Although buying a new home may be a happy time in your life, if you do not do your due diligence in a few areas of home buying you may find yourself a bit frightened by the outcome.  Below is a list of a few frightening home buying regrets you should try to avoid at all costs.

1. One of the number one regrets of folks who are in the market for a new home is putting off house hunting until the last minute.  If your family has already gotten too big for your current house you may cause yourself undue stress by not starting your new home search as quickly as possible.  Also if you have already sold your home but you still haven’t quite found the home of your dreams you may be in for a bit of stress trying to move out quickly at the last minute.
2. Another frightening home buying regret to avoid is not paying attention to the schools that border your new home. Even if you don’t have children yet you need to pay attention to the school systems in your new area before you purchase.   You may not think you are going to live in the new home long enough for it to affect your future children but you just never know where life may take you and you don’t want to end up sending your children to a less than stellar school system.
3. Buying too much of a house for your budget is another big issue that can become very frightening to you and your loved ones. The first month in a new home is typically pretty peaceful but once the mortgage bill comes around and its more than you can handle, it isn’t so pretty anymore.  Figure out your budget before you go house hunting and do your best not to go beyond that budget and you should be fine.
4. If there are things in the house you plan to buy that you do not like the looks of, do not figure you will just fix them once you move in, make a few demands of the seller and see what you can get before you have to throw a ton of money on top of the purchase price to make repairs. You don’t know what the seller might be willing to do unless you ask.

Now that you have a few ideas on home buying regrets to avoid, you will be able to make the best and right decision on buying a home for your family.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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According to the Census Bureau, millennials have overtaken baby boomers as the largest generation in U.S. History. Millennials, or America’s youth born between 1982-2000, now represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population, totaling 83.1 million.

There has been a lot of talk about how, as a generation, millennials have ‘failed to launch’ into adulthood and have delayed moving out of their family’s home. Some experts have even questioned whether or not millennials want to move out.

The great news is that not only do millennials want to move out… they are moving out! The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released their 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers in which they revealed that 61% of all first-time homebuyers were millennials in 2015!  

The median age of all first-time buyers in 2015 was 31 years old. 

Here is chart showing the breakdown by age:

Many social factors have contributed to millennials waiting to buy their first home. The latest Census results show that the median age of Americans at the time of their first marriage has increased significantly over the last 60 years, from 23 for men & 20 for women in 1955, to 29 & 27, respectively, in 2015.

Those who went to college and took out student loans are finally paying them off, as the terms on traditional student loans are 10 years. This means that a large portion of the generation is making its last loan payments and is working toward saving for a first home.

As a whole, the first-time homebuyer share increased to 35% of all buyers, up from 32% in 2014. Not all millennials are first-time buyers, they also made up 12% of all repeat buyers!

Bottom Line

Millennials will continue to drive the housing market next year, as well as in the years to come. As more and more realize that owning a home is within their grasp, they will flock to own their piece of the American Dream. Are you ready to buy your first or even second home?

by The KCM Crew

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Every three years, the Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The latest survey, which includes data from 2010-2013, reports that a homeowner’s net worth is 36 times greater than that of a renter ($194,500 vs. $5,400). In a Forbes article, the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun predicts that in 2016 the net worth gap will widen even further to 45 times greater. The graph below demonstrates the results of the last two Federal Reserve studies and Yun’s prediction:

Put Your Housing Cost to Work for You

Simply put, homeownership is a form of forced savings. Every time you pay your mortgage, you are contributing to your net worth. Every time you pay your rent, you are contributing to your landlord’s net worth. The latest National Housing Pulse Survey from NAR reveals that 85% of consumers believe that purchasing a home is a good financial decision. Yun comments:

“Though there will always be discussion about whether to buy or rent, or whether the stock market offers a bigger return than real estate, the reality is that homeowners steadily build wealth. The simplest math shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Bottom Line

If you are interested in finding out if you could put your housing cost to work for you by purchasing a home, meet with a real estate professional in your area who can guide you through the process.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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This is not a political post!

Finally, the issue of homeownership has become a platform talking point in this year’s presidential debate. This week, one of the candidates running for President spoke out about the importance of homeownership in America. Hillary Clinton detailed a new economic agenda and in announcing her new agenda, she remarked:

“Homeownership is about more than just owning a home. It is about putting roots down in a community with better schools, safer streets and good jobs. And it is about building wealth, as homeowners build equity in their home one mortgage payment at a time…We must make sure that everyone has a fair shot at homeownership.”

This post isn’t political!

It doesn’t matter that it was Clinton who said it first. It doesn’t matter that she is a Democrat. What matters is that EVERY candidate for our country’s highest office realizes the important role homeownership plays in the development of our nation. The fact that homeownership was finally brought to the forefront of the debate is great news – no matter which way you lean politically.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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A survey by The Joint Center of Housing Studies at Harvard University reveals that when a family is buying a home they consider the financial benefits of homeownership along with the social benefits. The survey mentions things like:

• Paying rent does not make sense
• Homeownership provides a good financial opportunity
• Owning a home helps you building family wealth
• Buying a home is investing in your retirement
• Home equity gives you something to borrow against

So how did homeownership match up against other investments in 2015? Here is a chart that compares its return on investment against precious metals and the stock market last year:

Bottom Line

Not only did homeownership offer all its social benefits. It also was a great investment financially.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Every three years the Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The latest survey, which includes data from 2010-2013, reports that a homeowner’s net worth is 36 times greater than that of a renter ($194,500 vs. $5,400). In a recent Forbes article the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun predicts that in 2016 the net worth gap will widen even further to 45 times greater. The graph below demonstrates the results of the last two Federal Reserve studies and Yun’s prediction:

Put Your Housing Cost to Work For You

Simply put, homeownership is a form of ‘forced savings’. Every time you pay your mortgage you are contributing to your net worth. Every time you pay your rent, you are contributing to your landlord’s net worth. The latest National Housing Pulse Survey from NAR reveals that 80% of consumers believe that purchasing a home is a good financial decision. Yun comments:

“Though there will always be discussion about whether to buy or rent, or whether the stock market offers a bigger return than real estate, the reality is that homeowners steadily build wealth. The simplest math shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Bottom Line

If you are interested in finding out if you could put your housing cost to work for you through homeownership, meet with a real estate professional in your area who can guide you through the process.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

According to the latest Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent (BH&J) Index homeownership is a better way to produce greater wealth, on average, than renting. The BH&J Index is a quarterly report that attempts to answer the question:

Is it better to rent or buy a home in today’s housing market?

The index examines that entire US housing market and then isolates 23 major markets for comparison. The researchers at use a “’horse race’ comparison between an individual that is buying a home and an individual that rents a similar quality home and reinvests all monies otherwise invested in homeownership.” Ken Johnson, Real Estate Economist & Professor at Florida Atlantic University, and one of the index’s authors states: “The U.S. as a whole is still in clear buy territory. The cities of Cincinnati, Chicago, Cleveland, and New York City are deep into buy territory.” Miami and Portland had been inching closer toward renting being the better option but have “pulled back from the edge.” Johnson goes on to say, “that’s a good sign for home pricing as it suggests prices are going to level off in these metro areas.”

Bottom Line

Buying a home makes sense socially and financially. Rents are predicted to increase substantially in the next year, so lock in your housing cost with a mortgage payment now.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Parts 1 and 2 of this series explained building wealth is not about quick profits! It’s about steadily increasing your net worth over time.

Home ownership is one of the easiest ways of building wealth that’s available to the general public, non-investors, and average middle-class Americans. Part 1 and 2 contained Rules #1 thru #7…

Rule # 8: Be careful about the costs of home improvements.

Typically, most improvements do not increase your home’s value dollar for dollar. That does not mean they aren’t worthwhile. Just understand they are not always building wealth. There is a difference between making improvements to enhance living and enhancing property value. Most improvements are a combination of both.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to add carpet to a room. You can pay $12/sq.yd. for carpet, or pay $24/sq.yd. Will you get the difference in price back when you sell? Probably not, because a future buyer may not think the difference in the carpet is worth the price to them. So, you must decide if the difference in price is worth it for your own enjoyment. Watch here for a future article for more details.

Rule # 9: Understand the difference between appreciation and inflation.

Many people talk about homes as “investments,” and how they “appreciate” in value over time. True investments produce a return on money invested. That is not truly the case with private homes. Homes actually depreciate in value because structures deteriorate if not maintained properly, which costs money.

Typically, a home increases in value through inflation, not appreciation. As general economic inflation increases the cost of goods and services, it is also inflating the cost of housing. This increases your potential wealth because home ownership is a type of hedge against inflation. Paying attention to Rules 5,6, and 7 creates wealth.

Rule # 10: Know your financial position when it’s time to sell.

Stay in touch with your Realtor to keep current on local home values. Pay attention to economic inflation rates. Maintain your home with an eye toward cost of living. If you are careful and thoughtful you will be successful at building wealth.

Information courtesy of Orlando Realtor Teri Isner, Orlando Avenue Top Team.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Part 1 of this series explained building wealth is not about quick profits! It’s about steadily increasing your net worth over time.

Homeownership is one of the easiest ways of building wealth that’s available to the general public, non-investors, and average middle-class Americans. Part 1 contained Rules #1 thru #4…

Rule # 5: Understand the difference between paying costs of living and paying toward wealth building.

Costs of living contribute nothing to wealth building. Examples of these are property taxes and insurance, utilities costs, mortgage interest, etc.

Some of these costs are hidden when you rent because the landlord pays them. Utilities are costs you pay. In both cases, once they are paid, the money is gone. On the other hand, mortgage principle payments build equity.

Rule # 6: Understand how your mortgage works.

When you make a monthly mortgage payment, it’s not just paying the mortgage company. It’s also paying YOU! Part of the mortgage payment is interest on the outstanding balance of the loan. Interest pays the lender for loaning money and is a cost of living.

However, part of the mortgage payment reduces the principle loan amount owed. Every month you make a payment the loan amount gets smaller. Therefore, the interest you pay the next month is a little smaller. Since the monthly amount you pay is a fixed number, as the interest amount gets smaller the amount paid toward reducing the loan gets larger. That is money you are paying yourself.

Think of payments that reduce your loan as a forced savings account…it’s increasing your wealth. Your equity is the portion of the value of the property that you actually own. To find the value of your equity you must subtract what you owe from the property value. Therefore, as you make payments that reduce how much you owe, each month you increase your equity and are building wealth.

Rule # 7: Consider making extra payments on your mortgage.

You should have the right to pay extra toward reducing the principle on your loan anytime you choose. Your monthly mortgage payment has two parts: first, you pay interest based on the outstanding amount of the loan; and second, the rest of the payment reduces the loan itself. When you add extra money to your payment it will reduce the loan even more, and build equity and wealth faster.

Watch for Building Wealth With Home Ownership 103 for more rules to follow while you own.

Information courtesy of Orlando FL Realtor Teri Isner.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

This blog is not about quick and easy profits! True wealth building rarely is. It’s about steadily increasing your net worth over time. It is not about speculative investments to get rich quick. It’s about how to build meaningful wealth while enjoying your home.

There are many variables and moving parts to the home ownership puzzle. But, it’s not brain surgery either. Home ownership is possibly the most accessible means of building wealth that is available to the general public, non-investors, and average middle-class Americans. Here’s how to make it work…

Rule # 1: Consider the “5-year Rule” before you decide to buy.

Don’t consider buying a home unless you plan to own it for at least 5 years. That is because the wealth building cycle starts very slowly during the first 5 years.

After 5 years, the wealth building cycle begins to accelerate. Selling before then may cause you to lose money because you won’t necessarily get back all the up-front costs of buying.

Rule # 2: Make sure you don’t pay too much when you buy!

Any retailer will tell you they make their profit when they buy. That’s because consumers in the marketplace will dictate the final sale price. The retailer can’t control that. The retailer can only control what he pays for an item. The difference between what he pays and what he can sell it for is his profit.

It’s the same with housing. Get proof of the current value of the property you’re buying by researching the comparative values (“comps”) of similar properties actually sold recently. These are available for free from your Realtor.

Rule # 3: Shop to get the lowest interest rate you can.

But, don’t accept fancy terms of a loan like adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) or deferred (balloon) payments. A fixed rate over the length of the loan is more preferable so you know what to expect over time. Remember, this is about wealth building, not speculative investing!

Rule # 4: Pay for a professional home inspection after you are under contract.

Then be insistent that everything is in top condition before you buy. Remember, there are a lot of moving parts. You must minimize how many of them are likely to breakdown soon after you buy.

Watch for Building Wealth With Home Ownership 102 for rules to follow while you own.

Information courtesy of Orlando Realtor Teri Isner.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!