[mom-from-missouri]

If you rent, make sure you have a decent landlord. I rented from good ones and bad ones. You assume they will take care of mechanical and structural ones, but not always. I once had to fix the furnace myself, because the landlord wasnt doing it. He ignored my calls and I know he was aware of it, because he did sign and accept a registred letter I sent him. I took it out of the rent, and he then took me to court for not paying full rent. However, in my rental contract, it stated he was responsible for the furnace, so the judge ruled in my favor.
I now own, and if something breaks, its up to me. I have learned a few tricks of the trade to keep expenses down-there are some very cheap credit card insurances out there that cover large appliances-so if I do need a new dishwasher-I charge it, then pay it in full the net month. That way the insurance on my Visa or Sears card will cover the item for 2 or 3 years should it break. My electric company and water companies also offer insurance-very similar to what phone companies have offered for years. I had a water main break on my side that cost me over $1000 to fix. After it was fixed, I got the insurance thru the water company for $1 a month. Two years later, I had another break-they came and fixed it, and I was not out a penny-and I did not have to pay for the extra water that went thru my meter. You should also make it a habit to glance at your water meter every few days to make sure your usage doesnt suddenly increase--a signal of a leak on your side.