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• Mortgages and Retirees Don’t Mix

  By Scott Burns Q. My parents are looking for a house in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. They are retired. They are trying to decide if they should pay cash for the house. They have close to $620,000 in savings (CDs, 401(k)s, IRA) and are looking for a $200... Posted Jul 23 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• A Larger House Isn’t a Good Defense Against Inflation

  By Scott Burns Q: I believe inflation is getting out of hand and the dollar will continue to decline. So I am worried about my future. I am almost 63, have our house paid for, and have about six times my income in retirement savings and investments (not... Posted Apr 02 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print)

• A Retirement Expense You Can Control: Shelter Expenses

  By Scott Burns Q. Sometime ago your column gave information about what it costs to maintain a home--it was a percent of the value of the home and included utilities, insurance, taxes, etc. Do you still have that information? It might help many home buyers... Posted Mar 26 2008, 03:00 PM by admin with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print)

• A More Expensive House is a More Expensive House

  Q. Before we were married, my husband purchased a two-bedroom home in Houston in the late ‘80s. We married in 1993 and finished paying off the house by 1998. The house was built in the ‘30s and is showing its age (it has been for some time). I think we... Posted Jul 04 2007, 04:30 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print)

• Planning a California Home Sale and Move to Texas

  Q. Can you suggest the best way to minimize capital gains on the sale of my house? My husband and I bought a house in San Diego CA in 1975 for $65,000. My name was on the title. We made about $130,000 of improvements. He died in 1999, when the house was... Posted Mar 28 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print)

• Retirees: Have a "Good Times" Fund

  Q. My husband and I have saved for 18 years. We now have a substantial retirement. He has been the primary earner; I have worked on and off part time. I have recently been ill with a potentially fatal disease and recovered, only to sustain a broken arm... Posted Mar 14 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 13 comment(s) Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Travel, yes. Reverse mortgage, no.

  Q. My son-in-law's parents are urging me to take a reverse mortgage to increase my income so I have more freedom to travel and don't have to budget so tightly. I am 70. My house is worth around $200,000. I have about $200,000 in financial assets and no... Posted Jul 27 2006, 04:20 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Refinancing to a Fixed Rate May Not Be Beneficial

  Q. Two years ago we took out a 5-year, interest-only mortgage on a $207,000 home. The interest rate is 5.25 percent. We have been paying $500 a month on the principal, which is now $202,562. The home was recently appraised at $227,000. With rising interest... Posted Jul 06 2006, 10:04 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print)

• The Best Place for your Home Equity Is at Home

  Q. We recently attended a mortgage company workshop on "equity maximization" in which they touted putting the equity in your home to work earning income and building wealth. They recommended refinancing to an interest-only loan and investing your equity... Posted Jun 22 2006, 10:25 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print)

• Sometimes It's Better Just to Pay down the Mortgage

  Q. We have lived in our home for 15 years and have refinanced several times. About 18 months ago I refinanced to a 5-year balloon note at 3.75 percent, amortized over 30 years. The original amount borrowed was $193,200 with a monthly payment of $895.... Posted Mar 23 2006, 01:34 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print)

• Worry, yes, But Don‘t Overdo It

  Q. A recent article suggests that incoming Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke faces quite a challenge: "a housing-bubble-triggered consumer recession and deflation, exacerbated by foreign flight from the dollar and bonds." How should that affect my... Posted Feb 02 2006, 01:58 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print), Variable Annuity Watch

• Yes, You Can Have Too Much of a Good Thing

  Q. My wife and I have about $320,000 of investments. About a third of that amount is invested in two royalty investment trusts. One is oil-based, and the other is in natural gas. Even after the recent dunking the energy market has taken, we are still... Posted Jan 19 2006, 02:40 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Consumption Smoothing, Government, Taxes & Other Disasters, Home Ownership & Mortgages, Income Investing, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Paying Off the Mortgage Can Lower Your Tax Bill

  Q. I'm a blue collar guy who is sometimes overwhelmed by investing. So I am thinking of paying off my home mortgage. I owe $65,000 (the house is worth $125,000) and I have that amount in UPS stock. I'm uncertain about the stock market and the mortgage... Posted Jan 05 2006, 02:58 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Want to Live on a Boat? Go for it!

  Q. A while back you did a series of columns about unusual retirements, including living on a sailboat. My husband and I are avid sailors and have enjoyed Florida cruising vacations for many years. We would like to do more extended cruising. I am 54 and... Posted Dec 29 2005, 09:50 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• Don't Sell Company Stock in Your 401(k) Plan Willy Nilly

  Q. I retired from ExxonMobil in 2002 and opted for the fixed annuity instead of the lump sum. That decision has turned out to be a blessing in that I have avoided the constant decision-making and risks of managing the lump sum. My current income exceeds... Posted Dec 22 2005, 10:20 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Q&A (from print), Retirement