You know how whenever you move into a new apartment or house you always need something? No matter how fully stocked and functional your last home was there’s always a closet that needs a shelf, a bathroom that needs a rug, or a light fixture that needs a bulb in a different wattage. Well, my divorce is final and my (ex) husband moved out last weekend and I’ve noticed that I’m severely lacking some necessities and want to do some redecorating for a fresh start.

Since money isn’t exactly plentiful, I’ve separated my list into things I’ve purchased, need, and want.

Things I’ve Purchased:

• new bedding – sheets, pillows, bedspread
• silverware

Things I Need:

• towels
• lamps – bedroom and living room
• mattress topper

Things I Want:

• area rug
• bedroom curtains
• kitchen curtains
• artwork for kitchen and living room
• living room television
• living room furniture

What was on your list of priorities the last time you moved (or got divorced)?

Things I didn’t realize I’d need after a divorce

The opposite of MTV Cribs? The Anti Crib?

Either way, that house is adorable and we would buy it.

Is MTV Cribs still on television? Given the current state of the economy, do people still like to see celebrity indulgence? I don’t see it as fun and lighthearted when that lifestyle is so unattainable.

Are there any stats on how many celebrity cribs have been foreclosed on? Especially those featured on MTV Cribs?

Not that I would laugh at celebrity misfortune. Oh no.

Hahahaha.

Un-Broke: The Seth Green Cribs Edition

By now, most everyone knows the details of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit – if you don’t here are the basics:

• $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers or those who have not owned in the last three years.
• Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit if they have lived in their current home consecutively for five of the past eight years.
• Income limits are $125,000 for singles and $225,00 for couples.
• Qualified homeowners need to have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010 to be eligible.

When the tax credit was extended from November through April and my husband and I were thrilled at the possibility of taking advantage of the opportunity to buy a home in Austin, TX. Unfortunately, even though we were approved for a mortgage last summer in Chicago, qualifying factors have become more stringent and we were not approved for a mortgage when we reapplied last fall.

{insert kicking, screaming, and Nancy Kerrigan-esque “whyyyyyyy’s” here}

Even though we aren’t able to take advantage of the tax credit, an estimated 22 million did in 2009 and many more are in the process of reaping the benefits of the extention in 2010 – and we are happy for them.

Really. We are.

As we sit in our one bedroom apartment. Eating Ramen Noodles.

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First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit – A Sad Sad Story

I received my last paycheck as a salaried employee yesterday.

There are still negotiations to be had (like what the hell do I charge?), but as of January I’ll be a freelance Marketing Coordinator. I’ll be working in the same capacity for my current employer, I’ll just be billing them hourly for my services.

I truly did not realize the magnitude of this change until I was handed my last check. I instantly realized that’s all the money we have. That’s it. Nothing is guaranteed after I cash this final check. I’m confident that I’ll have a constant stream of work and I have some ideas to branch out on my own – but the anxiety!

Now I’m frantic to find a good accountant in Austin. I have questions. Oh, do I have questions.

How much do I set aside for taxes? Do I officially name and incorporate my one woman company? Does my blogging fall under the same heading as my freelance marketing work or are those two separate entities?

Anxiety. Hives. Panic attack. Trying to breathe deeply.

Freelance

I can hardly believe that less than two weeks ago we made the decision to move from Chicago to Austin and in less than five weeks we load up and leave. Some of you may have read that we were turned down for a home loan, so the past two weeks have been devoted to finding someplace to live.

We’ve decided on a rental just south of downtown Austin, in an area where we’d eventually like to buy our first home. Our reasons for renting are numerous and had circumstances been different, rent to own homes may have been another great option.

I’m new to this concept, but just like rent to own appliances, rent to own homes are a way to easy into home ownership with the help of an investor that’s willing to buy and lease a property. If you’re interested in this path to home ownership, RentToOwn.org has a large database of homes that qualify and step by step instructions to lead you through the process.

This is a sponsored post. Please see my site policy if you have any questions.

Finding Rent to Own Homes

My husband is working 96 hours this week in an all out sprint to save money for a down payment on a house, so I’m trying my hardest not to spend a single cent.

Six days till I can go grocery shopping – with coupons.

November 10 thru 12

The Debt Free Manifesto is taken from My Super-Charged Life because it deserves reiterating -and I totally hope to experience all ten reasons why it’s awesome to live debt free before I die.

The Debt Free Manifesto

1. You can spend more quality time with your family, instead of on the job trying to pay off things you enjoyed yesterday.
2. Your marriage is less likely to be marred by the destructive nature of stress and money fights, directly related to spending more than you make, month after month.
3. Through your wonderful example, your ability to teach your children a more responsible and sustainable way to manage money.
4. It frees up your paychecks to do other more important things like: saving, building wealth, and my personal favorite—GIVING!
5. It’s never cool when someone else owns the fruit of your labor before you even labor.
6. You can enjoy the additional freedom of not having to worship at the altar of the “supposedly” all powerful FICO.
7. It feels WAY BETTER to sleep in a paid for home, walk on paid for grass, drive a paid for car, and eat already paid for food.
8. Being debt free gives you more options in life, and opens up doors that society has told you couldn’t be opened. (Psst…don’t listen to them)
9. The act of becoming debt free neutralizes your natural attraction and desire to “need” more STUFF, or at least provides some restraint—until you actually have the money to buy something.
10. A survey done by Forbes magazine states, 75% of the Forbes 400 (the richest 400 people in America) said the best way to build wealth is to become and stay debt-free.

The Debt Free Manifesto

I can think of few things more devastating than being in danger of losing your family home. If your home is in danger of foreclosure, you need to explore all of your options, including the 2009 Loan Modification Guide: Saving Your Home From Foreclosure, a free guide featuring foreclosure advise and ways of saving your home.

When you sign up for a free guide, you’ll also be put in contact with a professional that an help answer any questions about your housing situation. The site also recommends some great, common sense advise for getting back in the good graces of your lender a detailed explanation of loan modifications and other foreclosure help.

Remember, it’s up to you to do your research and save your home from foreclosure, so make sure you explore this, and other options.

2009 Loan Modification Guide

My husband and I have been looking at a lot of houses online, but we’ve yet to request a showing. We’re a little timid about the whole home ownership process and frankly, some of the photos of the homes in our price range are so bad we’re afraid to see what the homes look like in person. Some of the real estate agents and home sellers definitely need to watch some HGTV and take a look at the 101 Home Selling and Staging Tips to spruce these homes up before they put them on the market!

The Energized Seller has a really cute contest going on where you can submit your funny or scary pet pictures of your furry friends that you wouldn’t leave alone in your home to greet potential buyers during a showing. We definitely would not leave our little Oliver around. He’s so protective of our home and would give anyone who entered unannounced the stink eye and then bark till they ran.

Winners get their choice of a $500 Home Depot or Lowe’s gift card, which would go to good use when we buy our first home since we don’t have a lawn mower, garden hoses, trash cans, hedge trimmers, and on and on and on.

Home Selling & Staging Tips

My husband and I have been looking at a lot of real estate listings lately, trying to decide if we will be able to purchase a house this year and take advantage of the generous tax rebate.

One of the things we’ve noticed is that a good portion of the real estate listings are completely useless. Missing information, bad pictures or very few pictures, typos and inaccuracies that make us close the listing, never to consider the home again.

Realtors and leasing agents can increase their chances of people like my husband and I taking the time to look at their listing by creating a professional ad through Flyer Cafe. They can create a flyer for craigslist, ebay, Google and more using professional themes, with optimized HTML and printable PDFs.

I know having all the information on a home presented professionally and completely would help my husband and I in the decision to buy!

House Hunting