Brian England
Vacasa - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Such a great post and it makes me sad to see friends that continue to rent instead of investing in themselves.

May 30, 2019 06:21 AM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Nina. Owning real estate is close in ratio to Ivory Soap being 99.4% pure. For the vast majority it is their biggest equity builder. Enjoy your day!

May 30, 2019 06:27 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Good morning Nina - they aren't making anymore land.  Real Estate is absolutely the best investment always.

May 30, 2019 06:40 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Los Angeles Pasadena 818.516.4393

Good morning, Nina - proper preparation is useful.  These tips can come in quite handy regardless of one's place in the wealth-building cycle.   

May 30, 2019 06:45 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Nina,

Excellent post, and you make excellent points at to why real estate is great investment. A

May 30, 2019 06:54 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning again Nina. Smart post and good information. I hope you get a lot of calls.

May 30, 2019 07:09 AM
Bob "RealMan" Timm
Ward County Notary Services - Minot, ND
Owner of Ward Co. Notary Services, retired Realtor

Excellent advice Nina Hollander and tested by time to be true.

May 30, 2019 07:37 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Brian England hi Brian... the sad thing is that renters are losing wealth by continuing to rent... it's not just that they don't build as quickly. They fall behind.

May 30, 2019 10:09 AM
Roy Kelley
Realty Group Referrals - Gaithersburg, MD

Home ownership continues to be the easiest way to build family wealth.

May 30, 2019 10:10 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Wayne Martin hi Wayne... that analogy to Ivory Soap is fantastic. And it's true... for most homeowners, much of the increase in wealth is tied up in their home.

May 30, 2019 10:10 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Grant Schneider hi Grant... that's very true... they are not making more land and in places like Charlotte, we are also quickly running out of land to build on.

May 30, 2019 10:11 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®

@Nina, we have plenty of land here in West Virginia :)

Jun 01, 2019 10:47 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Michael Jacobs hi Michael... no doubt real estate investment to any degree, whether just personal or invesment or both, has to be part of a larger overal financial planning exercise.

May 30, 2019 10:12 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Ron and Alexandra Seigel thanks, Alexandra. No doubt that Andrew Carnegie knew whereof he spoke!

May 30, 2019 10:13 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Sheila Anderson hi Sheila and thank you. Appreciate the good wishes for lots of calls but as I've never yet had one single phone call ever from an Active Rain post I'm not holding my breath waiting for one from this post!

May 30, 2019 10:15 AM
Sheila Anderson

I understand. :(

May 30, 2019 10:21 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Bob "RealMan" Timm hi Bob... and the wealth gap between those who own real estate and those who don't keeps growing.

May 30, 2019 10:19 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Roy Kelley hi Roy... and real estate provides other benefits besides financial security that other investments don't provide (such as a roof over one's head).

May 30, 2019 10:20 AM
Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD
ViewHomes of Clark County - Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
REALTORS® in Clark County, WA

Very smart post - real estate is a great investment - and it's also a respite from the world. It's hard to even measure the intangible values one feels owning their own "home." 

May 30, 2019 12:55 PM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

I hope clients take your very savvy and sound advice Nina.  I owned my own home at 20 years old and the equity and appreciation were able to carry me through 3 more homes that were all more expensive and bigger than the previous one!  

May 30, 2019 01:09 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD hi Debb... indeed, real estate is the only investment that provides appreciation along with other intangible. A stock or bond portfolio don't provide a roof over one's head, for example.

May 30, 2019 01:14 PM
Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD

Yes, you got it...

May 30, 2019 02:15 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Sheri Sperry - MCNE® hi Sheri... you started early investing in real estate and it's clearly paid off for you.

May 30, 2019 01:15 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Nina delaying in anything is rarely good, and especially not a good to do for anyone who is considering purchasing a house.

May 30, 2019 02:38 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

George Souto hi George... home prices continue to increase in the Charlotte area... silly to wait and pay more.

May 30, 2019 02:47 PM
Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400
The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY
Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

When is the best time to buy Nina...that's a tough one, but when a buyer is ready and the house is the one...it's time!

May 30, 2019 03:32 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Nina, if a buyer has the credit, it is time to buy a home.  There are programs to assist for down payment, so should be a no-brainer.

May 30, 2019 05:13 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Joan Cox hi Joan... the problem I've seen is that the down payment assistance programs work only for certain price points and those price points are quickly disappearing in my market.

May 31, 2019 04:15 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400 good morning, Sheila and Larry... one thing I've seen in the past couple of years is that buyers I started working with who decided to wait and buy are no priced out of the market... their income hasn't increased as quickly as home prices have appreciated and they can't qualify for a home in the areas they need to live in.

May 31, 2019 04:17 AM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Home ownership is a wonderful way to make that path to wealth a smooth one.

May 31, 2019 04:44 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Sally K. & David L. Hanson good morning, Sally, the difference in accumulated wealth between homeowners and renters never ceases to amaze me it's such a huge gap.

May 31, 2019 05:02 AM
Amanda S. Davidson
Amanda Davidson Real Estate Group Brokered By eXp Realty - Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Virginia Homes For Sale

Nina, it really can't be said enough. Your post is spot on. Buying real estate is undoubtedly the best vehicle to build wealth. Your video does an excellent job of showing how costly it is to wait. 

May 31, 2019 05:30 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Amanda S. Davidson thanks, Amanda... I've had several clients who waited too long and are now priced out of the market, so I'm glad you thought the video is effective.

May 31, 2019 05:38 AM
Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®
Lewisburg, WV
Lewisburg WV, the go to agent for all real estate

Nina, I only wished I had purchased a home when I first moved to Northern Virginia instead of renting.  That was 1971.

Jun 01, 2019 10:49 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor® that's how I feel about my two years in the Bay Area. I rented and the market was very depressed so didn't buy my condo in Sausalito overlooking the Bay. What a mistake. I could have purchased it for $35,000 in 1975 and sold it for millions a few years later! The DC area and northern Virginia saw amazing appreciation as well.

Jun 01, 2019 01:56 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

I did hear area seems to be trending toward the national trends, from what I hear. This is very good reporting, Nina: I am reserving judgment however.

Jun 01, 2019 10:02 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Wow Nina, I would love something over the bay for when I visit California! Sounds amazing! Rebecca Gaujot, Realtor®

Jun 01, 2019 10:03 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Laura Cerrano owning a home is a form of "forced savings" as part of growth in equity long term. It also fixes housing costs for families and given what's been happening in rental rates for the past 5+ years provides another form of savings and positive impact to the budget.

Jun 02, 2019 04:27 AM