It has been a long road to become a homeowner. My parents never owned a house, they rented from childhood until they passed away seven years ago. It was the only lifestyle that I ever knew. At the back of my mind, I knew that I was wasting money by renting homes indefinitely. Likewise, I didn’t want to be trapped in a huge monthly mortgage payment. In my high school Business Technology class, we spent as much time covering predatory loans as we spent learning typing. I wanted to secure a fixed rate mortgage with the lowest interest that I could possibly find. This is a lot easier said than done, especially when interest rates are naturally higher during certain years over others. But I knew my diligence and determination would eventually pay off. I found a great condominium with free water and cable. It seemed like the perfect fit for my new home. After securing a mortgage with enough money to pay for improvements, I realized that the condo needed more work than I thought. I upgraded all of the appliances between the kitchen and the laundry room before realizing that the air conditioner is too old. It was installed over 20 years ago, regardless of whether or not it works. I ended up calling several HVAC dealers to get the best price quotes on a new system. My appointment for the new air conditioner installation is set for Friday next week. They’re installing a traditional split style heating and cooling system. Inside the air handler is a heating coil that functions as a central furnace. But since I live in the south, I only rarely use indoor heat.