Blog:
Rent or Buy - now THAT is the question!!!
You’ve probably been thinking about homeownership for a long time. It’s a big decision. And the financial commitment is right up there with that of a college education. But if you’re considering homeownership for the first time let’s try to walk through just a few things to rattle your brain and cement your decision once and for all.
Why not rent? The No to LOW maintenance theory
To be honest, it took me a bit of time to jump off the fence from renting to buying. My decision was not based on the fact that I hated my apartment; it was based on the fact that I needed to put down “roots.” I needed to finally feel that I had a place to call my own. Did I really mind my co-tenants? Not really – they weren’t obnoxious music blasters … they were a nice family who respected that I lived upstairs and maintained decent quiet after 11pm .
Apartment Life was great …
For quite a long while as I lived in an apartment, I was very happy that I no longer lived in a single family home on an acre of land with 13 mature maple trees that were beautiful until the leaves fell. Once those leaves fell, the pretty colors looked more like mud and my hands looked more like one big blister as I raked for hours on end to clean up the lawn before the snow came.
In my apartment, there was no long driveway to plow or early morning wake ups during the snowy season to make sure I could be to work on time. Summers were no longer spent cutting the lawn and gardening but were replaced by fun things like local festivals and concerts! I thought long and hard about owning a house again and whether I would have to give up many of those fun activities.
Then again, it’s not all a rose garden!
Did I mind all the parking tickets on the evenings I forgot about moving the car to the other side of the road? Yep, I have to admit, this one was a bummer! The City Parking Violations Bureau must have LOVED me!
Some people feel that when you rent you are throwing money away however for some people who don’t have the time to cut the lawn or maintain a yard, renting might be the best answer.
How about you? Write up your pro’s and con’s… that’s really the only way you’ll know for sure. If you’re ready to start down the road to homeownership, visit us at: http://homesweethomeanswers.com/ tools and download our EASY Rent or Buy worksheet—it might provide a few prompts to consider…or better yet, get the e-book “Home Sweet Home – Help for the First-Time Home Buyer.” Whether you are a single person looking to take the leap on your own or a couple buying for the first time, the book is loaded with information for the journey to your “Dream Home”!