The American dream is changing. It used to be all about the dream home. But as we look out we can see that dream is changing. It is not going away completely, but the modifications to it are significant enough that we can afford to take a different look at the picture. While you might not want to give up the idea of living in the comfort of your own sets of four walls, couple of bathrooms, spare bedroom and spacious backyard. Are you prepared for all the responsibility that comes along with owning and tending and being responsible for this monster of a dream from years to year?
The mistake most people make is thinking the dream has to be the same for everybody. Believe it or not you can tailor a home, that is, an actual house accommodation to fit yourself instead of the other way around.
Not everyone is fit to own a house property. People buy without knowing about the expense of a water bill at the end of the year, or the quarterly taxes that must be paid or even something as basic as heating costs not only for the winter, but for basic hot water on a year round budget. There are a lot of things to consider. Do you really want to be the one sued by the person who falls on the sidewalk in front of your front gate? These things do happen and they are the little things all potential homeowners should take into consideration before signing that contract.
Renting does not have to mean an apartment. There are beautiful homes that are not condominiums for rent year round. They provide the same type of comfort as owning without all the responsibility. Property owners will even allow the rental to be shared amongst a group of people as long as they feel their investment, the house, will remain in good shape. For instance, pets are usually a no-no unless it is a fish. But these things can be negotiated between you and the property owner amicably with everyone maintaining their part of the bargain. Most of the time the renter or renters responsibility will simply be to pay the rent on time.
The benefits of this are vast. But nothing beats being able to try out a property for a few months or years and if you decide that it is no longer for you, barring any lease agreements, to just pack up and leave. If you know or are not sure that you are the type of person to want to care for property on a long-term commitment level then renting is a much better deal.
