and it was more expensive to obtain a mortgage. Since these costs have been reduced, owning a house is now easier and cheaper. Ownership rights and creative freedom. Your decorating and home-improvement choices are yours, provided they don’t break building codes or violate homeowners’ association rules. You can paint walls any way, add fixtures, update or finish your basement, or build a patio or deck. Changing your environment to suit your whims is a freeing aspect of homeownership. A sense of belonging to the community. Homeowners stay in homes longer than renters and are more likely to grow roots. They might join a neighborhood association, volunteer at a nearby community center, join a school group, or align with a business improvement district. Renters might not do any of those things, particularly if they know their lease is up in a year and they might move. An intangible pleasant feeling is attached to owning your own house — a sense of freedom and independence. Your home belongs to you, and you can do what you want. You aren’t daunted about increases in rent or losing the lease. You’re free to make improvements and changes. Also, owning your home gives your children the guarantee of attending the schools in the area more permanently; you never need to worry about a notice from the landlord to vacate your rented house or apartment for various reasons over which you have no control.
ADVANTAGES OF RENTING
It seems like a shorter list, but one man’s pro is another man’s con, and renting certainly has advantages that factor into your buy-or- rent decision. No responsibility for maintenance. Admittedly, this is a big one. You’re not responsible for home maintenance or repair costs as
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