Zumper is Your One-Stop-Shop for All Housing Rentals

When my husband and I were moving to Connecticut in 2012, we needed to secure housing before we made the move from New York City.  Eight years ago, there wasn't all of the housing and rental databases like there is today.  We didn't have Facebook Marketplace where you could advertise an apartment or house rental.  There also was no localized town/state Facebook pages where people could share their rentals either.  Jay and I worked with a realtor initially and then utilized Craigslist where we found an apartment being rented from the owner.  It would have been extremely helpful and convenient to have an entire database at our disposal of housing rentals.

Zumper is used by millions of renters to find houses, rooms, condos or apartments for rent.  You can easily apply online for the housing of your choice too.  Simply submit digital rental applications and credit reports with Zumper's screening service, powered by TransUnion.  Zumper is primarily located in most major cities.

The website offers quality listings that are updated in real-time, so you'll always see new rentals on Zumper first.  Whether you're looking for a 1 bedroom pet-friendly apartment, or a 3 bedroom condo, you can easily find exactly what you're looking for.  Zumper allows you to filter by location, price range, bedroom count, pet-friendly, or amenity.  You're also able to set an alert to get notifications when a new listing is posted.  It's never been easier to find housing quickly and securely.  I know I would have loved a one bedroom apartment with a gym and a pool when I was renting! 

If you're looking to move to the Portland, Oregon area I have some helpful stats for you for their current housing market.  A one bedroom apartment in Portland, OR rent prices on average is $1,395/a month.  There are currently 1,889 apartments for rent in Portland which is wonderful because it gives you a lot to choose from! Of course, narrow down your specific needs to see what is exactly available for you.  If you prefer to live with roommates in a bigger apartment, you can get much more bang for your buck when the rent is split.

If you're curious about housing statistics, recent data by Zumper shows 46% of households are renter-occupied and 54% are owner-occupied households.  I was surprised to see the split was not that far apart! Once you make the move to Portland make sure to find out the best brunch places and coffee shops that will be closest to you.  Portland is known for fabulous brunches and delicious coffee.  You'll fall in love quickly with the beautiful city filled with restaurants, shops, and many exciting adventures.  Welcome to Portland, your new home!

 

Growing As a Blogger

My blog turned 11 years old this month.  When I think about that, it kind of makes my head spin! It really doesn't feel like its been 11 years since this blog began.

Let's go back to the beginning shall we? In December 2009, I was a 21 year old living in New York City.  I was in my final year of college and set to graduate the following spring.  I had been entering contests for the past several years and was extremely into giveaways and sweepstakes.  I won a contest through a "mommy blog" and was very interested in how this person became a product review blogger.  After reaching out to the blogger, she generously helped me set up my own blog with an exciting template and gave me tips on pitching to the media.  I was so grateful! My product review blog was born.

As the months went on, lots of products were delivered in the mail for me to review.  It was so fun to be able to test products, write about them, and interact with my audience which I was growing.  I also was able to do giveaways where one lucky winner won a prize which the sponsor shipped to them.  Another exciting thing was that as my blog grew I was invited to local events and even some conferences like BlogHer! It was fantastic to connect with other bloggers and network.  In these early years, a lot of what I did was trial and error.  I looked closely at what worked and didn't work and what people seemed to be most interested in from my content.

When my daughter Scarlett was born, I turned my blog into a parenting blog and shifted my focus more on the parenting side of things.  I wrote parenting articles, reviewed kid-friendly products and enjoyed connecting with other moms.  During this time I did a lot of sponsored work involving babies and children and it was nice to be able to have some side income, especially since I was a stay at home mom.  

As time went on, I did less pitching and had companies contact me.  It's a wonderful feeling to be noticed and have others reach out to you.  I was offered various opportunities that helped me grow my blog and become noticed in the blogging realm.  I worked hard on growing my social channels and building them up to be their best.

My second child Jack was born in August of 2019.  I don't have the same amount of time to dedicate to my blog like I once did, but I still try my hardest.  It's still important to me to write parenting articles and do product reviews.  I've put giveaways to the side for the time being though.  

I feel very fortunate and grateful that I've had my own business and been my own boss for 11 years.  I've loved every minute of it and everyday is truly an adventure! Who else can say they wake up everyday and are enthusiastic about what they do? 

Check out this blogger to read her story, as well as seeing other blogger's financial resolutions for the new year. 

*DISCLOSURE* This is a sponsored post in coordination with Intellifluence.  All thoughts are strictly my own.* 

Why Knowing Your Reverse Mortgage Rate Can Change Your Retirement

Why Knowing Your Reverse Mortgage Rate Can Change Your Retirement

When you reach the end of your working career, retirement can lie ahead of you like a open field, or like a mountain that need to be climbed. If you have been fortunate enough to have put in place different income streams for your retirement days, it is unlikely that you will feel the pressure of your working life coming to an end. But if finances have run away with you, and you find yourself without a plan B, you will have to come up with another plan. A reverse home loan is a stable alternative to taking out a personal loan, as it not only offers greater flexibility, but a longer payback period, and reasonable terms.

Should you approach a private or government lender?

Reverse mortgages are available in one of two forms - a privately lent version, or a government-issued one. A private mortgage is generally for single-purpose usage and issued by a private lender, like a bank. The second option, when issued and backed by the federal government, is also insured by government, and is commonly known as a home equity conversion mortgage. It is made available to the public via government agencies, like the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

But a loan remains a loan, and there are terms and conditions that you will have to adhere to if you would like to remain compliant with the deal you signed. First and foremost, you will not only have to legally own the property to which you intend to bond the loan, you will also have to live in it permanently. As such, you will not be able to take out a reverse mortgage on a holiday home or a rented property.

What’s it worth to you?

The value of your property is the center point around which your reverse mortgage verdict rotates. Government has put into place certain laws that prevent borrowers from borrowing more than a certain percentage of their home’s value in the form of a reverse home loan, in order to curb overborrowing.

Because you are legally limited to only having a percentage of the value of your house made available to you as a loan, the total amount you are granted will be based on what your lender determines the value of your house to be. This value is independently and subjectively calculated using a tool known as a reverse mortgage calculator, in use by all lenders. Factors that are taken into consideration include your house’s location, condition, and whether all property taxes are up to date.

The minimum application age for a reverse home loan is 62 years of age. (Remember that a reverse home loan is also known as a retirement home loan!). If you have any outstanding debts at the time that your loan is granted, those will be settled first, using the funds made available to you in your loan, before you will be granted access to the balance of the money.

Save Money This Holiday Season At Walmart with SlickDeals

Does anyone else feel like this year has just flown by? The holidays are here once again and Christmas is just 15 days away.  I can't believe 2021 is almost here.  Let's just say I hope it's better than 2020!

Most people are probably done with their holiday shopping by now, but I'm sure some are finishing up some last minute gift buying.  

If you are needing a few final gifts for friends or family, why not head to Walmart? I love to shop at Walmart for gifts even when it's not Christmas.  They seem to always have everything I need in stock and at very low prices too.  Walmart is your one-stop-shop for gift bags, wrapping paper, Christmas ornaments, Christmas cards, and whatever else your Christmas needs are.  As a mom, it's very helpful to be able to walk into one store to purchase everything I need, rather than driving to multiple places.

I am a stay-at-home-mom and budget friendly shopping is always on my radar.  Staying on budget is important, but buying gifts at lower prices than expected always makes me smile too. Everyone loves to save money.  Slickdeals is the perfect tool to use at Walmart to save even more money! They offer deals, coupons, promo codes, and discounts.  

You can also set up deal alerts to get notified on the last deals.  Feel free to download their app so you can have deals at your fingertips to save money everyday.  If you'd prefer to use your computer, download the Slickdeals browser extension that auto applies coupons for you.  It's a wonderful feeling to know you're getting the best price possible! Nothing makes me smile like saving money.

I am hoping to see more Pioneer Woman kitchen items go on sale at Walmart closer to Christmas as well as a new knife block I'm hoping to get.  Of course I can't resist any toy deals for my children either! My daughter Scarlett loves LOL Surprise.

I am wishing everyone a safe and happy Christmas! May you have delicious food and as many Zoom calls as you can handle. :)

*DISCLOSURE* This is a sponsored post on behalf of SlickDeals.  All thoughts are strictly my own.