There’s a lot of attention being paid to downsizing homes for empty-nesters and those whose families are fully grown. Should you move? If so should you rent or buy? Here’s a look at some of the common questions, considerations, and issues you should make as you consider your set of living arrangements.
Income Stability
Will you or your spouse be on a controlled income in the near future? Renting might sound tempting, but you should take into consideration that a fixed mortgage might be more stable than renting a home or apartment. Unless you find yourself signing a rent-controlled lease, your housing costs might not be as predictable as you think. And even rent-controlled leases normally include an annual increase to keep pace with inflation.
Property Stability
Buying a home means it will always be yours. Unfortunately, with rental properties you don’t have this security. A landlord can decide to sell a property at any time (even with a revolving lease) and it might just leave you looking for a new place to live with no guarantees of security.
Maintenance
One of the most frequent arguments we hear about the benefits of renting is having maintenance be someone else’s problem. However, not all maintenance is covered by landlords, anyway. Many home renters are still responsible for lawn care, changing their own furnace filters, shoveling snow and more.
You can get many of the same benefits just by choosing a home community carefully. Brookstone Home’s maintenance-free communities offer year-round lawn care, mulching and snow removal through their HOA’s.
Flexibility
Only by owning can you get complete flexibility over your own home. There’s not a lease on the planet that will allow you to make property improvements, remodel, or even repaint without prior approval from your landlord. Owning your home is still the only way to have total control over your home environment.
Let’s Talk Cost
Mortgages are still cheaper than monthly rents in almost all markets across the U.S. Even with the economy rebounding, you’ll never get the same amount of space for the cost on a rental versus your mortgage. If you will be in a home even 10 years it still makes the most financial sense to buy.
The tax incentive is still a huge draw for homeowners as well. And lastly, owning makes most sense if you want to leave something of value to your children when you aren’t around anymore.
Brookstone Homes has a variety of ranch-style homes that could suit your needs during your Golden Years, and we’re one of the only builders around fully certified in Aging-in Place building. We can help you prepare for the next decade or more!
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