Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

So many people didn't plan for the ultimate goal (of a Home). The ultimate goal in my opinion is to pay off your house. Pay off your house before you retire so you can retire well.

So many people used their house for a bank. They used their house to pay for vacations, cars, credit cards. Instead of saving money to pay for college, weddings, or housing updates many people just kept taking out new mortgages for more money or taking out home equity loans. They are learning the hard way right now. So take the lessons they learned the hard way.

DONT' DO IT. DON'T USE YOUR HOUSE AS A BANK. There are going to be so many people that won't have a house in their retirement years. They won't be able to afford it. They will be renting an apartment. They will be looking for the cheapest place they can live.

Plan to live well in your retirement. Don't spend your future. The key is to live within your means. Ask anybody that has their house paid off how good it feels not to have a house payment.

Russ Ravary your Metro Detroit real estate agent

There are two ways to look at spending money on improving your home. First, look at costs only with every purchase. The typical result is a home interior or exterior that looks like it was done on a budget. The second option is to employ a professional to help spend money in the right areas. This option may or may not result in higher cost, but almost always improve the result.

One of the best examples of this is hiring an architect to assist in a building expansion/renovation. Although there is an added expense, proper planning by a professional can many times reduce costs in other areas. If a redo can be avoided by hiring a professional first, that can save both time and money.

Professional Home Staging and Interior or Exterior ReDesign is another great example of getting good advise early in the process. Whether you are preparing to sell your home or just add some new life to a tired space, companies like ReStaged2Sell can improve your results.

Nearly all homeowners and real estate professional know the best time to stage a home for sale is before it is even listed. Either way, home staging is proven to get more and better offers in nearly all market conditions.

Bottom line is spend your money wisely and the end product will leave you feeling good about the investment!