As a first-time home seller, I learned that if the price is right and the home has good selling features, it will sell. Although there is some benefit to marketing and scheduling showings by real estate agents, hiring a professional on a percentage-based commission to sell a home may not be cost effective. For me, it was also not anxiety free and I ended up having to do just as much legwork. 
With interest rates near zero, and some cash accumulated in the bank, I have been wondering if I should be paying down a part of my mortgage. This would allow me to save on mortgage interest, when my money is earning next to nothing in the bank. With a zero mortgage, I would be owning my house outright instead of the bank, as if I paid for it with cash. Does it make sense to buy a house with cash? Or is having a mortgage more beneficial from a strategic standpoint? Read more here... 
