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You are here: Home / Blog / Tips for Home Buyers

Be careful not to get caught in the rental trap!

September 1, 2017

Be careful not to get caught in the rental trap!

There are many benefits to home ownership. One of the top benefits is being able to protect yourself from rising rents by locking in your housing cost for the life of your mortgage.

A recent article by Consumer Affairs addressed the continuous rise in rents, stating: “The cost of putting a roof over your head continues to go up. Not only are home prices still rising, but the cost of rent rose 0.5% in June.”

Additionally, in the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University’s 2017 State of the Nation’s Housing Report, it was revealed that, “Despite a slight improvement from 2014, fully one-third of U.S. households paid more than 30 percent of their incomes for housing in 2015.”

Additionally, renters continue to be more likely to face cost burdens… the number of cost-burdened renters (21 million) considerably outstrips the number of cost-burdened owners (18 million) even though nearly two-thirds of U.S. households own their homes.

These households struggle to save for a rainy day and pay other bills, including groceries and healthcare.

It’s Cheaper to Buy Than Rent

As we have previously mentioned, the results of the latest Rent vs. Buy Report from Trulia shows that home ownership remains cheaper than renting with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage in the 100 largest metro areas in the United States.

The updated numbers show that the range is an average of 3.5% less expensive in San Jose (CA), all the way up to 50.1% less expensive in Baton Rouge (LA), and 33.1% nationwide!

Know Your Options

Perhaps you have already saved enough to buy your first home. A nationwide survey of about 24,000 renters found that 80% of millennial renters plan to eventually buy a house, but 72% cite affordability as their primary obstacle. Aside from affordability, one in three millennial renters have concerns about their credit scores, and another 53% said that a down payment is an obstacle.

Many first-time home buyers who believe that they need a large down payment may be holding themselves back from their dream homes. As we have reported before, in many areas of the country, a first-time home buyer can save for a 3% down payment in less than two years. You may have already saved enough!

Bottom Line

Don’t get caught in the trap that so many renters are currently in. If you are ready and willing to buy a home, find out if you are able. Let’s get together to determine if you can qualify for a mortgage now!

Filed Under: Tips for Home Buyers, Home Ownership Tagged With: Rent vs. Own

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"It’s hard to know where to start. Russ walked on water for us. He must memorize every listing the morning it lists. He knew exactly what we wanted and found our perfect house the morning it came on the market. We came from northern Washington and had already checked several other communities before deciding on this area, and Russ refined our search to meet our needs. Russ was prompt, quick to respond to our phone calls, always kept us in the loop, and just a pleasure to work with. He was on top of every detail and brought us to closing a day early. Yay Russ!"
- C. C., Sahuarita AZ
"My husband and I are honored to recommend Russ Fortuno as the most efficient and professional real estate professional we have had. We feel very blessed to have found Russ while we were still in North Carolina. We planned to relocate to Green Valley, AZ and were interested in establishing a rapport and receiving listings prior to moving cross-country. By the time we arrived Russ pretty much knew what we were looking for. Even though the inventory was not terribly plentiful at the time we found our home the very first day we went looking!!! In addition to helping us find the perfect home, Russ was wonderful to refer us to local contractors and professionals in our area. He is a wealth of information and took the time to answer any questions we had. We also felt the step-by-step timeline Russ includes in his service was very helpful."
- M.P., Green Valley, AZ
"From start to finish, Russ Fortuno was “a class act.” It started with his online Home Buyer’s Guide which was helpful to me, a first-time, out-of-state buyer. His new listing email notifications were timely and helped me get familiar with the Green Valley properties that fit my budget. Then when I was ready to buy, he represented me as a buyer’s agent. He professionally led me through the entire process with great knowledge of the available properties, as well as the subsequent offer and purchasing process. I found Russ to be very clear and direct. He went above and beyond what I expected. Even after the closing, he arranged the removal of some unwanted furniture and helped me identify cleaning and painting services in the area, something few other agents would do. I would highly recommend his services to anyone without reservation!"
- E.D., Green Valley, AZ
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Russ Fortuno, Associate Broker

I'm a Southern Arizona native and year-round Green Valley resident. Whether you’re buying or selling a home in the Green Valley or Sahuarita area, you’ll experience unsurpassed service and professionalism at all stages of your real estate transaction. I welcome the opportunity to assist in your next home sale or purchase.
Meet Russ

Tierra Antigua Realty

18745 S. I-19 Frontage Rd., Ste. A105
Green Valley, AZ 85614
(520) 333-0446
Contact Russ

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