Don’t Get Caught In The Renter’s Trap
There are many benefits to homeownership. One of the top ones is being able to protect yourself from rising rents and lock in your housing cost for the life of your mortgage.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their findings of a study in which they studied“income growth, housing costs and changes in the share of renter and owner-occupied households over the past five years in metropolitan statistical areas throughout the US.”
Don’t Become Trapped
The study revealed that over the last five years a typical rent rose 15% while the income of renters grew by only 11%. If you are currently renting, this disparity in growth could get you caught up in a cycle where increasing rents continue to make it impossible for you to save for a necessary down payment.
The average renter in the United States pays 30% of their income on housing compared to that of a homeowner who can expect to spend 15%.
In many metro areas the percentage of income spent on housing is even higher and continues to rise every year. Like in San Francisco, CA, where the average renter spends 59% of their monthly income on housing or nearly 65% in Boston, MA.
Homebuyers who purchased their home over the same five-year period locked in their housing costs and were able to grow their net worth as home values have increased and their mortgage balances have gone down.
Know Your Options
Perhaps, you have already saved enough to buy your first home. HousingWire reported that analysts at Nomura believe:
“It’s not that Millennials and other potential homebuyers aren’t qualified in terms of their credit scores or in how much they have saved for their down payment.
It’s that they think they’re not qualified or they think that they don’t have a big enough down payment.” (emphasis added)
As we have reported last week, over 60% of Millennials who recently bought a home put down less than 20%; 36% put down less than 5%. Your dream home may be more attainable than you ever imagined!
Bottom Line
Don’t get caught in the trap so many renters are currently in. If you are ready and willing to buy a home, find out if you are able. Have a professional help you determine if you are eligible to get a mortgage.
Related articles When is it a Good Time to Rent? Definitely NOT Now!
Get to know Hank Ewing
Hank Ewing is a team leader for the Ewing Group. He joined the team of experienced REALTOR® at Bellator Real Estate & Development in 2014, and he and his team specialize in selling residential properties fast and for the most money. He is also skilled in hunting down the best prices in the area to match buyers with their ideal homes.
Hank has Louisiana roots but has lived in Daphne, Ala. for seven years. Prior to beginning his career in real estate, he worked for 20 years as an engineer in communication technologies. Videos have been ranked one of the top-rated tools for successfully selling homes, and Hank is experienced in virtual tours and other visual technology to help you make a great impression on the market.
Hank has been married to his lovely wife Amy for 22 years, and has two children – Dylan, 20 and Anna Claire, 14. When he’s not marketing homes or finding great deals for buyers, Hank enjoys hunting and spending time with family and friends.
Hank Ewing Expertise
Specialties
Land
New Construction
Relocation
Residential
Short Sales
Vacation/Resort Properties
Condos/Townhomes
Luxury Homes
Sellers
Buyers
Investment Properties
Military Relocation
REO/Bank Owned
Awards
Gold Club member Bellator Real Estate and Development
Presidents Club Bellator Real Estate and Development
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