The Cost of Renting
Rental prices have been steadily increasing according to recent studies. RentCafe published the Apartment Market Report in mid-2018 and found that in 250 of the country’s largest cities rental prices have gone up. Nine of the ten South Florida cities featured in the study showed rental increases. In some cases to the tune of almost 10%!
As a result is almost as expensive, if not, more expensive than buying a house. Couple that with the rigid requirements from landlords and associations, and renting in South Florida, most of the time, is a much bigger hassle than buying.
So if you are renting and thinking about making a move, below are 8 good reasons why you should buy.
The Perfect Time to Buy
Mortgage rates are inching up, but home prices are stabilizing, making this the opportunity market according to Inman News. Scott Durkin, CEO of Douglas Elliman, told Inman “I think we’re entering an ‘opportunity market,’ which is a way of saying that it’s a market where we are able to match buyers and sellers because it’s become a negotiable market”. In other words, right now is the perfect time to buy.
Reason # 1 You Are Paying a Mortgage Either Way
While the prospect of taking on the responsibility of a mortgage may be holding you back, is it really any different than paying rent? If we split hairs, of course, there are some subtle differences, but the reality is that you are still paying X amount of dollars every month to live. That money is building equity and wealth for your landlord and not for you.
Reason # 2 Your Cost of Living is Frozen
When you lock in a fixed-rate mortgage you have just frozen your cost of living. You no longer have to worry that your landlord will raise your rent from year to year. You know that every month you have to pay the same amount for your mortgage and that’s it!
Reason # 3 Waiting to Buy May Cost You
There is never the perfect time for anything. Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and do it. But there is nothing wrong with taking an informed leap of faith. So while you may be tossing around the idea of buying a house, take a look at the infographic below to get an idea of what waiting to buy may cost you.
Imagine what you could do with the nearly $53,000 dollars extra in your pocket? Pay for your kids’ college, buy an investment property, take a trip, retire early – what would you do?
Reason # 4 It Is a Forced Savings
A mortgage payment is, in a way, a forced savings. Your cost of living is stabilized but all the while your property is appreciating and earning equity. That equity is something you can use later in life for your kids’ college, a second home, retirement, or any of the many things we need and want in life. You are saving effortlessly while doing something you do anyways which is paying to live. Doesn’t it make “cents”?
Reason # 5 It Is a No-brainer Way to Build Wealth for You and Your Family
2/3 of Americans build wealth for themselves, their families, and their future generations through home ownership. Owning a home forces you to save. If you use your equity wisely, you can turn it into a second, third, fourth, fifth home and so on and so forth. It is a no-brainer way to build wealth while doing something you would normally do. The key however, is to use your equity wisely.
Reason #6 The Down Payment On a Home Is Not What You Think
61% of homebuyers put down less than 6%. However there are some loans that only require a 3.5% down payment. A 3.5% down payment on a $300,000 is only $10,500!
If you were to rent a comparable home, let’s say $2500/mo. you would have to give your landlord $7500 to move in. That is 71% of a down payment if you have a 3.5% down payment! You would only have to rustle up another $3000 to own your home. Now doesn’t that make more ‘cents’ than renting?
Reason #7 A Home is The Only Investment in Which You Can Live
You can choose to invest your money in gold, or the stock market or bitcoins, but you won’t be able to live in any of those investments. If you buy a house you have a place to live and it is building wealth for you at the same time.
Reason # 8 Does Renting Still Make “cents”
If it makes “cents” why keep renting? Ask yourself, if I can buy, does it make “cents” for me to keep renting instead of buying a home and building wealth? All you have to do is sit down and do some simple math to find out if it makes ‘cents’, so just do it!
How to Make Home Ownership a Reality One Step at a Time
Can you think of one good reason why you should wait? If the market right now is offering you a window of opportunity in which you can make home ownership a reality, weigh the pros and cons of waiting. If it is hesitation and apprehension holding you back, then dive into the prospect of owning a home one step at a time.
Step 1 : Get Pre-Approved
The first step you need to take is to contact a highly competent mortgage broker like Luiza Nikoghosyan from Nations Trust Mortgage. The mortgage broker will help you understand where you stand financially.
Getting a pre-approval does not require a lot of paperwork, and within 24 hours you can have a pre-approval in your hands and making your dream of home ownership a reality. Yes, it is that easy!
On the other hand, if your finances need a little work, a mortgage broker will counsel you and let you know which steps you need to take in order to get your finances in order to obtain your pre-approval. You won’t know though unless you take that first step. So take it!
Step 2 : Hire a Realtor®
The next step you want to take is to hire a Realtor® that will help you every step of the way. I was an award winning teacher for 10 years and approach real estate as an opportunity to help people make their dream of home ownership a reality. It is not just about helping them with a real estate purchase!
I take the time to educate my clients, and help them understand what the process entails so they know what is happening every step of the way. I take the guess work out of everything and doing all the work so my clients can focus on their next move. Thus my mantra : IWorkYouMove.com
I approach buying a new house this way because buying a first home and moving can be very overwhelming. My job as a Realtor® by definition is to sell real estate. However, to me, selling property is only one part of it, helping people is the other part of it. The latter is the part I enjoy most.
So when you choose a Realtor®, choose a Realtor® that will guide you through your home-buying adventure.
Step 3 : Find Your New Home
Once you have taken these two steps, then comes the most exciting step of all, finding your new home!
The next steps will require another blog post, so stay tuned!
Home Buying Resources to Help You
Click here to download my free e-book : What You Need to Know Before Buying a Home
Join my Facebook Group for first time homebuyers and connect with Luiza and I and other first time home buyers. Let’s all talk about how to make home ownership a reality!
Happy Home-Buying!
Désirée Ávila
Désirée Ávila was an award winning teacher for 10 years and has a doctoral level education in Educational Technology. Désirée is now a licensed Florida Realtor and Real Estate Influencer committed to a high-level of professionalism and to helping others with their real estate endeavors through education. Désirée is a lifetime local resident and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.
To contact Désirée click on the link above or contact her at 954-993-4246 or by e-mail at desiree@desireeavila.com