Editorial

Front Page - Friday, January 21, 2011

Real Estate Facts

Don’t give it away

Elwynn Schwartz

While indicators show that housing is making a comeback, the glut of negative reporting is still making people skittish about buying a home. This has created a hot rental market, with few places available to lease and rising rent rates. Consider some reasons why it’s always better to own than to rent.
First, as owner, you are your own landlord. You won’t be kicked out for any reason other than not making your mortgage payments. You control every other aspect of how you choose to live in your home.
Even more important, those monthly payments are a kind of forced savings, helping you to build equity. Although it’s possible that home values could fall further, the same could happen to your 401(k). But over the long term, both types of investment are more likely to see gains.
Right now, interest rates are still very low, which means that if you choose a fixed-rate mortgage, that rate will never change, and you will build equity at an even quicker pace.
Another reason to opt for the ownership route is that you’ll find – particularly now with so few leases available – that the nicest homes in the safest neighborhoods with the best schools will be offered for sale and not for rent. Consult with an agent and turn that rent payment into savings and security instead.
Elwynn Schwartz is the owner of Chattanooga Real Estate Consultants and may be reached at 423-894-3050.

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