Gerstad Builders Helps You Save ON Your Home and AT Home

Gerstad Builders is always ready to help you save on your McHenry County new home, but sometimes, people need help saving money while they’re preparing to buy a new home or after they’ve just moved. Actually, these days, most of us find ourselves needing to save money at home whether we’re in the homebuying market or not.

That’s because more than half of Americans have seen their incomes dip, according to a recent post on the Equifax Personal Finance Blog. Some have lost income because of a reduction in work hours, but millions of others have lost their jobs completely. Equifax reports that five people are searching for every job that’s available.

The Equifax post, entitled “How to Save More Money at Home,”  is authored by real estate expert Ilyce Glink. We’ve heard some of her suggestions before – such as turning off the lights in  your home when they’re not needed or replacing light bulbs with more energy efficient models. You’ll find several reminders on how you can save on your utilities.

Other tips are unique to today’s economy. For example, have you just purchased a home in a foreclosure or a short sale? You may want to contest the real estate taxes you owe based on the market value of the home. Even if you’ve lived in your home a while, if you can see that the value has fallen, you may be able to get your taxes reduced.

Another way to save major bucks on your home is to refinance your mortgage. Glink says that lowering your rate from 5.675 percent, which was the norm not so long ago, to 4.5 percent could save you $75 a month for every $100,000 borrowed.

Of course, if you’re ready to purchase a home, financing now while interest rates are at a 50-year low will help you get the home of your dreams for a lower payment. At Gerstad, we’d be glad to put you in just the home you need at a price you can afford.

Take a look at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog for more tips on saving AT home, and when you’re ready to buy a McHenry County new home, visit Gerstad Builders for ways to save ON your home.