It's all about commitment. If you are a first time home buyer - that is, if you are thinking about becoming a first time home buyer but you are renting now - this is a big step. You probably have some serious commitment issues.
Renting is a casual fling. You probably like the place you live in now. Maybe it has a poo
l and a rec-center that you've been meaning to use, but never find the time. Maybe it's in a great location, close to work and in an area with a good night life. For one reason or another, the place has its charms. It was just what you needed when you first moved in, but now... now, it seems constraining. Maybe even childish. You've outgrown it.
Not only have you outgrown it, but you have friends who have taken the big step and bought a place of their own. This seems like the grown up thing to do, and you like the idea of having a real place of your own, too. Maybe you envy the little touches they've made to personalize their home. You would like to make your home more of a reflection of your personality and taste, but it's a rental. You can only do so much.
And then there is the money aspect. Owning your own home has always been the best way to build wealth. You know there are tax savings, and maybe you know someone who struggled to come up with the down payment for their first home, and a few years later they had enough equity saved for a big down payment on a new, nicer house. That doesn't happen when you rent.
But still, there is the commitment issue. Buying a home seems so... permanent. Maybe not permanent for that house, but once you buy a home, you know your days of renting are over. And besides, the market is awful, and it doesn't make sense to buy when all you hear is bad news. Maybe renting isn't where you want to be for the rest of your life, but at least you know what to expect.
This could be a great time to buy. Prices are the lowest they've been in years, interest rates are low and there are a lot of great programs to help first time home buyers buy their first home.
But commitment is a scary thing and you don't want to make a mistake. Still, late at night when all is quiet, do you find yourself looking at home sites on the internet, or paging through old home listing magazines, wondering what might be?
Picture is Longing by Noskins, courtesy of Deviant Art.
Pete Thompson is a mortgage banker who works in Chicago and throughout the Chicago Suburbs. Click here for a Free copy of The Real World Home Buyer's Guide - How to Save Thousands when Buying a Home and Getting a Mortgage.
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