I jumped into the home buyers club back in the year 2000. It was something I wanted for my daughter and myself. I wanted a place she could grow up in and have her own room we could decorate and paint however she wanted.

I wanted that American Dream. I have been living it for twenty one years and three houses later. I think I am finally in my forever home. I made the move to downsize after my daughter graduated from high school. So here I am.

Owning a home is great. I just was not prepared for all the expenses that came with it. I am now an expert in it I feel. So when you look to find that home for you and your family make sure you know. It's a great feeling knowing you are going home to your very own place everyday.

We all know that nothing in life is a guarantee except taxes and death. That is not any different when you are buying a home. You will have to pay taxes on your home. Just know that most of the time that is worked into your monthly house payment. So when you are looking and estimating what it would cost you need to know that taxes will add to that expense.

Home insurance is another one of those that usually is added to your monthly house payment. It is much nicer to not have to keep up with one more bill. So yeah make that easier one us.

If you are not a do it yourself kind of person you may want to keep up with your Home Warranty. You usually will get a year of it at the home sellers expense. I have kept up with it the past six years I have been in my home. It really has saved me a lot of money. I had to replace my hot water heater. Not only replace it.....but it was previously a tankless hot water heater. It does not do well with our hard water. So I had to have it converted to a regular hot water heater. The warranty certainly saved me tons. I also needed a new garbage disposal, Covered. Toilet repairs. Covered. I spent less on the warranty then I would have paying it on my own. I even got the extra coverage that includes my refrigerator, washer and dryer. I'm glad I did because I am not a handy person.

If you do not have a warranty on your home I would definitely start saving some money on repairs. They are going to happen. It is nicer if you have a little cushion to fall back on when your air conditioning goes out. Trust me.

Of course you also have to think about the cost of utilities. You may be in a bigger home than when you were renting. Know that comes with a cost. You could see higher utility bills. You may want to look into the average monthly bill service that Xcel and Atmos both provide. They will look at the cost of service to your home and then average it out. You will basically be paying the same amount every month. It may cost you a little more in the summer and less in the winter but you get charged the same. It is a great feature.

Owning a home is great. I have definitely loved having that opportunity. It's just something that will cost you a little extra. Or at least could cost you extra so you need the heads up. It's definitely a win to have your own place if you can do it.

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