Via John Henderson. Black Friday and Cyber Monday mean big discounts, but do you really think about how much money you’re still spending? Holiday gift giving is a fun tradition, sure, but so many of us use these mega-sales as an opportunity to indulge in gifts for ourselves: the TV, tablet, iPhone, e-reader, game console, laptop, or the espresso machine you’ve been eyeing all year. Buying even just a few of these popular Black…

Ah, the constant debate between renting and buying. If you’ve ever wondered what type of home you can afford with your crazy rent in DC, wonder no more. In this post, we’ve rounded up five homes in DC where — even with only 10% down — the monthly principal and interest payments are actually cheaper than the city’s median rent for a 2 bedroom apartment. Here are the numbers behind the numbers: ■ Median rent…

Photo by Todd Quackenbush. 1. LANDLORDS. There are few people in your life who will be a better friend than a landlord. They’re always there when you need them, they solve your problems quickly, and they do whatever it takes to make you happy. And, if they live in your building, they’ll even tell you in person if your music was too loud on Saturday night. Such friendship is worth every penny. 2. 1970s…

Paying rent sucks, especially when you live in such a tough housing market. But did you know it’s actually possible to buy a house here before you hit 30? At the end of this post check out how a newer, better lender is making it possible, but first, scroll through some motivational posters of a different kind. If this doesn’t make you want to buy, we’re not sure what will. We don’t bank, watch TV…

You’ve done everything right: you graduated from college, you got a great job, you pay bills on time, you might even have a 401k. But that nagging feeling you can’t shake? Yeah, it’s student loans. Always and forever. Or so you thought. There’s actually a way to save money on your loan payments, and the answer is simple: student loan refinancing. Repaying debt, especially on student loans, can really suck. But by refinancing, you…

It seems like a far-off dream, buying your own space in DC—somewhere out there with misty visions of backyard treehouses, vacations to Venice, and your hypothetical kids in tire swings. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be that way. To help squash those youthful misconceptions, we’re running a series with marketplace lender SoFi on just how you, Regular Person, can actually own your own home before the big 3-0. Three weeks ago: Saving…

It seems like a far-off dream, buying your own space in DC—somewhere out there with misty visions of backyard treehouses, vacations to Venice, and your hypothetical kids in tire swings. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be that way. To help squash those youthful misconceptions, we’re running a series with marketplace lender SoFi on just how you, Regular Person, can actually own your own home before the big 3-0. Two weeks ago: Saving…

It seems like a far-off dream, buying your own space in DC—somewhere out there with misty visions of backyard treehouses, vacations to Venice, and your hypothetical kids in tire swings. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be that way. To help squash those youthful misconceptions, we’re running a series with marketplace lender SoFi on just how you, Regular Person, can actually own your own home before the big 3-0. Last week: down payments…

It seems like a far-off dream, buying your own space in DC—somewhere out there with misty visions of backyard treehouses, vacations to Venice, and your hypothetical kids in tire swings. But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be that way. To help squash those youthful misconceptions, we’re running a series with marketplace lender SoFi on just how you, Regular Person, can actually own your own home before the big 3-0. FALLACY #1: You’ll be…

This post is brought to you by SoFi. With the spring home buying season well underway, DC’s already-competitive real estate market is even more cutthroat than usual. If you want to make that dream home yours before winter (which, as you may have heard, is coming), you’ll need more than just a ruthless real estate agent and a thirst for the power that comes with property ownership. A SoFi mortgage could be just the secret…