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Why Buying Real Estate Can Be A Smart Financial Move
Buying real estate doesn’t just give you a place to live; it can also be a very smart financial move.
This is because owning a home can be like having a forced savings account, which you are committed to for the long term.
Consistent Saving On Autopilot
Sometimes saving money on our own each month is difficult. It takes a lot of discipline to maintain a consistent savings plan.
However, paying your mortgage every month means that you are paying down the principal and working toward eventually owning the property outright.
In the early years of the mortgage, the payments will go primarily to the interest on the loan.
But over time, the portion of your payment dedicated to principle increases, which accelerates paying off the entire mortgage.
Make Yourself Wealthy Instead Of Your Landlord
In the long term, owning your own home may be a much better financial arrangement than renting a home. No matter how long you pay monthly rent, you will never own the real estate that you are living in.
When you are renting your home, it may also be possible for your landlord to increase your rent every year.
On the other hand, paying a mortgage on your real estate means that every month you get closer to owning the home.
In fact, most home mortgage lenders offer a fixed interest rate mortgage. This gives you a sense of control over how much you are paying every month, year to year.
In a fixed rate mortgage, every mortgage payment pays down a portion of the principle on your mortgage loan. In many cases this builds equity in your property and increases your net worth.
It’s a good idea to check with a professional mortgage lender to get an idea of the most up-to-date programs available.
Real Estate May Increase In Value Over Time
Over the years, your home might appreciate in value. Many experts say that the average home value increase each year over longer stretches of time, although this will vary according to the area you live in, the current economy and other factors.
Your home’s value may very well fluctuate throughout the years, but history has shown that over the long term, buying a home can be a very beneficial financial decision.
Understanding the benefits of home ownership, including the potential financial upside of purchasing your own home, can be an excellent way to further your overall personal financial plan.
Over 70% Of US Metro Market Housing Markets Improve In February
The National Association of Homebuilders recently released its Improving Markets Index for the month of February.
The report attempts to identify U.S. metropolitan areas in which the economy is improving, demonstrating “measurable and sustained growth”.
259 U.S. markets are qualified as “improving” this month, a 17-market jump from the month prior and includes participants from all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia.
Experts point to improving market conditions in at least one market in all 50 states as a strong indication that the housing recovery is gaining substantial momentum.
This increasing momentum may suggest that now may be a very good time to purchase a home.
Compared to September 2011, when there were just 12 improving metro market areas, the widespread positive movement indicates how conditions are steadily improving nationwide.
So what qualifies a market as “improving”? The NAHB uses strict criteria.
First, the group gathers data from the three separate, independent sources :
- Employment growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Housing price appreciation from Freddie Mac
- Single-family housing permits growth from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Next, for each of the above data sets, the National Association of Homebuilders separates for local data in each U.S. major metropolitan area.
And, lastly, armed with data, the NAHB looks for areas in which growth has occurred for all three data points for six consecutive months; and for which the most recent “bottom” is at least six months in the past.
In this way, the Improving Market Index doesn’t just measure housing market strength — it measures general economic strength.
Of the 22 markets added to the Improving Market Index in November, the following cities were included : Chico, California; Columbus, Georgia; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Topeka, Kansas; and Wenatchee, Washington.
Several markets dropped off the list, too, including Champaign, Illinois; Lebanon, Pennsylvania; and Amarillo, Texas.
The complete list of 259 metropolitan areas on February’s IMI, plus breakouts of the metropolitan areas newly added and dropped is available online at http://www.nahb.org/imi.
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