What They Don't Tell You About Homeownership with Lauren Bowling

W+M 034: An Interview with Lauren Bowling

Lauren Bowling is an ex-actor and reformed shopaholic turned finance blogger and business owner. Her message to anyone out there is this, "If I can go from financial sh*t show, to a financially independent adult, you definitely can." Her blog is LBeeandTheMoneyTree.com where she shares her journey from financial mess to financial success. In this episode, Lauren and I dive into the pros and cons of homeownership and the home buying process. We talk about what to expect when applying for a mortgage loan, and Lauren shares some of the challenges she personally faced in purchasing a home.

Listen to the show:

What we talk about:

Lauren shares her money story and who influenced her money habits growing up.
What Lauren has noticed after being a financial blogger and how money conversations happen a lot more casually with her now that she writes about finance.
Moving to New York to become an actor with a lot of debt and having to get a desk job.
Be proactive and be empowered to go out and get the financial education you need.
Think in terms of money abundance instead of money scarcity. - How to make more money.
Be gentle with yourself - even if you just do one thing a day or a week to mind and tend to your finances - it's a step in the right direction.

Learn the pros and cons of homeownership, what you need to know before buying a home, including the hidden costs and organizational items and documents you'll need in place. Everything is in this interview with Lauren Bowling.

Takeaway: What You Need to Know About Buying a Home

Pros and Cons of Renting vs. Buying
The homeownership lifestyle
First steps to take when you're ready to buy a home.
All the costs that go into buying a home (other than the cost of the home, itself)
Organizing your information
Ask questions! You may not know what to ask or what to look for so be very curious, Google questions or ask parents and friends. Do your homework.
Budgeting for basic things.
Lauren's experience with buying a fixer-upper.
How to Buy a Home in Your 20s - Lauren's blog post