Saving money can be simple.  Here are a few ideas to help you build up your savings account, save for a family vacation, a college fund, or add to your home emergency fund: 

1. Sign up with your employer to have your pay direct deposited, then have a set amount set to automatically deposit into your savings. You won’t see it, so you won’t miss it.

2. Have a change or dollar jar.  When you come home each day, add your coins to a large canning jar. Save dollar bills instead of spending them and add them to the jar as well.  When it gets full, take your coins to your bank’s coin counter, deposit the money, and start over again when you get home.

3. Cut the satellite or cable tv cord, and go with streaming media, which can cost you around $20 per month, depending on your preferences.  Take the difference you would normally pay to watch television, and deposit it into your savings. Who needs 150 channels, anyway?

4. Instead of stopping for to-go coffee every day, choose one day per week to splurge, and deposit the usual cost of the four coffees you don’t buy into your savings.  

5. Get a library card and check out DVD’s and books instead of renting or buying.  Ask the librarian about the OverDrive smartphone app that allows you to check out e-books, magazines and videos.  

6. Have a garage sale after a serious “stuff” purge, or sell your items online, and stash that money away.  Facebook Marketplace and selling apps make it easy to make money while cleaning out.

7. Sign up with a rebate shopping website like Ebates or Ibotta, and have the rebates sent to your PayPal account, and think of it as a no-interest savings account.

8. Stash about twenty dollars a month using online banking.  You’ve balanced your checking account, and you have a $327.58. Transfer $17.58 to your savings.

9. Once a loan or credit card balance is paid off, add the payment amount you would normally make to your savings.

10. If you use coupons or a loyalty card while grocery shopping, look for “You saved $X today!” on your receipt, and squirrel away that total in your savings. 

A few dollars here or a handful of change there doesn’t sound like a lot of savings, but it truly adds up.  Once you develop a routine, saving becomes second nature.  Checking in on the balance monthly will encourage you to continue adding to your savings hoard. Once you meet your savings goal, increase it and keep saving! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: National Debt Relief

In 1968, mortgage rates were 8.5%. The next year, rates went down to 7%. Homeowners could buy a 15-20% larger home for the same payments if they could find someone to assume their mortgage.

FHA and VA mortgages were very popular in certain price ranges and they allowed anyone to assume the mortgage regardless of the credit. If you could find a person to take over your note, you were free to qualify for another mortgage.

In October 1981, mortgage rates reached 18.63%. A $250,000 mortgage had a monthly principal and interest payment of $3,896.46. As astronomical as that rate sounds, people were still buying homes and were good investments.

Four years later, they were still over 12%. The monthly payment was $2,571.53. Believe it or not, people were excited to be paying only 2/3 what they had to pay a few years earlier.

Fast forward to late 1991 when the rates went below 9% and that same payment was to $2,015.16. At the turn of the 21st century, rates were 8.15% and that made the payment $1,860.62. Not much change in rates during that decade.

If we look around the housing bubble, late 2008, the rates were 6.04% and the payment was $1,505.31. By 2009, mortgage rates had fallen below 5%. The lowest mortgage rate was 3.31% on November 2012 with a payment of $1,096.27.

Rates fluctuated for the next few years until now, and most of the experts are expecting them to be above 5% by the end of 2018.  Rates have increased each week for the last six weeks to 4.38% with payments of $1,240.12.

The average mortgage rate for the past 47 years is a little over 8%. The real estate and mortgage markets are cyclical. Rates have been historically low for a long period but will probably continue to rise. Most buyers don’t pay cash and mortgages enable them to purchase now. Based on history, even 8% would be an excellent rate. Until it reaches that point again, everything lower is a bargain.

By: PatZaby.com

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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February 24, 2018 – February 25, 2018

Location: Downtown Orlando – Lake Eola
512 E Washington St, Orlando, FL 32801

Saturday: 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM

The annual Downtown Food & Wine Festival is back for its 10^th appearance at Lake Eola Park.  Enjoy more than 30 of Orlando’s premier restaurants paired with wines from around the world, while rocking out to live music.  For more information, click here.

Purchase Tickets Here

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: downtownfoodandwinefest.radio.com

The Windermere Real Estate Market Trends Report shows the average sales price was $749,291 in January 2018 compared to $668,452 in January 2017. Homes were on the market for an average of 107 days compared to 106 days last year. Homes sold for 97% of the list price.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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The Kissimmee Real Estate Market Trends Report for 34741 shows 37 homes sold in January 2018 up from 28 in January 2017. The average sales price was $184,767 compared to $174,529 in January 2017 and homes were on the market an average of 50 days, up from 39 days in January 2017.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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The Celebration Real Estate Market Trends Report for 34747 shows 100 homes sold in January 2018 compared to 79 in January 2017. The average sales price was $293,495 compared to $309,143 in January 2017 and homes were on the market an average of 111 days, compared to 91 days in January 2017.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Monday, February 12, 2018

The Plaza Live Orlando
425 N. Bumby Ave.
Orlando, FL 32803

Doors: 6:30 PM / Show: 7:30 PM

All ages welcome!

$20.00 – $40.00

Purchase Tickets Here

An evening of iconic American music by one of the most indelible composers of the twentieth century, George Gershwin.  Nearly a century after the songs were composed, Gershwin’s music remains as fresh and irresistible as it did during the Jazz Age. His poetic melodies and eclectic oeuvre of everything including Broadway, Hollywood, opera and classic American standards have left a legacy audiences love to hear again and again.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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The new tax law doubles the standard deduction and it is estimated that over 90% of taxpayers will elect to use it. However, even without considering tax benefits, homeownership has convincing advantages.

Besides the personal and social reasons for owning a home, one of the most compelling is that it is cheaper. Principal reduction and appreciation are powerful dynamics that reduce the effective cost of housing.

Amortized loans apply a specific amount of each payment to the principal amount owed to retire the loan over the term. Some people consider it a forced savings account; when the payment is made, the unpaid balance is reduced.

The price of homes going up over time is appreciation. While there are lots of variables and it is not guaranteed, it is easy to research the history of an area and make predictions based on supply and demand.

Interest rates are still low and can be locked-in for 30 years. Without considering the tax benefits at all, the appreciation and the amortization dramatically affect the “real” cost of owning a home.

Consider a $250,000 home that appreciates at 2% a year for the next seven years instead of paying $2,000 a month in rent. In the example, the payment is less than the rent being paid even including the property tax and insurance.

When you factor in the monthly principal reduction and appreciation and consider additional owner expenses like maintenance and possible homeowners association, the net cost of housing is considerably lower than the rent. In this example, reduced cost in the first year alone is more than the down payment required on a FHA loan.

Based on the assumptions stated, the down payment of $8,750 could grow to $73,546 in equity in seven years. Can you name another investment with this kind of potential that also provides you a place to live, enjoy, raise your family and share with your friends?

Use this Rent vs. Own to make projections using your own numbers and price range. We’re available to answer any questions you have and to find out what it will take to own your own home.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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By and photo credit: PatZaby.com

During the last week of December, many Americans started making resolutions for the new year ahead.  Quitting smoking and losing weight always top the list, and other promises people make to themselves are saving money, taking time to relax, or reading 100 books. Well, if you’ve gotten a little slack already, help is on the way, thanks to our smartphones!

• If you’re tracking your general health, sleep, and how many steps you’re taking daily, use your Health iPhone app, or Google Fit on Android devices.
• Healthier eating is a popular goal, and My Fitness Pal and Lose It! help you count calories, and users can even scan products on store shelves for nutritional information.
• HelloTalk, Duolingo, and TripLingo are great apps for those who desire to learn a foreign language.
• Drinking more water should be at the top of everyone’s list, and there are apps that offer push notifications to remind you to down a full glass at different times of the day, and even keep track of your water intake. There are plenty of choices available for iOs and Android.
• Did you vow to become better organized in your business? Inc.com has several app suggestions to help you organize your schedules, notes, and reminders.
• Staying motivated and encouraged can be tough, but there’s an app (several, actually) for that! Use your phone’s app store button to find the one that’s right for you, from daily inspirational quotes to encouraging you to meet your daily goals.
• Smartphones can be amazing tools, but a distraction as well. If you planned to get better at time management, try Forest ($1.99).  Open the app, and a seed is planted.  Leave it open throughout the day and watch a tree grow and thrive while you stay on track.  Open a social media app or game, and the tree dies.  A bit drastic, but a fun way to help you finish a task.
• You’ve been skipping your book club meetings because, lately, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to read. Bookling offers an app that will motivate you to read every day, and will encourage the kids, as well!
• Breaking any habit, whether it be smoking, nail-biting, or overspending, can be hard, to say the least. Strides Goals and Habit Tracker is a wonderful app that lets you set up to ten goals free, set milestones and end dates for the hardest habits to break, as well as holding you accountable with notifications throughout the day.

If you’re not sure where to look, go to appcrawlr.com, search for the general app subject, choose your operating device, and it will use its search engine to find an app that will work best for you.  Whatever your resolution, there is probably a device application that can help you be a better you.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Photo credit: www.itworld.com