I’m Debt Free! I don’t have credit card, car, mortgage or any other type of debt!
At Equilibrium
On the Wells Fargo website I selected the send “Payoff form” option for my last mortgage payment.
I filled it out and printed it so that I can have Wells Fargo to pay our real estate taxes from our escrow. Now that they did that, I still have to pay our house insurance at the beginning of March, but… I sent in my last official mortgage payment!
Actually the check is sitting on my kitchen counter downstairs, waiting for me to put it in the mail. Tomorrow, I will drop it off at the post office, and then I will be finished with it!!! (Booyah)
I ended up paying off my house in 10 years.
So how did I do it?
Well, first I created an excellent excel spreadsheet to do some analysis on an amortization schedule.
Primarily, I used primarily 2 sheets in my spreadsheet:
- The actual payment was recorded to a sheet. This sheet was the real deal! As soon as I made a payment on the house, it was recorded in this sheet. Not much to this one, pretty cut and dry. At the top, I calculated the reduction in interest paid by pre-paying, the shorting of the life of the years of the mortgage by prepaying, and the total cost of the initial mortgage plus the interest.
- The “What If” analysis sheet. I used this to create a strategy to pay my house mortgage off early. I was able to calculate how different extra payments would affect the duration of the mortgage and also calculate the reduction in interest paid for the entire loan. I used this sheet so many times to calculation my payment schedule! It might not be obvious, but this was a great tool for wealth accumulation for me.
Next for the first year of the mortgage, I made double payments on the mortgage amount, with the excess going toward paying down the principal. Then later after my son was born, I lessened the payment amount to only 1.5 times the original payment amount.
I’m still in disbelief! I’m at a point of balance and having an “equilibrium moment”, so to speak!
As of this point forward, I will be solidly marching on a wealth-building path (or at least I hope, life sometimes throws some wild pitches at you…).
As the last phase of this final numbness wears off, I’ll tell you what it feels like being debt-free in a future post!
-MR
Update: An equilibrium moment is when something is in perfect balance! I don’t owe any debt anymore and nothing is owed to me either! With the “debt phase“, I’m in perfect equilibrium. This phase is over! I don’t plan on ever going into debt that I can’t pay in a month’s time again!
Here are some links to former post in the Countdown series
Congrats man! Time to buy a new Porsche 911 Turbo?!
.-= Financial Samurai´s last blog ..How To Get Your Super Motivated Boyfriend to Marry You =-.
Thanks 🙂
Well, if I save for a few months, I think I can afford a used picture of a Porsche 911 Turbo…
It is a nice feeling, it’s just taking a while to sink in. The payoff was overshadowed by my sister having her first baby this past weekend.
She always did have to be the center of attention!
I’m interested to see what you are going to do with the money that use to be your mortgage payment. Making 1.5 times your payment must be a pretty big chunk of money that is now free every month. Do you treat yourself to something nice first? Or are you just going to save all that money? If so, where are you saving it to?
.-= Evolution Of Wealth´s last blog ..Why Your Finanical Planner is Like a Buffet =-.
@Evolution Of Wealth
Welcome to my site!
Most likely, I’ll put the money in stocks (and later bonds) that have a fair dividend/yield. Ideally, I’d like to have the stocks and bonds provide a decent amount of passive income.
I’m still playing around with ideas…
When I do get enough of them, and they produce a decent enough payout, I think I’m going to go somewhere big for vacation (or at least for me big). Some place like Hawaii or Europe…
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And I thought I was having a great day? This totally rocks… Congratulations!
12 years of a mortgage to go or less and I’ll be joining you!
More power to you!!!!
.-= LeanLifeCoach´s last blog ..Combat The Closing Techniques – The Puppy Dog Close =-.
Thanks Coach!
It goes fast that’s for sure! Honestly, I think is just a phobia of debt that I have. My wife initially though that I was crazy to try and pay off the house early, but with the way the markets turned out, I think it will work to my advantage. Especially if I start really jumping into the market now…
It’s an exciting new adventure for me… Hopefully, in a few years I’ll be vacationing where Sam was this past week (or at least on the same island…) 🙂
Congratulations MR. MR!
It must be a great feeling not having ANY sort or type of debt. Unbelievable! So all the earnings every payday is free to be used on anything?
DH and I are making extra payments as well on our 30 year mortgage. We hope by doing this, we’ll have it paid off in 20 years or so.
I’ll be keeping post to hear what you’ll be doing with your money from this point out.
Any hints of an expensive splurge on the horizon for you?
https://moneyhoneysf.blogspot.com/
.-= moneyhoneysf´s last blog ..Prize: a $2,000,000 house =-.
Thanks MoneyHoney!
Yep, I can use the money for anything, but most likely it will be used for a lovely basket of investment vehicles… Most likely stocks, mutual funds, etfs and bonds…
I created a spreadsheet to do “what if” analysis with the payments. I knew exactly when it would be paid off, and how much interesting I would shave off of the cost of the house… Worked out great!!!
After I buy that Porsche 911 that SAM mentioned above (lol), After a few years of savings, I’m thinking a vacation overseas, Hawaii, Alaska or Gotham City…
I’m still in Debt-Free shock, I’m floundering a bit now… Hopefully I’ll have a better plan of attack after a few months! 🙂
@Stay at Home Mom CFO
lol, yeah, it was 10 years in the making. I personally know people that did it in 5 and 1 guy that has never had a mortgage… he/they paid for both of their houses outright. (Grrr, erh I mean great!)
I see you got a new website, in addition to your current one! Very nice!
Thanks for visiting!
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It must be a great feeling not having ANY sort or type of debt. Unbelievable! So all the earnings every payday is free to be used on anything? What a great feeling. Great Site!