Rent vs. Buy: Seven Factors to Consider Before Buying a Home

June 25, 2014

Owning your own home has long been considered part of the American dream but as the housing market starts to heat up in certain areas of the country, home ownership may not be the most economical solution to housing.  A recent article in The New York Times draws attention to several factors that must be considered when evaluating the financial benefits of home ownership and provides a link to a Rent v. Buy Calculator* that potential homeowners can use to quantify the tradeoff. Here are some guidelines you can use when considering each factor: Continue reading “Rent vs. Buy: Seven Factors to Consider Before Buying a Home”

I’m Thinking the Real Estate Market is Due for a Strong Turnaround. Should I Buy Investment Property?

February 03, 2011

I get this question all the time over the Financial Helpline and in one-on-ones with the employees we work with.  I also hear it regularly from friends who want to know my perspective on this as a financial planner.

What is interesting about this question is that the answer, surprisingly, has very little to do with the real estate market.  And that’s why so many people make bad decisions in this area.  They base their decisions on what they think the real estate market is going to do, when instead, they should be looking at their own financial situation to make a decision on this. Continue reading “I’m Thinking the Real Estate Market is Due for a Strong Turnaround. Should I Buy Investment Property?”