Homeownership is the American dream. You save up for a down payment, you find a house you can afford, and then you buy it. But there's a lot more to owning a home than your mortgage payment. There are unexpected maintenance issues and other expenses that former renters aren't used to paying.

So today, Jeff Ostrowski joins us on the On Your Side podcast. He's with Bankrate.com and his research reveals homeowners pay around $18,000 a year to own and maintain a home. He explains what you can do to cut those costs.