3 Reasons You Might Decide to Retire to a Tiny Home – and Why You’ll Love It!

3 Reasons You Might Decide to Retire to a Tiny Home - and Why You'll Love ItMany people romanticize the idea of paying off their home mortgage early so they can enjoy their home in retirement, but when it comes to the later years of life, a big house can actually be too much to handle. If you’ve started to consider a smaller home and are wondering why it might be a good decision for you and yours, here are a few things you may want to consider.

It’s Much Easier To Maintain

It is often the idea of the palatial estate with a pool that homeowners get excited about, but when it comes to reality, the larger the home, the harder it is going to be to take care of and maintain. If you don’t have a maid or a butler, a smaller home will enable you to spend a lot more of your free time doing things that you love instead of being bound to a house that is full of repairs and maintenance that needs to be completed.

Save On The Big Home Bills

One of the worries associated with getting older is having the ability to maintain your lifestyle in old age, and a smaller home can actually alleviate many of the high costs that go along with having an oversized home. A smaller home will not only minimize your insurance and taxes, it can also positively impact the amount you pay each month for heating and electricity, so you’ll notice the savings right off the bat.

The Freedom Of A Downsized Lifestyle

One of the best things about downsizing to a smaller home is the huge sense of responsibility that can be left in the dust. Instead of being held back by all of the stuff required to fill a big house, a small home means there is less to worry about. This may mean you’ll have the option to go on longer vacations or can even relocate to a hot climate for the summer months, and you’ll only need someone to come by and water the plants every once in a while!

There are plenty of people that decide to downsize later in life since it can actually be a great way to save money and have a lot more freedom. If you’re considering your smaller home options and are curious about what’s available on the market, you may want to contact one of our real estate professionals for more information.

/by

Smart Ways To Create Equity Within Your Home

Smart Ways To Use The Equity In Your HomeHome equity is the difference between what your home can sell for and what you owe on it. Generally, the longer you own your home, the more equity you build.

This is money you can use before you sell your home through a home equity loan. Just keep in mind that a home equity loan is secured with your home. If you can’t make the payments, you can lose your home.

Use Your Home Equity In Smart Ways:

  1. Remodel Your Home – If you’ve wanted to add on a family room or modernize your kitchen, consider using your home’s equity to fund the project. Home improvements usually increase your home’s marketability and value.
  2. Make Needed Major Repairs – Your home’s equity can be a funding source for major repairs like plumbing problems and re-roofs. Once again, this is an improvement for your home that will help keep its value up.
  3. Buy Another Property – Real estate is still a safe investment. You can use your home equity to buy a second property when home values are down. When the market recovers, you can sell the investment property for a profit. This also works if you have to move out of town and are still trying to sell your home. If you can afford the payments, use your home’s equity to purchase your new home until the current one sells.
  4. Pay For Unexpected Medical Expenses Or Job Loss – You never know when a medical emergency or job loss will leave you in debt. A home equity loan can give you the money you need to get through this difficult time.

It’s easy to build equity in your home when you find the right deal. Let me help you find your perfect home and negotiate a great price and terms for you. Contact your mortgage professional today.

/by

Renters Missed Out On Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars This Past Year

Renters Missed Out On Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars This Past YearRent has gone up significantly during the past year. Even though it is not unusual for rent to go up over time, the average rent across the country has increased significantly during the past year. This means that the average rent will probably be even higher next year than it is this year. Even though this is one of the biggest deterrents against renting, there are other reasons to get out of the rental market as well. 

Renters Stand To Lose More Money This Year

One of the biggest reasons why renters are losing so much money is that the average value of a house has gone up significantly. During the past year, the average value of a home in the United States increased by more than $50,000. This means that the average homeowner gained this amount of money in equity. Renters do not get the same benefit. Because renters are not investing any money in property, they are not seeing any return on the money they throw away in rent. This means that renters lost tens of thousands of dollars by renting this past year instead of owning. 

Renting Can Be Very Expensive

A lot of people do not want to purchase a house because they are scared of maintenance expenses, property taxes, and the size of the down payment. On the other hand, renting is like throwing money down the drain. The money is going directly into the pocket of the property owner, and the renter is not seeing any sort of return on that investment. Furthermore, even though the price of renting can go up over time, many people who take out a mortgage lock in the rate for 30 years. This means the monthly payment will be the same at the end of the loan as it is at the beginning of the loan. If someone has a steady job, their income is likely to go up during the course of the mortgage, meaning that they have more financial flexibility in the future. Renters need to think carefully about what they can do to get out of the rental market and purchase property before rent increases in the future. 

 

/by

Keep Your Home Free From Clutter With These Helpful Unpacking Tips

Keep Your Home Free From Clutter With These Helpful Unpacking TipsThe thrill of purchasing a new home is unparalleled; however, once you close on the sale, the dreaded unpacking process begins. You probably did not realize just how much stuff you had until you had to pack it all up. Worse yet, you need to unpack it when you get to your new home. If you don’t unpack intelligently, your new home could end up disorganized and full of clutter. With this in mind, how can you unpack without leading to a tremendous amount of clutter in your home?

Get Rid Of Items You Do Not Need

As you go through the boxes, ask yourself if you are actually going to need the items as you unpack them. If you do not need them, consider donating them to a local charity. Just because you brought it with you does not mean that you need to keep them. Evaluate the items in your boxes, and discard them when not needed.

Unpack Room By Room

Hopefully, you labeled your boxes as you packed them up, so this is a perfect time to organize your items before you open the boxes. Furthermore, it is faster to carry the boxes to the individual rooms than to carry the individual items to their designated locations one at a time. If you unpack room by room, you can ensure every item has a place (and that every item is in its place).

Take Advantage Of Organizers

While unpacking your boxes is half the battle, the other half is using organizers to keep your belongings in the right spots. There are plenty of organizers you can use to keep your items in the right locations. Examples include bins, boxes, and trays. You can use them to organize your storage spaces, drawers, and closets. You can even use wire organizers that prevent your cords from creating trip hazards. Use every tool available to keep your rooms organized.

Prevent Clutter From Developing In Your Home

There are a lot of homes that develop a significant amount of clutter during the unpacking process, but your home does not have to look this way! When you start to unload those boxes, put these tips to work for you!

/by

Is Now The Time To Move Into A Retirement Home?

Is Now The Time To Move Into A Retirement Home?There are thousands of people who turn 65 every day, which is the typical retirement age. Before the development of the pandemic, most people had to wait to retire before they could move to their retirement homes. Due to the pandemic, a lot of people are working remotely, giving them a chance to move to their retirement homes before they actually retire. Is it a smart idea to move before retiring? If the next phase of life is calling, now might be a time to make the move to a retirement home, whether this is a home on the beach or a sprawling property located in the countryside.

Workers Can Be Just As Productive Working From Home

While the pandemic was unexpected, workers have been gradually becoming more remote during the past few years. The pandemic simply accelerated this trend, showing that employees can be just as effective working from home. Therefore, you may see more people buying retirement homes before they actually retire. A lot of people who retire have paid off their current homes, allowing them to make a significant profit if they decide to sell now and relocate to their retirement home using the equity they already have. If they are able to work remotely from there, it might be possible for people to move to a retirement home before they actually retire.

Many Homeowners Are Moving To Their Retirement Homes Now

Due to the health crisis that just happened, many people have become acutely aware of the importance of spending time with family members and friends. Many have not seen their family members and friends since the pandemic started, and moving closer to them is one of the biggest reasons why people relocate. In addition, making the move to a retirement home now can reduce expenses, start a new phase of life, and provide access to better weather.

With mortgage rates still very low, this could be a great time for workers nearing the retirement age to move into their dream homes. Then, they can continue to work virtually from there during the next few years, getting a head start on the next phase of life.

/0 Comments/by