To rent or own a house?

[Kandy-Sugar]

At the moment we're renting but only because there is simply no cheap houses around at the moment, so we're waiting for the right time to buy.

I know a few people who think that it doesn't matter whether you own a house or not. They think it's not a necessity and you shouldn't feel pressured into buying a house just because that's what's expected when you get married and have kids.

I would like to own a house one day, especially when I have kids, only because of the security it provides. You at least know that you won't get a letter in the mail saying the the owner wants to sell and then have to pack up your life and move elsewhere.

That sort of thing disrupts the children especially if they're attending school.

What if you even had to change schools because of the move?

So I'll just ask the following:

Are you currently renting or paying off a mortgage?

Do you think it's important to own a house?

 

[Shu]

All depends of your financial capability. I took out a 15/30 year adjustable mortgage at Regions Bank, and they did pretty good with figuring in the 700 dollars a month. The perks of having your own house really, is you can listen to your music as loud as you want, your sexual business is not flaunted to others, you can paint whatever room you want too, and literally you can spread your legs.

I mean really the only real thing you gotta worry about when you have a house is paying taxes on it and your fire/water insurance as well as utilities.

The house is definitely the way to go.

Renting forever gets very expensive. They can always up the rates when you are renting too, while a mortgage, not exactly.

 

[Dee]

One thing you gotta remember is, in this day in age - even if you do own a house - unless you paid cash up front and the whole thing is taken care of, your home, your security and your money is still on the line. If you don't have good credit, or you're still making payments and something happens to you where you end up being financially fucked because of it, the bank could easily snatch that house up from under your feet. Some people have the oddest notion that when they 'buy' a house, it's theirs and no one else's, but that is so incredibly not true.

As long as you know you're going to be able to make the payments and or somehow manage to save up enough money to buy a house in one large, lump sum, I would say you shouldn't believe you're owning the house until you've got no one to answer to (other than for things like utilities, of course).

 

[Lord Flashheart]

Renting all the way, baby.

Buying a house means you're stuck to it for at least a few decades and I simply don't want that. I want freedom, I wanna be able to say "and now I'm tired of this place, I'm off to X" and that's only possible if you rent a place.

 

[SapphireStar]

Ive always rented myself. The thing with rented is you cant personalise your home. You have to ask permisson to put up shelves, hang photos, etc. In your own place, you can go mad. But as Shu said renting is expensive if you rent forever.

 

[blakstang98]

It really depends on the situation. If you're single, I suggest renting and if you're married, buy a house.

I currently rent, but it's mainly because I am single and having the responsibility of taking care of a yard, maintenance and the like, it's just too much effort to be worth it just for me. I actually wanted to buy a home and the market value is super low right now, and I'd hate to miss out on a grand opportunity, but even a small house is too much for me to take care of.

At my apartment complex, they're doing the roofing, and becaue I rent, I don't have to pay for it. Heat is also included in my rent, so I don't have to gripe about gas/oil prices. And my place is more than enough for just me.

One day when I tie the knot, I plan to have a family, and there would be nothing more grand than having my own home. Me, my wife and my children can start to create some memories there. But for now, the dream of owning a home can wait until I find that special someone.

 

[Kandy-Sugar]

I love the fact that I don't have hardly as many bills as you would in buying a house.

Though at the same time I feel as though I'm wasting good money on renting and helping someone else pay off their loan, when I could be paying off my own.

But, I don't want to be tied down at the moment with those sort of bills.

We still want to travel and wouldn't be able to afford that if we were buying. We just feel like we want to get all the holidays and what not out of the road, and then settle down after we're satisfied.

However, it's hard to do that, as my parents are constantly at me, telling me I should be buying and that I'm wasting my money.

It's so hard to figure out what to do when I have those sort of pressures.

 

[Donald Trump]

I love the fact that I don't have hardly as many bills as you would in buying a house.

Those costs are part of the rent, it's like having a plan on your mobile, you get charged the same even if you don't use all your minutes. I'm not sure if part of your rent agreement is paying something like the electricity bill, but even if you're not paying for it, you still are if you see what I mean, it's all taken into account, you just pay the same level every month.

At my apartment complex, they're doing the roofing, and becaue I rent, I don't have to pay for it.

Most apartment complexes have another fee, which is normally paid yearly, which covers maintainence costs, so the idea that you don't pay isn't strictly accurate, although you're not paying for the full amount.

However, it's hard to do that, as my parents are constantly at me, telling me I should be buying and that I'm wasting my money.

We Kiwis and Australians believe in owning a house. Very few people here actually rent for any lengthy period of time. Other countries, like England don't have that same belief. There's no one right way, each has its disadvantages and advantages.
Personally I'd prefer to own a house, but I'm a product of our society.