Jami Van Den Bogaert

My clients and friends know I specialize in finding the best deals out there. Not only in real estate but in every aspect of my life. I got this way because before getting into real estate I really hated my job and I would think "how many hours do I have to work to get this item and is it worth it?". Now I love my career but the mindset just stuck with me. I thought I would start sharing some of the ways my husband and I make our money go further to get us closer to our goal of early retirement and financial freedom.

One of the ways we save money is by going to the Palace Theater. It is located in Chesterfield Village in southwest Springfield. They are usually a month or two behind the release dates of the regular theaters but if you get in the habit of not going to the regular theater then you will always have something to watch and your savings account will thank you. Ticket prices are $3 which is much cheaper than the regular movie theater but we have recently discovered Timewarp Tuesdays. Right now on Tuesdays ticket prices "timewarp" back to the price they were when The Palace first opened. As long as they keep the promotion going all day Tuesdays tickets are only $1 for any show. Click the link above to go to their website where you can view show times. They only accept cash and Tuesday evenings and weekends get pretty busy so arrive at least 15 min beforehand.

Keep watching my blog for more money saving posts.

I recently listed a couple of duplexes and have really been thinking about what a great deal and investment they would be for a first time home buyer to live in. Take the one pictured for example, it is in a pooled subdivision and each side offers almost 1400 sq-ft, 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, a large yard and a 2 car garage. This one is listed at $169,895. If you plan on occupying one side you can get an FHA for 96.5% of the purchase price. Figuring a 5.65% interest rate the total payment including taxes and insurance would be about $1234.50. If you subtract the rent from your tenant of $675 per month then your total payment is only $559.50. You would have to spend $75,000 or less to get an equivalent payment on a single family residence and you wouldn't be able to find anything comparable to for under $110,000. On top of that you still qualify for the full $8000.00 tax rebate after closing. You might think you wouldn't be able to get qualified for that much but the bank counts the rent you are receiving to offset your payment. It is a pretty great deal and something I'm sure not very many people think about.