#5 Pay off home sooner / make extra mortgage payments.  There are a lot of different types of mortgages so make sure to check with your lender about what’s allowed with your loan.  If possible make extra payments that you designate to the principle of your mortgage.  Paying your mortgage off sooner

     By Ashley Melton, Realtor®  Every year we make New Year's resolutions about exercise, diet, our outlook on life, etc. - but what about our homes? If it seems like the best time to prepare your SELF for the year to come, wouldn't it also make sense to prepare your HOME for the year to come, too?