Ready to get serious about homeownership? Then it’s probably time to start saving for a down payment. While down payments can seem like a challenge, they are really like any other goal you set for yourself, doable.

To succeed, think about the bigger goal in terms of smaller, more easily accomplished actions you can take to save money. Here are 12 things you can start doing today that can help you reach your goal, perhaps even within a year.

Nickel and Dime Yourself

Look at your expenses and what you’re spending money on, and then find opportunities to cut back. Try bringing lunch four days a week or carpooling to save gas money. Small cutbacks can really add up over time.

Set It and Forget It

Establish a high-yield savings account that is strictly for your down payment. You may even want to choose a bank separate from the one you normally use so you won’t be tempted to dip into your savings. Then, schedule an automatic transfer out of every paycheck into that account.

Up Your App Game

Find an app that will help you save and visualize your progress. Qapital links to your personal accounts and lets you establish “rules” based on your daily life. For example, you can set a weekly coffee budget and send the rest to savings when you come in under the amount.

Create a Waterfall

Concentrate on paying off high-interest debt, such as credit cards, one at a time. Once you pay one off, move to the next one. As you reduce your monthly debt payments, it should free up cash you can save for your down payment.

Get a Side Hustle

Whether it’s selling your knitted masterpieces on Etsy or driving for Lyft, divert the extra income toward your down payment.

Semi-retire Your 401K Contribution

Consider temporarily reducing your 401K contribution while you are saving for your down payment. Put aside the difference in your savings account until you’ve reached your goal. Once that happens, increase your contribution percentage to at least what it was previously.

Think Smaller

Decreasing your current housing expenses means you can put more away for a down payment. Moving to a smaller, less costly space for a short time can help you save money for a bigger, more permanent place to call home.

Ask to See the Benjamins

Include your relatives and friends in your savings goal. When a gift-receiving opportunity presents itself and you’re asked what you’d like for the occasion, answer, “Cash, please!”

Plan a Staycation

Instead of splurging on an expensive vacation this year, challenge yourself to find as many fun—inexpensive and free—things as you can to do and see in your hometown. With each ticket you don’t buy, or restaurant meal you don’t pay as much for, add to your savings account.

Hold a Real, or Virtual, Yard Sale

Letting go of those skis you haven’t used in five years will be easier if you know the profit will go toward a new home. Virtual sites like eBay and Facebook’s Marketplace make it easy to get your merchandise in front of potential buyers. It also means less to move!

Stash Your Raise

Congratulations! Your hard work over the past year was recognized. Now, pretend it never happened. Instead, continue to live off the amount of your old paycheck and put the remainder in your down payment savings account.

Look at All Your Options

Many organizations, such as the Federal Housing Authority, Veterans Administration, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, offer down payment assistance for qualifying borrowers. Taking advantage of one of these programs could greatly reduce the amount you’ll need to save and stretch the dollars you have accumulated.

Whether you follow all or just a few of these savings tips, achieving your savings goal could be easier than you think. They also could lead to your becoming a homeowner that much sooner. 

For many homeowners, thoughts of warmer weather and sunnier days grow stronger as their nests empty and retirement approaches. Even as they look at their options, many may still want to maintain roots in the community they’ve long been a part of and where their families and friends remain. As you work with these “snowbirds,” here are a few things to keep in mind as you help them achieve their goal of belonging in two places.

1. Entertain the Idea

When your clients are considering a second home, ask them to think about how they intend to use it. Do they envision staying there for the entire fall and winter? Will they host holidays? Do they have young grandchildren that will be visiting often? The answers to these and other questions can help you narrow your search to homes and communities that will provide a fit.

2. Match Amenities to Interests

One of the big attractions of warmer climates is the opportunity to stay active and spend more time pursuing beloved pastimes. From golf courses and swimming pools to gardening clubs, learn more about how they’re hoping to spend their time in both locations to better understand their housing options.

3. Location Matters

Some snowbird clients may not be thinking about location past how far their new home is from a beach. However, there are practical considerations that might need to come into play. For instance, some clients may need to have certain health care facilities nearby. Still others might want to be situated close to an airport if they’re still working or have family that they plan to see frequently.

4. Maintaining the Lifestyle

Another important factor for them to consider is what it will take—both in terms of effort and cost—to maintain both homes. For warm-weather properties, this includes keeping up with landscaping, pool cleaning, and pest and mold control. Meanwhile, homes located in colder areas may require snow removal, ensuring plumbing works in freezing conditions, and maintenance of furnaces, fireplaces, and chimneys.

5. Downsizing for Ease

Some snowbirds might decide that maintaining their large family home while also keeping up a warm-weather property isn’t worth the time and effort. In this case, they may want to consider downsizing to a house that offers simpler upkeep. This allows them to keep a place where they can still see and entertain family and friends during the milder months in the community they’ve always known and then migrate back to warm weather in winter.

6. To Rent or Not to Rent

A second home can also mean an additional source of income for those who are interested in renting out either property when they aren’t using it. Marketing your expertise in helping snowbird clients navigate the ins and outs of becoming a landlord, particularly in a different state, can boost your own business while strengthening your client relationships.

Becoming a snowbird is really the best of both worlds for many retirees. They get to maintain a familiar lifestyle in a northern climate in milder months and enjoy the perks of warm-weather living during the colder months. As a Real Estate Agent, you can play a crucial role in helping them live the dream.