The first taste of living by your own rules can feel pretty liberating, but can feel burdening if your future plans keep haunting you in your sleep.

January 1, 2018, President Donald Trump’s new 7 year tax reform law became effective.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) 203k loans are immensely popular renovation loan products available to well-qualified borrowers looking to purchase either a fixer-upper or a home that just needs one or two additions to be “perfect”.

In your house hunting journey, you’ve likely encountered a property that’s perfect in every way — except for that one thing. Maybe it’s a slightly (or really) outdated kitchen, one too few bedrooms, or some minor to moderate termite-induced damage to the sill plate. Here in central Louisiana, wet basements are quite common and a home inspector will likely discover black mold and other allergens as a result.

Payments on your renovation loans really aren’t fundamentally different from a conventional mortgage payment. Each month, a portion of the monies allocated will go to paying down the principal amount borrowed, another portion will go to paying interest over the lifetime of the loan. A portion of the original borrowed amount will be held in escrow to pay the various contractors and vendors who are working on your renovation and construction project.

Buying a home is a major financial decision. There’s no doubt about it. You have to carefully consider your financial readiness, mitigate any potential loss in value if the housing market takes a turn, prepare for unexpected expenses (houses need care and feeding, too!) and, even after all that planning and preparation, homebuyers wake up in the middle of the night fearful they’ve made the wrong decision.