If you are considering adding someone to your mortgage, you probably have some idea of his financial history. A vague idea of his history is not enough here, though. Getting exact numbers where applicable, make sure you know specifics of the following:  Income Debt, including from student loans Credit score Whether he has declared bankruptcy or faced foreclosure in the past seven years If you were able to get a mortgage in the first place, it is because your lender believed you had the income to afford the house and a history that made you creditworthy. If you want to add someone to your mortgage, the lender will take both of your incomes, credit scores, etc. into account. While adding a second person’s income can help, other factors can work against this.  For instance, imagine that you have excellent credit (anything above 750). This helped you qualify for favorable terms, including a lower interest rate, on your original mortgage. Now, imagine that the other person has poor credit—a score of between 600-649. You might think that the bank or mortgage company will average these two scores together, landing you somewhere in the good to fair range. You could probably still get a decent offer with a score like this. Unfortunately, this is not what they will do. Instead, they will only consider the lower score. Not only are you unlikely to receive an offer with favorable terms in this scenario, but you may also not get a mortgage at all. Have interest rates fallen dramatically since you got your original loan? Conversely, have they increased? This is one more factor to consider when thinking about refinancing.  Lower interest rates could mean more favorable terms, so many people choose to refinance under these economic conditions. Higher interest rates could mean less favorable terms, so think carefully before deciding to refinance in this climate. Remember all of the closing costs and other fees that you had to pay when you first secured a mortgage? You will need to cover these expenses once again if you decide to refinance.  Closing costs for refinancing can be very expensive—anywhere between three and six percent of the remaining principle on your loan. This means that, if you have an outstanding balance of $150,000 left on your mortgage, closing costs alone could be between $4,500 and $9,000. You may be able to get a discount on some fees if you have the original survey and original Owner's Title Policy with you. This only works if there have been no major changes to the property since purchasing.
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One-sentence summary -- Have a conversation with the other person. Think about how the other person’s finances will affect your chances. Look at interest rates. Be prepared to pay some fees again.


If you anticipate being in a wedding in the near future, then you might want to hang onto the dress and see if you can use it again. This is a good option if you cannot get as much as you would like for the dress. You may also consider wearing the dress again if it is a color or design that will work for another wedding. However, you will only be able to reuse the dress if it still fits you well. Make sure to check with the bride before you reuse a dress for her wedding. Some brides are more open to what they are willing to let their bridesmaids wear, but others want them to wear a very specific color and style of dress. If you don’t think you will be able to use the dress as a bridesmaid again, then you might consider having it altered so that you can wear it for other occasions. Take the dress to a seamstress and ask if there is anything they can do to make it something you can wear for less dressy occasions, such as on a date or to a nightclub.  For example, a seamstress may be able to remove embellishments to make a dress less flashy or shorten a long dress to make it more casual. It can be expensive to have a dress professionally altered, so this might only be worth doing if the dress is in a color and material that you really like and would want to wear again in a simpler form. If all else fails, you can always donate your unwanted bridesmaid dress. Donating a bridesmaid will ensure that someone who cannot afford a new dress to wear to a special event, such as a wedding or school dance, can get one at low or no cost. There are several organizations that accept bridesmaid dress donations and you can use your donation as a deduction on your taxes. Some organizations to consider include:  Goodwill  Operation Prom  Becca’s Closet  A local theater’s costume department (also tax deductible).
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One-sentence summary -- Consider wearing the dress for future weddings. Look into altering the dress for casual wear. Donate the dress.


Look to see if your school or local community center has an a cappella group that you could try to join. You can also go online to find a cappella groups near you. Practice your song a lot beforehand so that you feel well-prepared when you go to audition, and show that you're confident and unique when performing.  If you find an opportunity to audition, ask the a cappella group if there's anything specific you need to bring or sing for them. Smile, stand up straight, look the group members in the eye, and tell them clearly your name, what you'll sing, and who the song is by. If you can't find an a cappella group near you that you'd like to join, start your own! Advertise your new group around town and hold auditions to find your new members. Make sure you look for a diverse group of voices so that you'll be able to create unique, complete arrangements.  Post flyers at libraries, schools, grocery stores, or other local places around town (after getting permission first, if necessary) with all the information about your a cappella auditions, such as where and when they'll take place and who to contact for more information. Reach out to friends in person or on social media to see if they're interested in joining. When someone expresses interest in auditioning, ask the singer to prepare a short snippet of a song for auditions, and make sure you keep a list of the potential singers so you can make notes. Choose someone with strong leadership skills and who has experience arranging and conducting music to be the director of the group. Joining a good choir will rapidly improve your voice, pitching, ear, and sight-singing. In addition, it builds the maturity and professionalism needed to sing as part of a group. Ask your local community center or go online to find choir opportunities near you.  Joining your church or school choir is a great place to start. When you're in an a cappella group, you need to know when to blend your voice to mesh well with the other singers, as well as when you can make your voice unique to stand out. Pay attention to your volume when singing in a choir to make sure you're not singing too loudly or too softly. Performing in public, no matter how big or small the crowd, will give you practice and confidence as you continue practicing a cappella. Look for opportunities to sing in churches, hospitals, nursing homes, or even at fundraisers.  You could also reach out to other performers to see if they'd let you sing their back-up vocals. Get in touch with a representative of the church, business, or event (whether through email, phone, or in person) and ask if they're interested in having you perform. Put together a sample of your a cappella singing so that the potential gig provider can listen to your music. Make it clear ahead of time whether you're doing this for free or if you'd like to be compensated. If you can't find gigs, try busking. You can perform anywhere with a pop-up a cappella street performance!
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One-sentence summary --
Audition to be in an a cappella group. Organize your own a cappella group if one doesn't already exist. Join a local choir to gain group singing experience. Find gigs around town to get performance experience.