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5 families feel the housing pinch

Despite housing jitters, many Americans are taking chances on the fickle real estate market. You can never be too sure these days if an investment will pay off, or set you back way beyond your means.

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© Walter Lockwood/Corbis4 cheaper housing alternatives: Meet four families who have found unconventional ways to put a roof over their heads -- and saved a bundle in the process. Take a look at the numbers.

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© © Markus Moellenberg/zefa/CorbisGoing through a large remodel can turn your life upside-down. Have you been through one? Did you try to do it yourself or did you hire a contractor? What strategies did you and your family use to cope during the project?

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