Real estate, to include personal and real estate property holdings, is an integral part of an individual’s personal assets portfolio. It should be managed, at a minimum, on a quarterly basis. I would suggest every three months setting aside a particular time to review, organize, and address your personal holdings.
Include looking at and reading your current bank statements, mortgage payments, credit card bills, auto loans, student loans, and whatever else is important to your financial health. Make a decision to stay the course, refinance, or make that call to your banker, accountant, or me, your Realtor, to ask questions or make changes in your tasks. Being aware and keeping abreast of your personal business is worth the time and effort that you extend in managing your affairs.
At the beginning of the year, may I suggest your management begins with reviewing and or writing your will. Not to be morbid, but death is a part of Life and we don’t know when the LORD is going to call us home. Therefore let’s make sure that our personal belongings are placed in the living hands of those who will care for the material things we have generated over the years.
A few years ago a relative of mine expired intestate (without a will). It is not an easy task to manage the affairs of another, even a family member, without the knowledge of where documents exist, or where bank statements are, let alone what bank was used, etc. As Paul writes, “let us be prepared in season and out.”
As the year carries on you will be pleased that your affairs, your real and personal property, are managed as you deem fit.

It’s becoming more apparent that owning a home, renting an apartment, using credit cards, driving a car-which is leased or owned, having stocks, contributing to a retirement plan-whatever, it all comes down to management of personal funds.  Scheduling a weekly review of debt payments, changes, account balances, will help you determine what preventive maintenance is required for the personal & family business.  Consumers must be aggressive in their managing of their personal budget.  Once under control-in other words, you know what you have, where it is and how it’s working for you, you may want to devote every other week to the budget meeting.  The CRA’s (credit reporting agencies) make it their business to know your business; as do your financial institution, your credit card companies, your creditors, and any other entity that has a stake in your financial behavior.  Please make sure you know your own business.