Should You Rent Or Buy A Home?
Many renters find themselves in a state of perplexity – they often ask themselves at least once, should I keep renting or should I buy a home? And often, the answer to this perplexity is buying a home, especially for those who think of the bigger picture. Yes, even in the current hot real estate market.
Renting – What Are the Pros?
Depending on which part of the country you are from, renting has its share of advantages. Compared to mortgage payments, many rent payments are more inexpensive, which can give you a financial advantage. Because the landlord would be financially responsible for shouldering maintenance, repairs and home improvement, you can also save more money that way. Still, these advantages pale in comparison to the disadvantages of renting.
Renting Disadvantages
Renting, as mentioned, has many major disadvantages. That is why it would definitely be a relief if you had the opportunity to buy a home or condominium at an affordable price.
The biggest and most obvious disadvantages of renting would be the property losing value. Assume you rent a residence for $1,000 a month and you live in the residence for two years. Ergo, that means $24,000 worth of rent paid over a span of two years, nothing but straight expense. You would have nothing to show to your name except $24,000 in cash spent on staying in a residence. Compare this to what your landlord has gained.
Rent payments are closely aligned with a landlord’s mortgage payment. So let us now assume that the $1,000 rent is equivalent to the mortgage payment of your landlord. For two years, you have indirectly paid the landlord’s mortgage, helping them build equity in the house by paying down the loan. Your landlord, indeed, has everything to gain, not the least the appreciation of the property.
By appreciation, we mean the amount of increase in the value of the house. If the rental appreciated $20,000 in two years, the landlord has received a windfall. As such, they have potentially seen $24,000 worth of appreciation and payments towards the mortgage. If only your landlord could give you a plaque of appreciation. Pleasure doing business with you, partner, now on to the next renter!
Now assume yourself purchasing a similar home with the exact same financial data mentioned above. You would be enriching yourself, and NOT your landlord by $24,000, through your property’s appreciation. Renters are probably hearing those violins in the background and expecting their landlord to jump them from behind and identify himself as Norman.
But all is not lost – maybe it’s time you saw the light and bought your own property. After all, isn’t it time to make your money work for you, not a landlord?
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Tags: finance, personal finance, real estate, real estate buying, renting