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The Question Is Whether To Buy Or Not To Buy

July 30, 2008

It is not a matter of flipping a coin when deciding whether to buy or rent a home. There are a lot of things to think about. Make sure you compare your income against the local market when you make your housing decision.

Whatever the dream home being considered, there is always present the option to keep renting until a later time in the future. What is considered between these two options always distills down to financing. What can be expected to pay buying a home instead of renting? In a nutshell, this always will be the main determining factor between the two.

There are several optional points when considering buying a house. Buying a house will put you into a more permanent community, than a rented complex. This essentially means that you are a part of the larger consciousness. Communities are collectives.

It is a good idea to be a good neighbor if you own a home that contains many other home owners. You will be expected to stay on top of yard upkeep and to make sure your yard fits in with the landscaping in the rest of the neighborhood. Nobody is going to give you guidelines for living in your new house. Your neighbors believe that you will adapt to their standards. You have the choice of paying a contractor to do the outside maintenance or doing it yourself.

This ideal does leave you a lot of freedom to landscape and plant almost anything you desire. You are encouraged to express your personal tastes. You are free to be an artist in the neighborhood gallery. As long as you are not an abstract artist that loves to copy Jackson Pollack’s masterpieces, you are safe. Conformity standards are more of a higher priority than a rented community.

With a rental, you do not have to be concerned about outside appearances of your abode. This is all taken care of for you. In fact, you probably do not have a choice in this matter. Often times, you do not have a choice of the inside colors of your rooms either. These decisions are not in your hands. You are renting. The management company, or owner has made these decisions for you.

You will be required to pay both the first and last month’s rent as a deposit to guarantee your home. In most cases, you sign a lease to stay for a determined amount of time, move in and leave the rest to the owners. By the rules of the agreed lease, they will have to provide you with maintenance. The company or landlord will take care of all repairs on the garbage disposal or the toilet if you are a home or apartment renter.

When you own a home and something breaks down, it is up to you to get it fixed and pay for the parts and service. Renting a home will take a lot of responsibility for the upkeep out of your hands. Owning a home places these responsibilities directly on the homeowner.

However, home owners do feel more stable. The home is yours. You invest the effort and you get the return for your investment. If you are lucky enough to own a home then you should have a good feeling of having something that belongs to you. Your domain is truly your own. With renting, this feeling and security is at best a temporary fix, a band-aid on a temporary situation that, ultimately, you have no real control over. The rent can go up, then you have to pay it, or move out. You can also become evicted. When you are renting, you don’t have a say in these decisions.

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