Determining what you have -- a financial inventory. 
How does one turn what they have into what they want?  A plan is usually 
a good idea.  Most everyone agrees that real estate is the smartest long term
investment to have in your financial portfolio.  The shorter term goal 
of completing a real estate 
transaction should have heavy consideration for your overall life plan.  
How much "money in 
the bank" do you wish to have in the year 2005, 2010, or 2020? 
The decisions you make in this transaction are likely to effect your 
financial health for the rest of your life.  We see too many individual 
who try to treat a real estate transaction as though it happens in a 
vacuum.  Why not make the most of it now, so the rest of your life is 
easier?