Renting vs. Buying a Home: What is the Right Choice?

Do you like your job? How’s your love life? What about your credit? Buying a house is a major life event, and it’s essential to thoroughly think out your decision before you make it. These are only a few items in a long list of questions you need to ask yourself!

Depending on the stage of life you’re in and your personal goals and priorities, continuing to rent could be the right choice for you – and that’s okay!

If you’re feeling conflicted in your choice between renting vs buying a home, we’re here to help. To learn which option is right for you by analyzing personal and global factors, just keep reading!

Start with Home Prices

The first place to look is the home prices in your area. It’s usually cheaper to buy than to rent, but depending on where you live, this might not be the case. Whether buying a primary residence or an investment property, Pinetop Arizona real estate has been a hot spot for home buyers in Northern Arizona for more than 4 decades.

Thanks to the many free listing websites available online, it’s never been easier to research homes in your area or the area in which you want to live. All you have to do is plug in your home requirements and you’re given a list of homes that fit the bill.

Find a few homes that come as close to the home you envision as possible while remaining within your budget. Write down the prices of each and average them – how does the figure compare with the prices of Doral apartments for rent in the same area? 

Analyze the Real Estate Market

One of the best home buying tips we can give you is that the real estate market is never stagnant. It’s a never-ending series of waves. When the market is hot, houses fly off the market; when it’s cold, it can be difficult to sell.

Buying into a declining market can be beneficial if you plan to stay in your home long-term. Over several years, home prices will hit a low, then go on the rise again. If and when you’re ready to sell, your home will be worth far more than what you paid for it.

On the other hand, if you’re not sure how long you’re going to be in the home, you have two options. You can either continue renting a home or try to buy while the market is on an incline, which will allow you to sell it quickly if need be.

• Read This Also: How to Find Abandoned Home for Sale?

Plan for the Future

Speaking of your future plans, it’s essential to have a good idea of how long you plan to stay in the home. If you’re not sure what your life will look like in two years, buying a home probably isn’t the best option.

There are regulations on how quickly homes can be sold after they’re bought. Buying a home and selling it after a few months or even a year means facing a hefty tax penalty.

You also need to consider equity. You don’t start building equity the moment you buy a home. It takes at least three years of homeownership before you begin to see this benefit.

If you move within the first few years of buying, you could be putting yourself in a bad financial situation.

Calculate the Cost of a Down Payment

This wouldn’t be a home buying guide if we didn’t talk about down payments. Now, down payments aren’t entirely necessary. There are home loans that don’t require a down payment; however, these loans also come with mortgage insurance, which will add to your monthly expenses.

It’s always better to come with a down payment if possible. To avoid mortgage insurance, you typically need to provide 20% of the purchase price as a down payment.

So, if you were to buy a home for $300,000, you would ideally have $60,000 on hand to give your lender. That’s a lot of money! Even if you do have it, be sure that a down payment is where you want to spend it.

For example, you could invest the money instead, which would increase your funds over time, allowing you to worry less about the cost of a home in the future.

Factor in Additional Costs

For many people, becoming a homeowner is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. But it doesn’t come with sacrifices and expenses that you might not be ready to pay.

In addition to the sales prices of your home, you also need to factor in the closing costs (about 2-5% of the overall price), property taxes, home insurance, and HOA fees.

Not to mention, let’s say your refrigerator breaks in your apartment. You call the maintenance team and they repair or replace it, free of charge. As a homeowner, you either have to repair or replace it yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.

It’s difficult to predict the exact amount you’ll need, but a good rule of thumb is to expect to spend 1% of your home price on annual upkeep. If you don’t have an extra 2-3 thousand to spend per year, buying a home could put an unnecessary strain on your finances.

Choose between Renting vs Buying a Home with This Guide

Choosing between renting vs buying a home can be extremely overwhelming. But by using this guide, you can work through the decision-making process and come to the conclusion that suits you best.

Also Read:- Pros and cons of renting a home

When in doubt, trust your gut. If you feel deep down that you’re ready to make the leap, start house hunting! And if your gut is telling you, it’s not quite time, there’s nothing wrong with renting for another year or two.

No matter what real estate questions you’re left with, we can answer them. To learn more about buying a home or getting the most out of your rental experience, take a look at our blog- What Do I Need to Know Before Buying My First Home?