Weekend Money Checkup: Are You Using Your Home The Smart Way?

Michael Delano | December 14, 2025

Weekends are for coffee, kids’ games, and pretending you did not see that pile of laundry.

Also a perfect time to do a quick checkup on your housing plan, especially if you are thinking about buying, selling, or tapping into equity in the next 12 to 18 months.

Here are a few simple questions to ask yourself this weekend:

1. Am I renting my life away?

• Grab your monthly rent and multiply by 12. That is your annual payment.
• Now ask, if I owned instead, how much of that could be building my net worth
• If I am VA or first-time homebuyer eligible, how much home could I buy with little or no money down

You do not need the exact answer yet. You just need to decide if you are curious enough to run the numbers.

2. Is my current home still doing its job?

• Your home should match your life, not the version of your life from five years ago
• More kids, more dogs, more gear or just different life needs
• Need a real work from home setup
• Commute longer than you want?

If your house has stopped fitting your life, that is a signal to start exploring options.

3. Am I using my VA benefit or letting it collect dust?

• If you served, your VA benefit is one of the best tools you have
• Little or no down payment
• No monthly PMI
• Competitive terms for qualified buyers
• Too many veterans are sitting in high rent or small condos and have never had a real VA game plan.

Weekend homework: if you are VA eligible, write down your income, debts, and ideal payment. That is enough for a lender who knows VA inside and out to give you an honest roadmap to homeownership and your first steps toward building wealth.

4. Could my equity be working harder?

• If you already own, your equity might be able to help with real life stuff like:
  • Paying off high interest debt
  • Funding renovations that increase value
  • Setting up a move up plan to the next right home
  • Not every refinance or HELOC is smart. Ignoring your equity completely is rarely the winning move either.

5. Do I have a guide or am I winging it?

Google is great, but a customized plan from a mortgage pro is better

If you want help turning these questions into a clear plan, reach out

I am Scott Davis with The Davis Team at Fidelity Direct Mortgage. I work with buyers, homeowners, and especially VA and first-time buyers all over the country.

Scott Davis
Regional Vice-President
NMLS ID 166596

O: (571) 800-1974 | M: (703) 209-3138 
E: scott@davisteam.com
W: DavisTeam.com