retirement who may desire to sell their homes, downsize, avoid the maintenance and other obligations, and go back to renting.
WHICH IS BEST?
Is it better to rent or buy a home? Most adults ask themselves this at some point as they form their goals and plan for the years ahead. Before you answer the question, here are some things to ask yourself. Owning and renting each have their advantages, but what’s best for you depends on your circumstances. What will be the duration of your stay in the home? Each market is different, but whether the time you plan to spend in the house warrants its purchase is possible to predict. In general terms, it takes four to seven years to break even on a home (i.e., where there has been enough appreciation to pay back the cost of the transaction and cost of ownership). If you’re thinking about buying a home and selling it in two years, buying is very unlikely to be cheaper than renting. Do you think of or need your house as an investment in your retirement plan? Americans are used to their homes being a store for wealth to liquidate in retirement when downsizing their lifestyle. In 2015, Gallup reported that for the second straight year, more Americans named real estate than stocks, gold, savings accounts/CDs, or bonds as the best long-term investment. Real estate leads, with 31% of Americans choosing it, followed by stocks/mutual funds at 25%. A cautionary note though — although home prices have recovered their pre-2006 market slump and continue to rise, the value of your home can fall, as well as rise. Are you financially ready? Owning a home is a financial commitment that requires planning how home ownership fits into where your life is headed. Ask yourself what your budget is and if either buying or renting would require you to stretch your
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