To Rent or Buy: When is it Time to Consider Buying a Home?

 

RentOrBuyA home purchase is a significant event and a person should not jump into it too fast as they can suffer severe financial difficulties in the process. Of course, there comes a time when most adults should settle down and buy their dream home. For most people the decision can be quite obvious. You need to be financially stable and mentally ready to make such a large investment. But for some people, the decision to purchase a home may not be quite clear cut. Some people may be in the financial position to afford a home but are unsure of where the will be in their future (career and geographical location), while others may be renting in such an affordable area that they are better off paying rent and saving the money that would otherwise be going towards a much more expensive monthly mortgage payment. With that being said, here is a quick guide to know when it is time to consider buying a home.

Career Plans

When two people get together and start their careers, they often face difficulties and tough choices when trying to advance in the job market. This gets more complicated when owning a house as it is hard to move quickly when an owner must sell the old property. For this reason, a person who is secure and set in their career would be in a better position to purchase a home. Remember, most workers want to stay mobile for their jobs and they lose this advantage after buying a home.

Affordability

Most people forget all the costs of buying a home. Not only will a person have to pay property taxes and other fees, they will also have to pay for insurance. While most plans, such as TD Home Insurance, are not too expensive, it is one of the many extra costs in owning a home. One must realize that they need to have a decent financial situation if they want to afford the investment.

Family

When a couple has children, they must think of them in most major decisions. This is apparent when choosing a neighborhood to live in. Simply put, where a person lives is where the kids will go to school, and this can have a tremendous influence on the children’s future. Without a doubt, a person should buy a house in an area with excellent schools. However, if the parents cannot afford to buy, it is wise to stay in an area with nice schools as it will benefit the children.

Everything Else

Now, many young people make a lot of money, but have not started saving for retirement. Ideally, before buying a property, one should have already begun saving for retirement. This will allow the money to grow without having to make more deposits. And it’s important to consider all of the other expenses that are paid monthly as well; would owning a car be affordable if you purchase a home? Will this impact where you would live if you must rely on other modes of transportation? Do wish to have some extra money to spend on other expenses such as family vacations? Can you afford those extra family perks while also being indebted to a monthly mortgage payment? The list of hypotheticals could go on, it’s important to consider all possibilities when debating such a large investment.

While a large investment like a home is never an easy decision, yet the reward of owning your own home property can be a financially and emotionally satisfying investment.

About Jen Perkins

Likes: saving money, being debt free (aside from our house), zombies, travel, getting money, blogging and dogs. Dislikes: debt, being broke, bunnies, wasting money, not having enough money to travel the world and paying interest. Facebook  ♥  Twitter  ♥  Google+  ♥  RSS

Comments

To Rent or Buy: When is it Time to Consider Buying a Home? — 6 Comments

  1. I had plans to move shortly after buying my first home, thankfully I considered a property that would be a great rental and managed to find tenants quickly. How long you will stay in the place is important in order not to find yourself in a situation where you can’t move if you want to.

  2. I have always owned property although I did rent for a period of time between houses. Renting has the advantage of being relatively hassle free as long as you pay the rent. Buying a house is great and an investment but a lot more responsibilities come with it. Maintenance costs, property taxes, insurance etc. Each will have it’s advantages, it just depends on which life style you choose. The right time for me to buy a house happened when I became financially stable.
    Canadianbudgetbinder recently posted..The Grocery Game Challenge Nov 4-10, 2013 #1: Holiday baking on a budgetMy Profile

  3. There are many factors to consider before buying a property. It’s a long term responsibility especially if you’re planning to get it on a mortgage. The right time to buy is when you are financial stable to pay off a loan and still have some money let for emergency and savings.
    The College Investor recently posted..Time to “Be Greedy” with Gold?My Profile

  4. A lot of factors certainly play a role in determining when to buy a house. Most young people though with no families are better of renting in my opinion, gives them mobility to pursue greener pastures where they are without being saddled with the hassle of selling their properties. Alternatively, get properties they can rent out when they move.
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  5. I totally agree that buying your own house is a big step in your life! I have seen many people so exciting when they first held in their hands the key that will open the door of the apartment he or she was always dreaming about! But before making such a great purchase that will certainly affect our life we should make a plan on how to do everything correctly. The tips given here are very useful! We should calculate our income to make sure we can afford it. Also it’s very important to decide whether we are going to move to another city or we are planning to quit a job (your workplace should be stable). Talk it over with your close people, I mean relatives and friends, maybe their advice will be useful for you! Also consider the location (whether it should be near your office or near the school where your children go). Good luck!