home ownership: How long have you lived in your house?
- 06/07/13 02:29 PM
I don’t know about you, but I hate moving. And I’m not just talking about the packing, the lifting, and the unloading of all of my worldly goods. I just don’t like change very much. Once I settle into a neighborhood the house becomes more than walls on a yard. It becomes the center of my universe. And everything that I do and everywhere I go is relative to where I live. And with each passing year I become more and more entrenched in my little part of the world. So I have been in my “new” house for over a … (10 comments)
home ownership: From community to commodity.
- 02/19/13 10:22 PM
I was checking out the old neighborhood of my youth on the Internet the other day. I was amazed that a lot of the names of property owners there were still familiar to me. It seems that about half of the homes were still owned by the same families that lived there in the 1960s. Which led me to draw several anecdotal conclusions: Back then, a home was not a commodity. It was part of a community where you lived, worked, retired, and eventually passed on to an heir. The houses were simple and sturdy, and always well maintained. Even after … (20 comments)
home ownership: Is home ownership still the American Dream?
- 10/23/12 10:51 PM
There is no doubt that home ownership has lost some of its appeal over the last few years. What was once considered the “American Dream” has now been relegated to the status of a preferential persuasion. Much of the paradigm shift in thinking is predicated on the notion of financial risk. At one time, the investment potential of a house was considered to be a sure thing. There was an expectation that there would always be a never ending source of equity that could be saved or reaped at any given time. We all now know so well that it is … (37 comments)
home ownership: Repackaging the obvious characteristics of homeowners is meaningless.
- 08/20/12 09:46 PM
There has been an uproar about the recent NAR commercial that cites some statistical advantages with reference to home ownership and happiness and well-being. And while is easy to become self-righteous and indignant at the suggestion that there are benefits to home-ownership beyond dollars and cents, this may simply be a case of restating the obvious. After all, people that purchase homes generally have adequate credit scores, a good job history, a savings history, and sufficient resources to meet their monthly obligations. Also as a rule of thumb, it generally makes more financial sense to purchase a home if one plans … (30 comments)
home ownership: I remember the first time I ever …
- 01/26/12 12:27 AM
I remember the first time I ever … Saw a color TV. It was at my great-uncle’s house. I was told that he was very wealthy! Used a touch-tone phone. We all marveled at the fact that we no longer had to “dial” the phone number. Ate my first piece of shrimp. I was eighteen years old. Back in those days, we didn’t get around much, and shrimp was not as readily available as it is today. Warmed food in a microwave oven. We take it for granted now, but it was quite a revolution back in the day! Used my … (69 comments)
home ownership: Has cutting edge technology replaced home ownership as a consumer priority?
- 01/23/12 01:06 AM
I get calls from potential buyers every day that would like to explore the opportunity of purchasing a home. But the vast majority of these would-be home buyers are not qualified to obtain a loan. Many have either low credit scores, little or no down-payment money, or a combination of both. Somewhere along the paradigm shift to a high technology society the basic principles of finance have been relegated to a low priority. The average consumer is more concerned about having the latest and greatest gizmo or whirligig than securing a roof over their head. I have encountered families with monthly … (14 comments)
home ownership: Want to cut back during tough economic times? Why not buy a house?
- 09/28/11 02:30 AM
These days everyone is talking about cutting back in order to deal with the tenuous economy. One needs only go to the grocery store to ascertain that higher fuel and fertilizer prices have resulted in budget-busting food prices. The cost of feeding a family has skyrocketed. As a result, many savvy shoppers have become avid couponers, armed with sales flyers and bar-coded discounts that result in huge saving at the register. However, those savings pale in comparison to the opportunity to save thousands of dollars a year on housing expenses by simple BUYING a house! The low cost of real estate … (12 comments)
home ownership: Is the American commitment to home ownership waffling?
- 04/07/11 01:15 AM
There media is rife with prognosticators that predict the demise of home ownership as part of American culture. They run side by side comparisons of owning vs. renting, with renting nearly always being a more viable option is today’s current economic climate. And with the income tax deduction for mortgage interest payments teetering on the edge of extinction, many would-be buyers forget about the best three reasons for owning your hone: First: Inflation. Owning your home is the best hedge against future inflation. Instead of absorbing the risks of playing the market, fixing your costs now can protect your monthly … (49 comments)
home ownership: Getting an early start on a young couple's dream!
- 01/14/11 11:09 PM
I’m out early this Saturday morning helping a young couple find their own little piece of heaven. Despite the fact that many doom and gloom prognosticators now blatantly state that home ownership is no longer the American dream, this couple recognizes that this is a great time to buy as a hedge against inflation and for the pride of ownership. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to assist with such an important decision as buying their first house together. It’s an amazing part of this job that goes beyond money or career. It’s changing lives in a genuine and meaningful … (24 comments)
home ownership: Keeping realistic expectations is the key to purchasing real estate!
- 10/25/10 01:23 AM
When I started selling real estate in 1984, I bought houses for a living. I was not a flipper per se, but I would buy a house at retail, live in it for a year or so, and then sell it for a profit. The assumption at the time was that all real estate would appreciate in value, because they couldn’t build homes fast enough to meet the demand for them. It didn’t matter if interest rates were in double digits; people needed housing and so just about anything would sell! Fast forward to 2010: Interest rates are at an … (34 comments)
home ownership: If “Home Ownership” is passé, what do you tell the 40% of Americans that own their primary residences free and clear?
- 09/02/10 12:56 AM
Pundits ignore it. Prognosticators omit it. Politicians are oblivious to it. But there is one argument in favor of home ownership that no one can legitimately dispute: 40% of American homeowners own their primary residences “free and clear.” This large segment of our society is immune to the cyclical winds of real estate change. They can never be “upside-down” or “underwater.” And while they may have lost some equity in the market value of the property, their only consequence is a lower tax assessment if they opt to appeal. As long as they choose not to sell, the true value of … (15 comments)
home ownership: There is still an underlying value in home ownership that does not involve dollars and cents.
- 07/20/10 01:32 AM
As many qualified would-be buyers are opting to rent instead of committing to a real estate purchase, it seems to me that many are missing out on one of the most incredible opportunities in the last 100 years. Many agonize about trying to determine exactly when the market has or will have bottomed out. They don’t want to invest in a property that could lose some monetary value in the near future. But a home is not a stock or a bond. A home has intrinsic value that goes way beyond money. It is a place where dreams are fulfilled and … (50 comments)
home ownership: I had a recurring dream again last night and I’m wondering if it has become a nightmare?
- 05/04/10 01:07 AM
For as long as I can remember, I have had dreams about “the house.” It’s a cherished place in my subconscious mind that I have been visiting every now and then since I was a young man. The house itself is a stunning manor on the shore of a sparkling lake, with cavernous well-appointed chambers tastefully decorated and appealing to the senses. And try as I might, I have never managed to visit every corner of this imaginary domicile, as one of the most intriguing attributes of dreaming is the inability to attain fulfillment. There was a time when the … (25 comments)
home ownership: The dream of home ownership still exists and still makes sense …GOOD sense!
- 12/19/09 09:18 AM
The are a lot of misconceptions about the current state of the real estate market. Many are led to believe that money is not available for the purchase of a home, or that a large down payment is needed to make a purchase. Nothing could be farther from the truth. There is plenty of money available for “qualified” borrowers. Buyers don’t need a lot of cash for a down payment, but they do need a good credit score! There are also requirements for verifiable income without a disproportionate amount of debt. And the best part about being qualified to purchase a … (57 comments)
home ownership: It's the start of another day in paradise ...or ... home is where the heart lies! The TRUE value of home ownership!
- 06/17/09 12:54 AM
As I sit out here on the deck early in the morning, watching a light mist roll over the landscaping, I am inspired to declare that this is a fine place to reside! And while I am not on the beach in Waikiki nor gazing over my beloved Smoky Mountains, there is no other place that I'd rather be right now. And while my "estate in land" may seem to be run-of-the-mill or ordinary by most established standards, it is home to me, and that makes it a place unlike no other on the planet. My home is my refuge and … (43 comments)
I don’t know about you, but I hate moving.
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