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Underwater without a Drop to Drink

Over the past few months, talk of the US debt crisis has got me thinking: how does all this effect me? As it turns out, more than you might think. Here’s how my little brain traveled from the hell-in-a-handbasket news from the US government to me trying my hand at refinancing my condo: Clearly, US (more&hellip)

Back to My Roots

I dislike when bloggers stop writing for a long time, then they come back with tons of excuses about why they’ve been gone. I don’t CARE what you’ve been doing – I read you for content so don’t preface it with a paragraph of blubbering about how you’re going to be better from now on. (more&hellip)

SF Saga: Finding Our Home (part 6)

This is the final chapter of a six-part series on my San Francisco Real Estate Saga, a months-long period involving countless house tours, sleepless nights, gut-wrenching decisions, and a total of three separate moves. The goal is to give people a sense of what’s involved with buying real estate, no matter the location or price. (more&hellip)

Tenant Drama, aka My First Mean Landlord Moment

RSRE is a site about first-time real estate. It’s also about creative approaches to real estate, since I believe real estate–if used correctly–can enable you to live an interesting and unusual life. From time to time, I’ll post stories from my personal real estate exploits, since I’m learning how to “do” real estate along with (more&hellip)

SF Saga: Perfection Discovered (pt 5)

This is the fifth of a six-part series on my San Francisco Real Estate Saga, a months-long period involving countless house tours, sleepless nights, gut-wrenching decisions, and a total of three separate moves. The goal is to give people a sense of what’s involved with buying real estate, no matter the location or price. In (more&hellip)

Homeowner Nightmare: HOA Dues On the Rise

Condos are appealing because they offer the promise of fewer headaches. You, the homeowner, are responsible for everything from the “paint, in.” If a pipe explodes, if your neighbor’s bathtub falls through the ceiling (Money Pit style), if there’s a termite infestation, it’s not your problem. A group called the Homeowners Association (HOA) handles it. (more&hellip)

SF Saga: Back in My Arms Again, But Do We Want It? (pt 4)

This is the fourth of a six-part series on my San Francisco Real Estate Saga, a months-long period involving countless house tours, sleepless nights, gut-wrenching decisions, and a total of three separate moves. The goal is to give people a sense of what’s involved with buying real estate, no matter the location or price. In (more&hellip)

SF Saga: Making an Aggressive Offer (part 3)

Happy Friday, everyone! This is the third of a six-part series on my San Francisco Real Estate Saga, a months-long period involving countless house tours, sleepless nights, gut-wrenching decisions, and a total of three separate moves. The goal is to give people a sense of what’s involved with buying real estate, no matter the location (more&hellip)

SF Saga: A Diamond in the Rough (part 2)

This is the second of a six-part series on my San Francisco Real Estate Saga, a months-long period involving countless house tours, sleepless nights, gut-wrenching decisions, and a total of three separate moves. The goal is to give people a sense of what’s involved with buying real estate, no matter the location or price. In (more&hellip)

SF Saga: Mad Dash Real Estate Hunt (part 1)

This is the first of a six-part series on my San Francisco Real Estate Saga, a months-long period involving countless house tours, sleepless nights, gut-wrenching decisions, and a total of three separate moves. In this first installment, we hear how I came to find myself in the San Francisco real estate market. Our San Francisco (more&hellip)

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