The true joy of owning a home

Owning a home comes with many benefits. Managed well, it is like a savings account that can pay off handsomely. It is the best long-term investment one can make, and a path to building generational wealth. 

Long-term, however, does not lead to instant gratification. But being able to come home to the place you love every day, sure does. The true joy of owning a home lies in the opportunity to create a sanctuary. 

You get to paint with the colors of your soul. You get to landscape to your heart's desire, change the fixtures, widen the porch, transform an old playroom into your home office, hang wallpaper, install molding, add a firepit, get the hot tub out back you've always dreamed of, convert an attic, finish the basement... you get to dream, create, and turn a vision into a reality. Even with a small renovation budget, big changes are possible, changes that will feel like you've (finally) arrived home. This house is you. That is the true joy of owning a home. 

I ponder these thoughts quite often. When I am starting or finishing another project in my own house, the one that didn't always feel like a sanctuary, nor me, or when I'm out and about exploring another (historic) subdivision, or taking a stroll with a friend and, of course, stopping frequently to photograph houses, or when I am house hunting with my clients. 

This is also one of the purest joys of being a REALTOR®, to be chosen to help write another Real Estate story, to find the house that my buyers will turn into their home, to witness another happy closing day, and to return months or years later and marvel at the changes that its new owners proudly point out to me. I love being part of the journey! It just never gets old. 

Here's to hoping that we'll see interest rates move below the 6% mark again very soon, so more buyers will be able to experience the true joy of owning a home. 

This lovely color-coordinated pair of a duplex is home in the Savage Mill Historic District, one of my favorites in Howard County. Neither one is currently for sale, but I'd be delighted to help you find one just like it.