As we discussed my needs and expectations, I discovered a great deal about Gretchen. She is confident, not threatened by questions related to her professional credentials. She’s thoroughly familiar with mechanics of home buying process, and knows Bethesda, Chevy Chase, and Kensington market like back of her hand.

I also discovered that she is a proud mother. During our conversation we shared stories about our grown kids. I have two daughters, one a graduate of USC, other a graduate of Loyola Marymount in LA. Kevin, her oldest son, graduated a couple of years ago from Stanford with a degree in marketing and new media communications which, as it turns out, is being put to good use because he has now joined family business.

And his addition didn't come any time too soon. Three years ago Gretchen had to start referring clients to other brokers in area, because she couldn’t handle demand. Now that Kevin is her partner, they are able to handle increased volume without outside help.

With a degree in marketing and new media communications, Kevin is a welcome addition because he spends most of his time cultivating new marketing strategies. "Marketing is so much more than it used to be," Gretchen said. "You know, putting a sign in ground and a listing in computer. Even in hottest sellers’ markets, there is always a way to make property more visible and that exposure brings more offers to table. Kevin does that for us."

What has evolved is a multi-generational, multi-disciplinary approach to both sales and relationships. Kevin, using advanced technologies, has been able to target market, placing properties in locations to be seen by right buyers. He has also increased "team’s" online presence, which is also incredibly helpful to sellers and buyers.

As for me, I have yet to decide whether I’m going to move back East or to Scottsdale, but one thing is for sure. If I do move to Bethesda area, I will be counting on Gretchen and her son to handle details. I put a premium on business service providers who put my interests ahead of their own.

Once you are sure you have enough to eat and a roof over your head you can start thinking about your other bills. The secured loans, like your car payment, should come before your unsecured loans, like your credit cards.

The reason for this is simple. Creditors that have secured property will sue or repossess much quicker than credit card companies.

If you find yourself in this situation it is a sign that you need to do something drastic and fast. By not paying all of your bills each month they are going to add up quickly and you are going to accumulate a lot of late fees.

The best place to start is to find out exactly where you stand and what is causing problem. This is as simple as listing your income on one side of a piece of paper and your bills on other. Total each and subtract your bills from your income.

Your next step is to develop a budget. You can find a free and simple budget by visiting The Complete Budget and Bill Organizer at http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/BBOonline.html

Whether you use my budget system or another it is very important that you start one as soon as possible. For those of you that believe a budget is to restrictive, just opposite is true. The only way you can get what you want and know you can afford it is to have a budget in place.

It is important that you pay all of your bills on time each month. When you don't have money to pay everything it is vital to your survival that you pay most important bills first.