Rent or buy when relocating?

The question that has been asked by people relocating for years!

I am a daughter of and engineer and a wife of 19 years of an engineer.  Both were/are aggressive in their jobs and looking for advancement.  Most of the time this means relocation.

I have relocated more times as a child and as an adult then most people move in a life time.  I am not complaining mind you.  I have seen many new places............and not like you do when on vacation, as a resident.............learning about different life styles, learning not to be scared of the unknown and learning acceptance of others who are different.  Taking with me a world of knowledge I probably would not have other wise.

One of the reasons I specailize in relocation, it is personal to me.  I remember the good and the bad.  I remember as a child the realtor making me insignicant, and I also remember the realtor making me feel important.  Yes, I was a child and I had no decission rights...........but moving as a child can be scary.

So when moving do you rent first or do you buy right away?  A question in today's market that is even harder to figure out.

Inventory is high and prices are low...............interest rates are still very good. So if moving to an area of unknown territory................meaning there is no family around, no friends around and all you know about the area, is what you have read on line and what you got to see on your visit when the company sent you to check it out.....................do you rent or buy?

You are probably guessing as a Realtor I am going to suggest you buy, but I am not!  Nothing looks the same from the time you visit till you live somewhere a while.  It all looks and feels different after you have has a chance to soak it all in.

However I must admit as an experienced relocator, my husband and I always end up buying where we rented as I know how to check out the new area's.  It is not all about the "cool" house.  It is about a community that fits our needs and wants.  Laying out what is important to us as a family and finding a community that supports our life style.

However if moving from a year long warm climent to a place that gets very cold and you have never experience this before...............hmmmmmmmmmm you may want to live through a winter and see if you can handle the cold before making one of the largest purchases you can make in a life time. As in today's market re-sale is not so good............

If you really do not like the area you moved to, the job seems less important and you will look for other employment elsewhere, however stuck with a house you can not sell for what you owe.  How do you feel about being a long distance land lord?

Realtors are so important in this decision making process, we need to advise honestly and wisely!

I have had both case scenario's - people who have really wanted to buy a home when moving here, and love the area, and are here to stay and others that just can not take the winter or miss family and want to move back and can not afford to do so.  Each of them wanting to take advantage of the great prices of today's market and do not want to miss out.

So how do you advise as a Realtor?