About eight years ago, if you were a Bargaineering reader, you were treated to a series of posts in which I talked about the home buying process. Until that point, it was one of the biggest financial decisions of our life and it looks like we’re going to take the next step.

We’ve been looking at homes on and off for fun the last few months, going to open houses for homes we liked, and just being casual. This past weekend, we started looking at them more seriously with our realtor friend (Christina Elliott at her firm Cornerstone Real Estate) and I was wondering what we could do with the home we’re in now.

One of the options is to keep this house and rent it out. So, I turned to my friend Josh, who happens to run BiggerPockets, easily one of the largest real estate investment sites out there. We talked about it briefly on the phone but I thought it would be so much better if he wrote a guest post about it. So here it is!

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Did you grow up in a neighborhood where there was a “haunted” house? You know, the house that everyone knew about that usually had an overgrown yard and broken windows? The house that sat empty for years except for the teenagers that frequented it for weekend parties or the younger kids who dared one another to go into the house at night?

This type of house was a hot ticket around Halloween, and kids scared one another with stories about what happened in the house and whose spirit haunted the house. You know the house I am talking about.

As a home buyer, you may hope that all houses with sordid histories are so easy to identify, but the problem is that they often look as nice or nicer than the other houses in the neighborhood.

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One of the more interesting real estate trends right now is the tiny house. These are little houses that are often as small as 65 square feet, and can be up to 874 square feet. These tiny houses try to make maximum use of the small space, creating livable spaces that don’t take up much room.

On top of that, many tiny houses are built on trailers, so they can be wheeled around. It’s also possible, with a tiny house, to live off the grid. As you might expect, tiny houses are favorite dwellings for those who are self-sufficient as well as those who are interested in increasing their levels of sustainable living.

However, tiny houses don’t have to be drab. Many tiny houses are interesting and attractive to look at. And, if you are really interested in it and creative about your arrangements, they can be just as great to live in as other homes — and give you a new perspective on what’s really important in life. You don’t need a huge house Here are 5 cool tiny houses:
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Finance blogs often explore how customers can save money on cable or even cut their cable, and while this can definitely save money, making such a big change can leave some customers without their favorite shows. Those who want to watch a number of sports on television or watch specific regional teams have few alternatives.

So if you don’t want to cut your cable and just want to know what packages are out there so you can try to negotiate for a better offer, we’ve put together some of the current promotions available from some of the largest carriers. If you have one of these competitors in your area, check out their regional offer and see if you can get your current provider to match it. If they won’t, switch!

And if you’ve previously cut the cable and want to have it again or you’re just planning to sign up, here’s a quick recap of what’s out there:

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Sometimes, bigger isn’t always better. There are plenty of interesting, big, and expensive homes out there. However, many of these houses aren’t totally unique. Indeed, some of them just don’t have the same “cool” factor that you might see in a home inspired by Disney.

Even though some of these homes may not be as huge or as expensive as other homes, many of them are fairly large, and they are also relatively expensive. CNN Money offers a look at some of the most unique — and the coolest — homes in the United States:
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We joined a CSA this year for the first time. When we learned that our share was not quite enough for our family of five, we decided to get another small share of a different CSA. Little did we realize that now we had almost too much produce! The dance to use up our produce before it went bad began. Now, at the end of summer, both CSAs are abundant!

While I have learned new ways to use vegetables, including many I have never seen before such as ramps, I have also learned how to properly freeze many of these veggies. Now, our deep freezer is full of local, organic produce that we can use throughout the winter.

If you subscribe to a CSA or want to take advantage of the low produce prices at the farmer’s market, here are some strategies to preserve them in the freezer:

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As part of the government’s settlement with five of the country’s largest banks, there is money available to help borrowers refinance their mortgages. The idea is that refinancing to a lower interest rate can help borrowers make their payments with greater ease, and the banks can meet the terms of the agreement.

“There is a long history of institutions settling claims to avoid litigation,” Dr. Andrea Heuson said. Heuson is a Professor of Finance at the University of Miami in Florida. Heuson pointed out that banks don’t have to go through discovery, and deal with legal fees, when they settle like this. “[This is] just another one of those solutions that involves some retribution…It’s a pretty good agreement, given the way institutions are taking advantage of it.”

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One of the goals that many people have is to pay off the mortgage early. Once you have paid off your consumer debt, it seems natural to turn your thoughts toward your mortgage. But is it always a good idea to pay off your mortgage early?

It’s exciting to think that you could “truly” own your home by paying off the mortgage. After all, who wants the threat of the bank taking your home away. Plus, there is pride in the idea that you have paid off such a large purchase. However, you do need to consider some of the realities of the current housing market, and look at your situation before you make that decision.

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