Danny Lee 
After much thought, I’ve decided to add another goal to my list. I will qualify for the Boston Marathon by 2020. Here are the current (as of October 2019) qualifying standards: Age Group MEN WOMEN 18-34 3hrs 00min 00sec 3hrs 30min 00sec 35-39 3hrs 05min 00sec 3hrs 35min 00sec 40-44 3hrs 10min 00sec 3hrs … Read more
Costco has officially transitioned from American Express to Visa as of Monday, June 20, 2016. This means that Visa is now the only major credit card accepted at Costco warehouses and online at costco.com. Of course, you can still use cash, checks, debit and ATM cards, EBT, and Costco Cash cards. For those who have the … Read more
It’s been 4 months since we set a goal of paying off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 4th update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more
I graduated from college in 2007 with just under $27,000 in student loans. Before I even got my diploma, I added another $12,000 in debt for a brand new car (2007 Hyundai Sonata, manual). I didn’t know much about personal finance back then. I just thought debt was a part of life. My first and second jobs out … Read more
Buying a home can be a daunting process. For first-time homebuyers, buying a home is typically the biggest financial decision they have ever made. My goal for this post is to provide a brief but clear picture of the homebuying process. I am a licensed realtor in Virginia. Some steps may be slightly different in other … Read more
It’s been 3 months since we set a goal of paying off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 3rd update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more
We have a lot of stuff. In an effort to declutter our home, I often take to Craigslist, eBay, or Amazon.com to sell our stuff. On average, I’ll post about one item per week on Craigslist. Around here (DC/NoVA) and in most metropolitan areas, people will buy almost anything as long as the price is right. … Read more
Ever since I tried my first Chipotle burrito many years ago, I knew the company would be successful. They had a great concept that’s now been duplicated with myriad other cuisines, and they’re able to serve hundreds of customers per hour with that fast-casual concept. But even great companies will hit some hurdles. As you … Read more
“Should I rent or buy?” As a realtor, I get asked some form of this question often enough from people in my age group (late 20s / early 30s) that I thought I should address it in a blog post. Many people feel that renting is like throwing away money or paying someone else’s mortgage for them. … Read more
It’s been 2 months since we set a goal of paying off the mortgage by 2020 and to have a net worth of at least $1M by 2025. This is the 2nd update on the progress of the goal. If you’re wondering why we set this goal, see here. Mortgage progress: This month, we paid a … Read more