Should You Buy Or Rent Your Home

By Thomas Miller

A lot of people across the United States are wrestling with their home's mortgage payments right now and the economy is not getting much better at the moment. A fair number of people are now considering the pros and cons of renting versus owning their own house. In many parts of the United States house rental expenses are almost 50% less than it would cost to buy a home with a standard thirty year mortgage.

The advantages of renting a home are usually pretty clear. If you are a renter then you do not usually have to pay for your house's maintenance other than a few basic home repairs. Most rental homes have a management service that handles large home improvements and maintenance problems. Renters do not get to benefit from growing home prices but they also don't have to worry about trying to sell a home that's upside-down. People who rent their home don't often have to pay property taxes, though some areas do have a renter's tax.

While many cities have rental laws, sometimes landlords can evict residents for no good reason. When you rent your home then you must remember that you are not building any kind of value in your house. Renters, unfortunately, usually have very little control over their own home's upgrade projects.

Home owners usually have more freedom to modify their homes than renters, but house owners obviously have to be able to afford their home repairs. On the plus side, some home improvements can give you a big tax credit. Owning a home usually is usually a more costly decision at first. The lengthy process of getting a home loan can be challenging for many people these days.

The choice to buy or rent a home is largely a personal one. Both renting and owning a home come with clear pitfalls and advantages. Owning a home may allow you to build up equity in your home while renting might keep more cash in your bank account on a monthly basis.

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