Some homeowners who can afford to pay their loans are choosing not to. Jeff Horton did a gut check. The 33-year-old information-technology manager had been dutifully making the monthly mortgage payments on his three-bedroom home and on a condo he rented out for investment income, both in the suburbs of Orlando. But he felt trapped. [...]
With the tax-credit deadline looming, our reporter decides whether to jump in now or bide his time. My wife, Christina, and I watched last year as home prices in Washington, D.C., seemed to bottom out, bummed that we couldn’t take advantage of the generous federal income-tax credits for first-time buyers because we didn’t have enough [...]
Owning their home free and clear would give this family more cash to cover tuition expenses. Our Reader Who: Rachel Aptekar, 46 Where: Davis, Cal. Question: Should I use spare income to slash mortgage debt or invest in a 529 plan? A part-time biology instructor at two colleges, Rachel earmarks $12,000 a year for her [...]