedroom on the market... even with all our "baby modifications." Two bedrooms have been sold from $228,000 -  $278,000 depending on condition over the last 6 months.

Mortgage Update Aug '13

Principle paid down: $318.52

Interest: $351.44
Additional Principle: $0.00
New Balance: $112,141.22

The pay off date is June 2033. If I continue to pay the minimum on my loan, I will now pay $47,191.62 in interest (plus the $22,233.51 I've already paid... totaling $69,425.13). The original amount of interest I was going to pay before my refinance was $116,404.23. 

It took me $7,057.08 to get the keys to my condo... and another $17,672.29 to remodel and repair it... 
In short, I was -$24,729.37 in the hole on day one...

• In 2009 I got the First Time Home buyer's Credit giving us $8,000.00. I also got to write off some of the property tax I paid in addition to taking the standard deduction. This gave us an extra $90.10... but then I had to pay an Electrician $95.00 to fix an outlet... We also ended 2009 with a refund from my botched tile job that gave us another $1,265.00.
• In 2010 I saved $1,087.00 on my federal taxes and $461.00 on my State taxes from itemizing my homeowners expenses. (This is what I received ABOVE what I would have with just the standard deduction).
• In 2011 I spent $12.97 at home depot and $72.29 on a kitchen door. When we subtract those costs from what we saved by living in our condo instead of renting, we came out ahead $494.04 (See Mortgage Update + Condo Costs December '11 for that break down.)  We also received a small $70 refund check from over paid closing costs. Since we tied the knot in 2011 we won't be able to itemize our housing costs so there's no savings there for us.
• In 2012 we finished our Kitchen/Laundry door which cost us $103.24.. We also replaced both our glass slider doors which cost us $2,957.00... and repaired our dryer for $81.42....It ended up being $3,383.47 cheaper to OWN our condo than to rent an apartment on a monthly basis,  (See Housing Costs 2012 for the break down) so even after we subtract the windows and other minor repairs, we still came out ahead $241.81 by owning our condo instead of renting... 
• In 2013 we got $52.53 back from challenging my property taxes in 2012. I also refinanced our condo, costing us $447.00 up front for our home appraisal... but we got a check back at closing for $747.20 and a check from my old escrow account for $489.74... We also got to skip a mortgage payment too!

All of that Leaves us $12,456.42 in the hole...

If we assume our home is worth at least what we paid for it $120,000.00 (Our refinance appraisal hit $150k so I think its safe to say our condo is still worth $120k), then we have $7,858.78 in equity.

Leaving us only $4,414.17 in the hole after 3 years, 11 months.
If we use our home appraisal figure of $150,000.00, we have $37,858.78 in equity, giving us a gain of $25,585.83

For 2013, we will again assume our monthly mortgage payments are a wash since its cheaper to OWN our home then to RENT an apartment. Check out Housing Comps 2013 for how we figured that one out (and those rental figures do not include us getting a pet 6 months into the year either and being subjected to a pet deposit and pet rent). For 2013 we have spent $7,269.53 to live in our condo, instead of $10,888 to live in the apartment.

• Mortgage (including additional principle payments:) $5944.47
• HOA:  $2,115.00
• Small Home Repairs/Improvements:$0
• Earthquake Insurance: $0
• Homeowners Insurance: $0
• Refinance Charges: (-$789.94) This is what we "gained" from refinancing after out of pocket fees. 

Saving us $4,408.41 this year by not renting.

If I sold the condo tomorrow, I'd have to sell the property for $123,995.10 to break even..

• This assumes a 6% total commission ($7,439.71)
• and enough money to refund the amount we are in the hole for ($4414.17)

Mortgage Update: July'13

Principle paid down: $317.21
Interest: $352.75
Additional Principle: $223.05
New Balance: $112,459.74

The pay off date is June 2033. If I continue to pay the minimum on my loan, I will now pay $47,191.62 in interest (plus the $22,233.51 I've already paid to date-- totaling $69,425.13). The original amount of interest I was going to pay on my first loan was $116,404.23. 

It took me $7,057.08 to get the keys to my condo... and another $17,672.29 to remodel and repair it... 
In short, I was -$24,729.37 in the hole on day one...

• In 2009 I got the First Time Home buyer's Credit giving us $8,000.00. I also got to write off some of the property tax I paid in addition to taking the standard deduction. This gave us an extra $90.10... but then I had to pay an Electrician $95.00 to fix an outlet... We also ended 2009 with a refund from my botched tile job that gave us another $1,265.00.
• In 2010 I saved $1,087.00 on my federal taxes and $461.00 on my State taxes from itemizing my homeowners expenses. (This is what I received ABOVE what I would have with just the standard deduction).
• In 2011 I spent $12.97 at home depot and $72.29 on a kitchen door. When we subtract those costs from what we saved by living in our condo instead of renting, we came out ahead $494.04 (See Mortgage Update + Condo Costs December '11 for that break down.)  We also received a small $70 refund check from over paid closing costs. Since we tied the knot in 2011 we won't be able to itemize our housing costs so there's no savings there for us.
• In 2012 we finished our Kitchen/Laundry door which cost us $103.24.. We also replaced both our glass slider doors which cost us $2,957.00... and repaired our dryer for $81.42....It ended up being $3,383.47 cheaper to OWN our condo than to rent an apartment on a monthly basis,  (See Housing Costs 2012 for the break down) so even after we subtract the windows and other minor repairs, we still came out ahead $241.81 by owning our condo instead of renting... 
• In 2013 we got $52.53 back from challenging my property taxes in 2012. I also refinanced our condo, costing us $447.00 up front for our home appraisal... but we got a check back at closing for $747.20 and a check from my old escrow account for $489.74... We also got to skip an extra mortgage payment too!

All of that Leaves us $12,456.42 in the hole...

If we assume our home is worth at least what we paid for it $120,000.00 (Our refinance appraisal hit $150k so I think its safe to say our condo is still worth $120k), then we have $7,540.26 in equity.

Leaving us only $4,732.69 in the hole after 3 years, 10 months. 
If we use our home appraisal figure of $150,000.00, we have $37,540.26 in equity, giving us a gain of $25,267.31.

For 2013, we will again assume our monthly mortgage payments are a wash since its cheaper to OWN our home then to RENT an apartment. Check out Housing Comps 2013 for how we figured that one out (and those rental figures do not include us getting a pet 6 months into the year either and being subjected to a pet deposit and pet rent). For 2013 we have spent $6,227.54 to live in our condo, instead of $9,527.00 to live in the apartment.

• Mortgage (including additional principle payments:) $5,172.48
• HOA:  $1,845.00
• Small Home Repairs/Improvements:$0
• Earthquake Insurance: $0
• Homeowners Insurance: $0
• Refinance Charges: (-$789.94) This is what we "gained" from refinancing after out of pocket fees. 

Saving us $3,299.46 this year by not renting.

If I sold the condo tomorrow, I'd have to sell the property for $124,672.80 to break even..

• This assumes a 6% total commission ($7,480.37)
• and enough money to refund the amount we are in the hole for ($4732.69)

June'13 Mortgage Update

Our mortgage is now refinanced... and since we didn't have to make a payment for June, i'll use this post to update all our figures to the new loan amounts.

Principle paid down: $0.00
Interest: $0.00
Additional Principle: $0.00

New Balance: $113,000.00
3.75% on a 20 year fixed rate mortgage

The pay off date is now June 2033...  which is 65 months (5.41 years) ahead of our old payoff date of November 2038... which was 10 months ahead of the initial schedule from our first loan. 

If I continue to pay the minimum on my loan, I will now pay $47,791.31 in interest (plus the $21,880.76 in interest I paid in just 3.75 years before my refinance) instead of the original $116,404.23. Refinancing is EPIC! 

It took me $7,057.08 to get the keys to my condo... and another $17,672.29 to remodel and repair it... In short, I was -$24,729.37 in the hole on day one...

• In 2009 I got the First Time Home buyer's Credit giving us $8,000.00. I also got to write off some of the property tax I paid in addition to taking the standard deduction. This gave us an extra $90.10... but then I had to pay an Electrician $95.00 to fix an outlet... We also ended 2009 with a refund from my botched tile job that gave us another $1,265.00.
• In 2010 I saved $1,087.00 on my federal taxes and $461.00 on my State taxes from itemizing my homeowners expenses. (This is what I received ABOVE what I would have with just the standard deduction).
• In 2011 I spent $12.97 at home depot and $72.29 on a kitchen door. When we subtract those costs from what we saved by living in our condo instead of renting, we came out ahead $494.04 (See Mortgage Update + Condo Costs December '11 for that break down.)  We also received a small $70 refund check from over paid closing costs. Since we tied the knot in 2011 we won't be able to itemize our housing costs so there's no savings there for us.
• In 2012 we finished our Kitchen/Laundry door which cost us $103.24.. We also replaced both our glass slider doors which cost us $2,957.00... and repaired our dryer for $81.42....It ended up being $3,383.47 cheaper to OWN our condo than to rent an apartment on a monthly basis,  (See Housing Costs 2012 for the break down) so even after we subtract the windows and other minor repairs, we still came out ahead $241.81 by owning our condo instead of renting... 
• In 2013 we got $52.53 back from challenging my property taxes in 2012. I also refinanced our condo, costing us $447.00 up front for our home appraisal... but we got a check back at closing for $747.20 and a check from my old escrow account for $489.74. 

All of that Leaves us $12,272.95 in the hole...

If we assume our home is worth at least what we paid for it $120,000.00 (Our appraisal hit $150k so I think its safe to say our condo is still worth $120k), then we have $7,000.00 in equity.

Leaving us only $5,272.95 in the hole after 3 years, 9 months. If we use our home appraisal figure of $150,000.00, we have $37,000.00 in equity, giving us a gain of $24,727.05.

For 2013, we will again assume our monthly mortgage payments are a wash since its cheaper to OWN our home then to RENT an apartment. Check out Housing Comps 2013 for how we figured that one out (and those rental figures do not include us getting a pet 6 months into the year either!). For 2013 we have spent $6,199.44 to live in our condo, instead of $8,166 to live in the apartment.

• Mortgage (including P&I, Property Taxes, MIP, & additional principle:) $4,177.44
• HOA:  $1,575.00
• Small Home Repairs/Improvements:$0
• Earthquake Insurance: $0
• Homeowners Insurance: $0
• Refinance Charges: $447.00

Saving us $1,966.56 this year by not renting. (This number doesn't include the money we got back from refinancing either).

If I sold the condo tomorrow, I'd have to sell the property for $125,822.29 to break even..

• This assumes a 6% total commission ($7,549.34)
• and enough money to refund the amount we are in the hole for ($5,272.95)

Weekly Spending, Debt Update & Groceries/Meal Plans 6/26

Here's our spending for the week:

June 19: $10.00

• Kaiser: $10.00 (prescription Refill)

June 20: $14.99

• Amazon Market Place: $14.99

June 21: $0.00

June 22: $0.00

June 23: $0.00

June 24: $15.14 

• $25 Restaurant.com gift card for $2
• $13.14 Vons

June 25: $92.50

• Fresh and Easy: $39.37
• SCB's Cell phone: $53.13

I had to renew my perscription this month and we finally bought those monitor mounts we have been oggilying off Amazon because I won a $25 gift certificate!(Now we don't have to worry about earthquakes or the very unstable card table the computer is living on)! We also scored a deal on a Gift card on Restaurant.com... we got $25 for Buffalo Wild Wings for $2 so my fiance will get to use this for his man's night out when he goes and hangs out with him boys before the wedding. There was also a HUGE discount at Vons for Mnt Dew and with wedding stress and his upcoming boys night... we decided to stock up. :)

Debt Update:

What A WEEK... Not only did SCB get work last friday... but he worked Monday with Labor Ready... and he worked one day with our friend installing mirrors in a hotel again... AND he earned $100 in a day helping to install crown molding. We also emptied some of the coin money we had and put it in the debt envelope.  

• Current Amount Saved:$1,287.00
• $213 left to go and 13 days until we are hitched!

So if he can get 4 days of work through Labor Ready we will pay off the debt before the wedding... We can hang on to hope... but we might pull the money out of our emergency fund if he can't get any work in because we'd just like to put this behind us and move forward without any obligations to anyone... its very freeing to think we are so close!

Grocery Shopping Update:

I hit Fresh and Easy solo since SCB was working away on Saturday. I picked up:

• 5 lb bag of Flour ($2.49), 2 one lb bags of rice ($0.89 each), 1 can of olives ($1.79), 2 cans of pineapple slices ($1.49 each), Alfredo Sauce ($1.99), Grapes ($0.99 lb, $3.28), frozen bell pepper blend (1.69), onion soup mix ($0.89), buns ($1.29), tortillas ($0.98), Granola bars ($2.99), Cilantro ($0.98), Salad mix ($1.99), Pepperoni ($2.49), Ground Sausage ($2.99), Mushrooms ($1.89), Tomatoes ($0.98), Onions ($0.98), Potatoes ($0.98), Fabric Softener sheets ($1.99), 2 containers of pepper jack cheese ($2 for $5 sale), 4 pack of vanilla yogurt ($2.79). Total: $45.39... minus $6 off coupon I got in my email, $39.37

We will hit Costco later today to pick up eggs and milk.  

Meal Plans:

Last week we were pretty good with sticking to our meal plan for the week... but we modified a few nights because we were either too tired or not in the mood for what we planned to cook... (but we made sure nothing was wasted or tossed out.) This week we will be really busy so we probably won't have a meat less meal... but we are planning 2 leftover nights instead. 

Sunday: Chicken tacos, (make pizza bread batches to take for lunches this week)

Monday: leftovers

Tuesday: work meeting (dinner provided)

Wednesday: Mexican Sandwich

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Pork chops, apple sauce, mash potatoes, peas

Saturday: Bachelorette party!

Weekly Spending, Debt Update & Groceries/Meal Plans

Here's our spending for the week:
June 12: $0.00

June 13: $30.82

• $30.82 (gas for SCB)

June 14: $0.00 

June 15: $0.00

June 16: $0.00

June 17: $0.00

------Transferred $50 to Christmas fund

------Transferred $143 to our insurance fund

June 18: $137.80

• Costco: $19.97
• Target: $58.39
• Best Buy: $20.64
• Fresh & Easy: $26.84
• Subway: $11.96

SCB needed some glue and a can of air to finish his computer so we picked those up at Best Buy with the cash my mom gave me last night for helping her with her work test that she needed to do on-line (I refused the money at first, but she insisted because it took 3 hours to do and she wanted to leave us with a little cash if we wanted to grab a bite out for dinner since it was late when she left and I wasn't able to start dinner while she was here).

At Target we picked up some gum, a box of cereal, a table fan, and a bathing suit. (We found out cereal is cheaper at Target than fresh and Easy and I've been having mad snack cravings lately so instead of hitting the munchies in the cabinet we picked up some sugar free gum to keep me occupied so I don't run towards the food and over eat and look fat on my wedding day. The weather has also been warming up and the bedroom doesn't have a wall unit AC so we picked up a small fan to help blow the AC into the bedroom since we've been keeping the house locked up more. As for the swim suit, we are planning a beach day before the wedding with my soon to be new family... and my bachelorette party will also be a little pool side at times so I needed a strapless suit that wouldn't give me horrible tan lines for the big day and that would also be appropriate for a family occasion. Found a cute little number that I'll actually wear all summer!) We took some extra money not allocated for the wedding to cover these.  

Debt Update:

With the unexpected paycheck from my Fiance's old retirement account, we were able to make a little progress this week. He also got work on Friday (10 hours working in that office kitchen again) but he couldn't pick up his check because Labor Ready was closed when he got off of work for the day. We will get that check on Monday and include it in next weeks total. He also might have work on Monday with with same people, but he won't find out until he picks up his paycheck because the guy didn't mark on his slip to come back (but he also didn't mark for the other guy to return either because they both had to work late finishing some stuff up.) So we are crossing our fingers for work on Monday. 

• Current Amount Saved:$959.00
• $541 left to go and 21 days until we are hitched!

Grocery Shopping:

We hit Costco this week and picked up a 2LB block of Cheese ($5.29) that we will grade up and freeze, 2 more gallons of fat free milk ($4.69) because we drank both last week, and a double package of deli meat ($9.99). Total spent: $19.97. SCB will make some yummy bread in the bread maker so we can have sandwiches for lunch this week.

We hit fresh and easy for the rest of our staples for the week:

• 2 jars of Alfredo Sauce ($1.99 each)
• 1 can of Tuna ($0.69)
• 2 cans of Tomato Soup ($0.89 each)
• Mustard ($0.89)
• Relish ($1.99)
• Hot Dogs ($1.49)-- Snacks for SCB... or a fast meal in a pinch
• Jeannie-o turkey keilbossa: ($3.79)
• Stuffing ($1.29)
• Granola ($2.98
• Salad bag (to mix with the spinach, cucumber, mushroom, tomatoes, and romaine from last week) $1.99
• Grapes ($0.99lb, $3.20)
• 2lbs Ground Beef ($2.49 lb, $4.98)
• Vanilla Yogurt 4 pack ($2.79)

Total:31.84 - $5off coupon attached to this weeks ad, =$26.84

Meal Plans:

Last week we were pretty good with sticking to our meal plan for the week (sometimes we ate different meals on different days). The only exception was that we didn't cook keilbossa because that was the night of my mom's test so we ended up eating hot dogs because it was easy and we both didn't have the energy.

:)

Here's our plan for this week:

• Saturday- Between the subway and having quesadillas, that will make dinner for us because we have church tonight.
• Sunday- Homemade pizza bread (our bread dough mix stuffed with mozzarella cheese, peppers, pineapple, mushrooms, olives, onion, and pepperoni for SCB)... then bake and eat... option, dip in marinara or spaghetti sauce.   Since the pepperoni is minor, this counts for one of our meat free nights.
• Monday- Grilled Cheese. We really liked this last week so we are having it again. :) Mine will be pepper jack and mushroom, SCB will be just pepper jack. We can pair this with a salad or tomato soup. Meet free night 2
• Tuesday- Pot luck bible study night. We are bringing salad to contribute, and others are bring the fixings for spaghetti (which is why we aren't doing Pasta like normal on Saturday this week.)
• Wednesday- Mexican sandwich night. (1 lb Ground beef browned and drained, add a can of drained kidney beans, 16oz of tomato sauce, red pepper and cumin to taste.... then you take a plate, put cooked plain rice on the bottom, add the meat and bean mixture on top, and then top that with your favorite taco toppings like diced onion, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, cilantro etc and eat with tortilla chips or a fork, or in a flour tortilla.)
• Thursday- My bridesmaid is coming over since shes now done with her semester so we will do burgers on the grill with fruit and a salad... or i'll make homemade steak fries to go with. 
• Friday- Shake and bake chicken, mash potatoes, apple sauce, and peas. 

Weekly Spending/Debt Update (May 17th- 22nd)

May 17th:

• No spend

May 18th: $6.91

• Chipotle: $6.91

May 19th:

• No Spend

May 20th: $64.00

• Marriage License: $61.50
• Vending machine at work: $2.50
• -----------$50 Christmas savings account
• -----------$143 Insurance Savings account

May 21st: $57.41

• SCB's cell phone: $53.03
• Del taco: $4.38

May 22nd: $69.46

• SCB's haircut: $18.55
• Fresh and Easy: $50.91

We used some "fun money" from South County Boy's checks for a couple of fast food runs for him this week because I was working some insane hours and either didn't have the energy to cook, or i'd already eaten before he got home so we just ran out and grabbed him something. This week we stuck a little convenience food into our grocery budget this week since i'm working 14 days straight so hopefully this will keep us out of del taco.

South County Boy also really needed a haircut since he didn't want to buzz his head like normal so he has hair for the wedding... so he popped out to super cuts to have them do what i'm not skilled at. I can work his buzzers, but I'm not savvy enough with scissors.

My fiance deposited a few more checks from 2 more days at Labor Ready and one night working with our contractor friend, bringing his debt savings account to $550.00!!!!! Only $950 to go!