Couple Money Podcast: Build Your Marriage and Wealth Together

Looking to boost your savings without getting a second job? Nick Loper shares how side hustles can help diversify your income along with productivity hacks.  [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/Boost_Your_Stash_with_Side_Hustles.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. The Joy and Challenges of Side Hustles While there are plenty of people on the Internet talking about the magic of passive income and earning a ton of cash, I have a different take. When I say side hustle, what I mean is an part-time income stream that’s based on a talent. It can be your knowledge like tutoring or consulting, or it can be a physical item like a book or product. It can certainly be fun, but it’s work. My colleague Nick Loper agrees. Selected Links from the Episode: If you’re looking to start or build a side hustle, here are some resources to check out: * Being Productive as a Work from Home Parent * Developing a Money Making Hobby * Launching a Business as a Creative Entrepreneur * Starting and Building a Side Hustle with Fiverr Side Hustle Show Highlights: * What Side Hustles Are * How Side Hustles Are Flexible & Protect Your Finances * Tips to Find Time to Manage Your Income Streams Thank You for Your Support! Couple Money Podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Every tweet, Facebook like, rating, and review gets the word out. You can also become a patron and support the show. For a $1 or more a month, you can get behind the scenes access and extra bonuses. Know Your Numbers with Personal Capital This podcast is brought to you by Personal Capital, a free tool to not only quickly and easily track your net worth, but also analyze your portfolio.   

Looking to be financially independent faster? Learn how you can dump the car loan and find and buy an affordable and reliable car. [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/Get_Rich_By_Dumping_the_Car_Payments_.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Car Loans and Wealth Besides housing, one of the biggest expenses many American families have is transportation. While some cities have excellent mass transit systems, having a car payment can take a healthy chunk of your money. Auto lending topped a trillion dollars for the first time last year. The average monthly payment for a new car is just shy of $500 while used one will set you back about $360.  If you’re a two car family, your payments can be sucking your finances dry without giving you much. If you really want to become financially independent faster, dumping your car loan can be an effective way to ramp things up. Downsizing to one car might not be an option for you now, so you may be wondering where you can find a good car for a great deal? Selected Links from the Episode: If you’re looking to get rid of your car loan faster, here are some resources to check out: * How to Buy a Used Car (Without Getting Ripped Off) * The Man Who Gets His Cars for Free * How To Pay Off Your Car Loan Faster * Digging Out From an Upside Down Car Loan * Top 10 Cars for Smart People * Car Payments Are NOT OK Dump the Car Loan Show Highlights: * The High Cost of Car Loans * Finding a Reliable Car with Going to the Dealership * Which Cars are Hidden Gems

Want to go big with your finances? Joe and Kathleen from Stacking Benjamins share two keys to help you save half your income this year (and beyond)! [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/How_to_Build_Wealth_By_Saving_Half_Your_Income_with_Stacking_Benjamins.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” social_pinterest=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Saving Half Your Income Even though the year is already half over, there is still plenty of time to achieve big things in 2016. As we’re through the steps and different ways you can get closer to financial independence, we’ve gotten to the part where things go from incremental to big. How big? Like saving half your income I know you might feel like you’re already cut your bills down and you’d rather find ways to make money – don’t worry we’ll get into that very soon with some of the next episodes — but today we’re going to examine how you can start saving big chunks of money. The money you stash can then be used to: * pay off debt faster * grow your savings for emergencies * give your buffer to make a career or life change or, * invested so you can retire sooner. Joe and Kathleen from Stacking Benjamins have some ideas to give you a boost with your finances. Selected Links from the Episode: If you’re looking to build up your savings rate, here are some recommended resources. * Save 50 Course * Save a Ton of Money with a 50/50 Challenge! * Get Rich Slowly * The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement Saving Hacks Show Highlights: * Why Saving Half Isn’t Insane * How Mindeset & Systems Help Boost Savings * Banking Hack to Save More    

Looking to get closer to early retirement? Learn how you can save big before you buy your next house. Make sure it’s the right house for you!  [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/How_We_Bought_Our_House.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Finding the Right House House We’re doing the ten days to financial independence and something that has been repeated to me from those who have retired early is the importance of being savvy about three major expenses: housing, transportation, and food. We’ll go over the last two later this week, but today I want to go over housing, specifically how and why we bought our current house. Even though I thought we did pretty well with buying our first place, we’ve learned quite a bit in the time since. Buying a House Show Notes * How carefully we choose location * Creating a house budget * Narrowing down contenders based on size and layout Selected Links from the Episode: * How to Buy the Right House for You * Buying a House? Run the Numbers First!  * Why Home Inspections Matter Thank You for Your Support! Couple Money Podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Every tweet, Facebook like, rating, and review gets the word out. You can also become a patron and support the show. For a $1 or more a month, you can get behind the scenes access and extra bonuses. Know Your Numbers with Personal Capital This podcast is brought to you by Personal Capital, a free tool to not only quickly and easily track your net worth, but also analyze your portfolio. 

Learn how embracing DIY into your life can help you become financially independent. See how Mike and Lauren were able to travel and save more with frugal and savvy habits. [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/Embracing_the_DIY_Mindset_with_Mike_and_Lauren.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. DIY and the Financially Independent Lifestyle   One thread that I’ve seen with couples who are financially independent or well on their way is their DIY mindset. With licensed professionals charging $80-$150/hour, the financial benefits of doing things yourself can be huge. When you get estimates for car repairs or home projects, a huge chunk is usually labor. There are certainly times when I’d want a licensed professional to take care of the work. But what if you could take on some of the labor yourselves? How much money do you think you can save? What do you think you could do with that money? For Mike and his wife Lauren, they found that a frugal and do it yourself lifestyle allowed them to do more of what they love and move them closer to financial independence. This DIY mentality started shortly after they got married. While Mike had grown up building stuff, Lauren was a beginner. But that didn’t stop her from picking up some skills. Taking on projects themselves help them grow their net worth. Some of the money saved is going towards retirement while some towards more immediate goals such as traveling. Embracing DIY Show Notes * How DIY can save you a ton of money * Mike and Lauren’s first projects together * How they were able to backpack around Europe Selected Links from the Episode: * Ways We Save Money For Early Retirement * Does Homesteading Save Money? feat. BABY GOATS!!! Thank You for Your Support! Couple Money Podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Every tweet, Facebook like, rating, and review gets the word out. You can also become a patron and support the show. For a $1 or more a month, you can get behind the scenes access and extra bonuses. Know Your Numbers with Personal Capital This podcast is brought to you by Personal Capital, a free tool to not only quickly and easily track your net worth, but also analyze your portfolio. 

Learn how being open about money helped Mark and Lauren Greutman from I Am THAT Lady go they went from $40,000 in debt and juggling credit cards to living debt free.  [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/How_to_Open_Up_About_Money_and_Transform_Your_Finances_and_Marriage_with_Mark_and_Lauren_Greutman.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Learning to Be Open About Money A few years back Lauren and Mark Gruetman seemed to be doing pretty well – big house, nice neighborhood, and awesome family. But their finances were saying a different story –  they were becoming more dependent on their credit cards to maintain their lifestyle. When they finally sat down and looked at the numbers, the Greutmans discovered that had about $40,000 of credit card debt. Besides the overspending, though, there was another danger to Mark & Lauren’s finances and marriage. Mark and Lauren weren’t talking about money. Like so many couples, avoiding the issue seemed less stressful. But with the finances pushed to their limits, they decided to own up to the reality of their sticky situation. Opening About Money Show Notes * When Mark and Lauren realized the needed to change * What Mark did that helped their marriage * How the two of them slashed their bills and built a business Selected Links from the Episode: * The Gruetman’s story and transformation Thank You for Your Support! Couple Money Podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Every tweet, Facebook like, rating, and review gets the word out. You can also become a patron and support the show. For a $1 or more a month, you can get behind the scenes access and extra bonuses. Know Your Numbers with Personal Capital This podcast is brought to you by Personal Capital, a free tool to not only quickly and easily track your net worth, but also analyze your portfolio. 

Financial infidelity can ruin your finances and marriage. Tai and Talaat from His and Her Money share how they worked through it and how you two can be a team again.   Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Financial Infidelity and Marriage Financial infidelity can be devastating to your relationship and money. A recent survey found that 6% of Americans keep a secret bank account or credit card from their spouse. One in five in that survey said they spent $500 or more without their spouse knowing. There are different reasons for someone to have these accounts or spend their money, but if you want to work through this and keep your marriage, it’s going to take some work. You have to address the root cause and come up with a way to reestablish the trust. Tai and Talaat went through this as they were planning their wedding. Overcoming Financial Infidelity Show Notes In case you’re pressed for time, here are some big highlights from the show: * How Tai Discovered Talaat’s Secret Debt * How and Why They Decided to Be on the Same Team * How They Created a Financial System That Works for Both of Them Thank You for Your Support! Couple Money Podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Every tweet, Facebook like, rating, and review gets the word out. You can also become a patron and support the show. For a $1 or more a month, you can get behind the scenes access and extra bonuses. Know Your Numbers with Personal Capital This podcast is brought to you by Personal Capital, a free tool to not only quickly and easily track your net worth, but also analyze your portfolio.  Selected Links from the Episode: * Know Your Numbers

Want to be financially independent, but have a ton of debt? Learn how Brian from Debt Discipline and his family worked to dump over $109,000 of debt and become financially free! [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/Know_and_Own_Your_Numbers_with_Debt_Discipline.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. 10 Days and Many Ways to Financial Independence Financial Independence – sounds good, right? It can mean more options or maybe a sense of security, but the road to it can be bumpy.  Depending on where you’re starting it can be hard to imagine getting to that point. That’s why over the next ten episodes, we’ll look at the steps to becoming financially independent. We’ll be hearing from past guests and sharing some extra stories that haven’t been released on the podcast before. Each couple has had to struggle with different obstacles and figure out a strategy that made sense to them, but there are a few principles that have helped. One of the big and first steps is knowing and owning up to your number, but as Brian and his wife discovered a few years ago, it’s not always pretty. With their five credit cards maxed out, the couple were over $100,000 in debt! Having Debt Discipline Show Notes In case you’re pressed for time, here are some big highlights from the show: * What Was the Breaking Point for Brian and His Wife * How He Got His Numbers and His Tool of Choice * Where They Saved on Their Expenses * Tapping into a Local Resource to Get Help with Credit Cards Thank You for Your Support! Couple Money Podcast is made possible because of listeners like you. Every tweet, Facebook like, rating, and review gets the word out. You can also become a patron and support the show. For a $1 or more a month, you can get behind the scenes access and extra bonuses. Know Your Numbers with Personal Capital This podcast is brought to you by Personal Capital, a free tool to not only quickly and easily track your net worth, but also analyze your portfolio.  Selected Links from the Episode: * Debt Discipline * Tracking Your Spending Quickly and Easily

Laura D. Adams, senior insurance analyst at Insurance Quotes, shares how millennials can protect themselves with renters insurance, the surprising benefits you can get, and how to find the best deals.  [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/How_to_Protect_Yourself_with_Renters_Insurance_with_Laura_Adams.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” social_pinterest=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Renters Insurance and Millennials Lately we’ve had some episodes about home ownership. Part of it it’s the time of the year to buy & sell and part of it is personal as we just got a new house. But not everyone needs or wants to buy a house. According to insuranceQuotes recent survey, 66% of millennials rent their homes. The bad news is that less than one-third of them have renters insurance. That’s a huge financial risk. Laura D. Adams is on the podcast to offer some wonderful tips. In this episode, we get into: * why you should have renters insurance * the surprising benefits of renters insurance * how you can find the best deal on your insurance. Hope you enjoy! Resources on Renters Insurance If you want to find out more about how renters insurance works or how to get covered, here are some links to check out. * Renters Insurance 101 * How to Save On Renter’s Insurance * Why You Need Renters Insurance QUESTION OF THE DAY: How many of you are renting your place? Personal Capital This podcast is made possible because of partnerships. Today I’m highlighting Personal Capital. Personal Capital makes it incredibly easy to keep tabs on your money and they have plenty of FREE tools to help you build your wealth. 

Kimberly Palmer, author of Smart Mom, Rich Mom, shares tips and ideas to help you build wealth while raising your family.  [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/Smart_Mom_Rich_Mom_with_Kim_Palmer.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcastvia iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use  with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Raising a Family While Building Wealth Taking care of your family and finances can be tough. Even with automating some of the essentials, the two of you need still need some way to stay on top of things. You want to also make sure you’re also prepared for when things come up. But where do you start? And how do you keep from drowning in the details? Kimberly Palmer, author of Smart Mom, Rich Mom, is going to help out today. In this episode we’ll get into: * what trait she discovered and admires with financially savvy moms * how to work together on your finances while still respecting your own strengths * what protections you need for your family I hope you enjoy! Becoming a Rich Mom Kimberley Palmer knows quite a bit about finances. She was the the senior money editor at US News & World Report for nine years and also the author of Generation Earn: The Young Professional’s Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back. Besides her professional credentials, she also has the practical. She and her husband have worked hard to care and provide for their little two ones and each other. As she began working Smart Mom, Rich Mom, her experience certainly helped, but she knew that solutions for finances reflect each family’s DNA so she scoured to find mothers who were financially savvy. Join Us for The Road to Financial Welness Tour in Raleigh Just a reminders for local listeners that next Tuesday (June 21, 2016 @ 5:30pm) Jason Vitug from last show is coming to Raleigh. Please come out to meet us! Get encouraged and have some fun. It’s at The Frontier  800 Park Offices Drive, RTP, NC 27709 All the details here. Space is limited, so please RSVP!

Thinking about switching jobs or careers? Jason Vitug, Phroogal Founder and author, shares how you can make smart money moves now to pursue your dreams.  [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/Finding_His_Road_to_Financial_Wellness.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” social_pinterest=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Finding Your Road to Financial Wellness Have you ever wondered what things would be like if you picked a different career or path? I think it’s natural to imagine how things would turn out, but what if you’re not just wondering once in awhile, but constantly? Maybe you feel like your current path isn’t where you want to go? A switch or even a break would be wonderful, but your finances are nowhere near ready to handle this transition. What do you do then? Jason Vitug is here to help. He’s the author of You Only Live Once: The Roadmap to Financial Wellness and a Purposeful Life. Jason shares how smart money moves can bring your closer to your dreams. Discovering Your Path  Jason’s  own road to financial wellness wasn’t smooth. Before he could chart his path, he had to step back and look at where he was at and where he wanted to go.  From the outside looking in, you’d wonder what was wrong. He was working hard for an innovative credit union and was in line to become CEO. Wouldn’t want that? But instead of feel excited and ready for this next step up in the ladder, he was wondering, Is this what I want?  He made the difficult decision – he resigned from his job and began traveling the world. During this transition Jason discovered his new path and came back home to create Phroogal a community  and resource designed for millennials. Join Us on the Road to Financial Wellness If you’re considering a career or life change, please pick up his book. You can also see him and say hi as he travels the country with his Financial Wellness Roadtrip. Click on the events tab to you can see when he’s stopping near you. And if you’re anywhere around the Triangle please come out to meet Jason Tuesday June 21! This event is about networking, learning and empowering conversations. This is not the typical boring financial education seminar. You want to be be part of this experience. The goal is for you to leave well connected, more inspired and better educated to serve your purpose, and live your dream lifestyle in this lifetime. I will be there along with Justin from Root of Good. I’d love to meet you guys in person! Look for the shy person with a recorder and mic

Learn how you two can retire early as Justin from Root of Good shares how he and his wife did it with three kids at home. Learn how to optimize your biggest expenses so you can build up your wealth faster and have more time for your family. Financial Independence and Early Retirement as Parents Do you have a millionaire next door? I discovered that someone in the next neighborhood over is. Just like Thomas Stanley’s shared in his book, my near neighbor has traits that have been made him able to retire early. Like at 33. And he and his wife are parents to three school aged kids. If you’re looking to not only building your wealth, but having more time for your family, please save this episode. Justin from Root of Good is on the show to help you start becoming financially independent. In this episode, we get into: * the three expenses to master so you can retire earlier * how to find a house that will be a home and help you build wealth * how simplify investing and grow your portfolio I hope you enjoy! Root of Good: Family & Financial Independence Last week Justin celebrated a milestone – it had been 1,000 days since retired in his early thirties. Besides being financially independent, what makes his journey even better – at least to me – is that he and his wife were able to do build their wealth with three kids at home. The good news is us is with his new freedom, Justin finally had time to start a new project. Resources on Financial Independence and More If you’re looking at retiring early or mastering your expenses, here some articles and podcast shows to check out! * Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint * Automatic Saving: Qapital * Free 401(k) Analysis: blooom * Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money * Seven Characteristics of The Millionaire Next Door * How To Score a $50 Car Payment For Life * Financial Independence and Parenthood Support the Podcast! Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! * Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share. * Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher. * Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together! Music Credit Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by 

Looking to make your student loan payments more manageable or want to get rid of them faster? Learn how you can consolidate and refinance your student loans and put yourselves in a position to build up wealth. [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/How_to_Refinance_and_Consolidate_Your_Student_Loans.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Consolidate and Refinance Your Student Loans Student loans can be a huge weight on your budget. According to what I’m seeing and hearing, it’s also becoming more and more common. I was reading a MarketWatch about 70% of bachelor’s degree recipients graduate with debt! Edvisers, a financial aid site, reported that last year graduates on average were each on the hook for over $35,000 in student loans. If you’re still saddled with a student loan, stay tuned because we’re going to try and lighten that loan. Jereme from Credible comes on the show to work through solutions. In this episode we get into: * the difference between refinancing and consolidating them * shopping around for the best deals * how to speed up paying them off Hope your enjoy!   Being Financially Savvy with Student Loans Student loans are a big business. It’s estimated that the total outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. is $1.2 trillion. Getting your student loan debt under control whether its getting the payments to work with your financial situation or getting rid of them as soon as possible can be a huge relief. Consolidating and/or refinancing your loans can be the ticket. I’m a big believer in shopping around to get the best rates and service so I like that there are companies like Credible that make it easy to hunt around from home. Once you find the best option for you it’s time to decide how you want to tackle this. With a hopefully minimum lower payment and/or interest rate, you may be able to get rid of your loans sooner.

Love your smartphone, but hate how much you have to pay? Learn how innovators like Republic Wireless use technology to offer the best deals on smartphones! [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/How_to_Get_the_Best_Deal_on_Smartphones.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Finding the Best Deals with Smartphones Whenever I write about savings money, I make a few suggestions on where people can pare down with their bills. * Ditch the cable – check * Eat out less – check * Dump their cellphone – wait, wait, that’s not going to happen Americans love their smart phones.  According to a recent Pew Research Survey, 68 percent of adults in the United States currently own a smartphone, that’s a considerable jump up from 35 percent in 2011. And I get it – We both have smartphones. They are awesome and we use them for so much more than just calling. Hunting for Smartphone Deals The problem I had was the price. Up until a few years ago, we were paying $150/month for two lines. Between the two of us we’ve been on all the major carriers. Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T. We switched between providers to see if we could get better deals since the service and coverage for the most part were fairly equivalent. At least where we were at. If you feel the same way, I think you’ll like this episode because now there are innovators and competitors who are offering service at a fraction of the price you’re into. And one of those companies, Republic Wireless, is on show to share what’s going on with smartphones. In this episode, we’ll get into: * how technology had shifted and, * how you can save big Hope you enjoy! Republic Wireless and Refund Plans Jon Schniepp,  SVP Product Management at Republic Wireless, was kind enough to come on the podcast to talk about how technology like Wi-Fi and hybrid calling can unlock savings with your phone bill.  Hybrid calling has your phone use Wi-Fi for calls, web, text, and all things mobile. If there isn’t Wi-Fi available then your phone uses the cellular network. With so many Wi-Fi spots around the company is betting that it can help customers save money. They offer seamlessly transition between wi-fi and celluar so you shouldn’t notice anything when you’re on a call if you move between one and the other.  I’ve used my phone and have found it and the service works just as well as ‘conventional’ phone providers in my area. Smartphone Plans That Fit Your Budget If you’re looking to make the switch with your smartphone providers, here are some companies and resources to check out: * Republic Wireless * Ting * GoogleFi * FreedomPop

Real Estate agent Louis Guillama from Daymark Realty shares tips and advice on how to spot a gem in the rough when buying a house. Be a better home buyer the next time you’re in the market!  [smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/couplemoney/How_to_Get_a_Deal_on_Buying_a_House.mp3″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_pinterest=”true” ] Subscribe to Couple Money Podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, or copy this link to use with a podcatcher of your choice. You can also find me hanging out on Twitter and Facebook. Finding Deals for Home Buyers Every time I’m driving around Raleigh, I see for sale signs. According to Realtor.com, almost 3,000 are listed for sale and in the last three years prices have been rising. Right now the median listing price is $314k. For couples looking to score a deal on their first or next house, it may seem difficult. Fortunately, Louis Guillama from Daymark Realty is here to help. In this episode, we’re getting into: * how to decide what home feature suit you * finding a deal on your next place * how to see if a fixer upper is a gem in the rough or a disaster Your home is most likely the biggest purchase you’re going to make so it really does pay to be prepared before you sign those papers. Buying a House You Love Finding a house that fits you isn’t as easy TV makes it, but having someone experienced can make the process less stressful. Louis works at Daymark Realty which is owned by Coastal Federal Union. We used them when we were hunting for our current place. With Anita Oxford from the team helping us our we got a deal on a house we love. That’s what made me reach out to Coastal for this episode. Besides working with clients as a real estate agent, Louis also leads seminars for fir-time home buyers. But even with his technical and practical expertise, he still encourages clients to be involved and asks questions. The first step is knowing what you’re looking for. Besides your budget and location, the two of you should sit down discuss what features you need in a house. Your house is a part of your life, so plan accordingly.