Buying vs Renting a Home: Which is better for me?
The average person moves residences about 11 times in their lifetime. That provides a lot of opportunity to confront the following question: is it better to own your home or to rent it? It’s a huge decision that affects your lifestyle as much as it does your finances, and the answer will vary depending on who you ask. So, is paying rent really just a waste of money? Or is it true that you can make more money by renting than by owning a home? Take a closer look at six snippets of common owning-versus-renting advice:
Better off Buying
“Owning a home is an investment”
While some real estate ventures do pay off, owning a home is not a guaranteed investment. Your property’s value can be influenced by factors completely outside of your control, like the market value, the desirability of your neighborhood and the demand for housing in your city. Furthermore, when evaluating their investment, homeowners tend to compare the current value of their home to the original purchase price only and, in doing so, ignore all the money they’ve spent on interest, taxes, insurance, repairs, maintenance and improvements over the years. The result is a distorted view of their return on investment.
“By paying rent, you’re throwing your money away”
Just because you’re not building equity doesn’t mean you’re throwing your money away. Homeowners have a vested interest in building equity in their homes in order to someday profit from the value of their home. As a renter, you get to bypass all the stress and speculation that comes with treating your home as an investment. Your rent payment is simply the exchange of money for a place to live. If you find value in that exchange (however you choose to define it), then you’re not wasting your money.
“Mortgage payments are cheaper than monthly rent”
Depending on where you live, the amount you pay for monthly rent may be higher than the amount you would spend monthly on a mortgage for a similar property. However, as a homeowner, your mortgage payments represent only a fraction of your monthly spend. When you average out property taxes, insurance, homeowners association fees, and repair and maintenance costs, the monthly price of home ownership jumps up significantly. Comparing mortgage payments to rent payments without factoring in additional costs can be misleading.
Better off Renting
“Renters don’t pay taxes, insurance or maintenance costs”
While it’s true that your expenses are considerably simpler as a renter—rent, utilities and contents insurance usually covers it—you’re not completely shielded from the costs associated with home ownership. As a renter, you don’t have to pay for property taxes or major repairs—but your landlord does, and your landlord can pass those costs on to you by increasing your rent as the months and years go by. When you rent your home, you get to skip paying for things like taxes and repairs upfront, but keep in mind that those costs can still affect your finances in the long term.
“You can’t afford to own a home without saving up a down payment of 20%”
Affordability seems like a compelling reason to choose renting over owning a home. Buying a home is expensive and requires a large amount of capital upfront. That said, your ability to come up with a 20% down payment is not an accurate assessment of whether or not you can actually afford to buy a home. It’s possible to make a large down payment, and then fail to keep up with your mortgage payments. Furthermore, even though a large down payment has its advantages, you can still purchase a home with only 5% or 10% down. Don’t assume that home ownership is out of reach simply because you don’t have that 20% saved up yet.
Seeing Past the Advice
Whether it’s better for you to rent or buy a home ultimately depends on a completely unique combination of your financial situation, your personal goals and a long list of variables, including your geographical location. Do you need the mobility that renting provides you with, or are you ready to settle down for the foreseeable future? Does having the ability to customize and renovate your property justify the added expense of home ownership? Does your home need to be within a certain range of your workplace, school or other commitments? Is your home more of a sanctuary, or just a place to rest your head? By taking the time to fully understand your needs and your priorities, you’ll be able to cut through the conflicting advice and make the decision that’s right for you.
Feel free to call our experts at Fort Worth Community Credit Union with any questions you may have at (817)-835-5000. You can also visit us online to learn more about the Home Loan Products we offer.