Plan for the Costs of Operating a Home Besides your mortgage, property taxes and insurance, operating a home has many other ongoing costs. Maintenance and repair costs are at the top of the list. There may be other costs as well, for example a security alarm monitoring system, snow removal, or gardening. If you have a condominium or strata, some of these expenses may be included as part of your monthly maintenance fee. Save for Emergencies Even when you can do repairs yourself, there... [read more]