Published by Kartik Subramaniam
5 Things I Love About Home Ownership
No matter what you’re selling a basic belief in it is critical. It’s hard to sell something that you yourself don’t see value in. I genuinely love real estate, and there are countless reasons why. Because of this, I have no problem talking about it with everyone I meet. However, for this blog, I’ll limit myself to just a few reasons.
Here are five things I love about homeownership.
1. Fixed Payments
When you get a home loan with a fixed interest rate, you lock in your payment for the next 15 to 30 years. Your payment is locked – even if the world around you changes. This means your payment will stay the same even while the cost of living is guaranteed to increase over time. This predictable and stable payment will help you plan financially without the fear of increased living expenses.On the other hand, if you rent, your payments are virtually guaranteed to increase as demand and population increase.
When you own your own home, your housing expenses are locked in, which only gives you more margin because you’re not continually paying more to live at the same property.
2. Likely Appreciation
Over time, the value of your home is likely going to increase. Just how much won’t be the same every year, but on average California real estate goes up 4 to 8 percent annually.In some years, values may rise more than 20 percent, and in bad years values can go down — but everything ultimately averages out to a steady rate of appreciation between 4 and 8 percent.
Without any effort you’re going to get richer through appreciation.
3. Stability
Owning a home gives you a measure of stability and certainty in your life. You also get more control over basic lifestyle decisions without having to ask a landlord for permission. Do you want to paint your walls? Go ahead! If you want a dog, you don’t need to ask your landlord or pay a pet deposit — after all, it’s your house.Also as I mentioned before, fixed payments provide a static housing expense that won’t go up with inflation. In an uncertain world, this is a good thing.
4. Forced Savings
It doesn’t matter if you’re frugal or not — owning a home forces an increase in net worth over time.Even if the value of the home never goes up, the mortgage balance is going down through the process of amortization. This forces you to build some level of net worth even if your property isn’t appreciating.In California, you’ll gain more equity by an ever-decreasing mortgage balance, which will give you access to funds in the future. If your home appreciates, so you’re getting richer on both ends — with both a decreasing balance and higher home value to give you more equity.
5. Your Home Is an Asset
Your home and other real estate form part of your estate, which can be left behind for future generations. The fact that your house is passable to others helps leave behind a legacy and keep wealth within your family.As a renter you are getting value in that you have a place to live temporarily, but the big picture is that you are helping pay off your landlord’s mortgage with ever-increasing monthly payments.
I understand that in some markets people have the position that it is cheaper on a monthly basis to pay rent compared to a mortgage and that (in theory) that difference could be reinvested elsewhere but the truth is that so few people actually do that. For most of us, if we have money in our pockets we tend to spend it.
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Founder, Adhi Schools
Kartik Subramaniam is the Founder and CEO of ADHI Real Estate Schools, a leader in real estate education throughout California. Holding a degree from Cal Poly University, Subramaniam brings a wealth of experience in real estate sales, property management, and investment transactions. He is the author of nine books on real estate and countless real estate articles. With a track record of successfully completing hundreds of real estate transactions, he has equipped countless professionals to thrive in the industry.