Rents Have Skyrocketed - You May as Well Buy!

Rents Have Skyrocketed - You May as Well Buy! 

According to a recent report out of Washington, rents across the country jumped 11.6% in 2010.  The national average in December was $1319 compared with $1181 in January.  Via Hotpads. 

We have seen a not-so-subtle push toward a rental mentality of late which has been fueled by a number of factors.  One of them is the increasing number of home owners who have lost their homes due to foreclosure.  This situation has increased the pool of people looking to rent. 

However, those who are looking at renting as a solution should consider the following: 

• With the high cost of renting, more of your monthly income will be going into someone else's pockets rather than adding to your bottom line. 
• The cost of borrowing money is still at an all-time low. You may want to speak with a banker and calculate what a monthly home or condo payment would be. It could be the same as a current rent. 
• The increase in rental prices has been matched by a steady fall in home prices which have dropped by 9.8% nationally over the past year. 

The combination of the large inventory of homes available along with falling prices and cheap money has created somewhat of a perfect storm for home buyers. 

Of course, we can't be certain what the trend will be over the next few months, but those who are currently in a rental situation may just want to keep a close eye on where it is headed. 

It may just prove to be unnecessary to put money out each month and give it to the landlord when it could be staying right at home - your home.

  

"Rents Have Skyrocketed - You May as Well Buy!"

This post was written by 

Claudette Millette, Broker, Owner, The Buyers' Counsel - (508) 881-6230

An Exclusive Buyer Brokerage serving the Greater Metrowest area

MLS Property Search With No Registration Required