Why OWN?!! Better to rent???

A recent YAHOO editorial purported to show that owning a home is not necessarily a great investment, and therefore, not a very great decision. I won't even get into where he got his data, how he selected what cities and what timetables to "examine" what is his agenda, etc.

The point is that OWNING is not only a financial decision. Sales professionals, be prepared to serve your prospects better by reinforcing these motivations. Sales managers and sellers, make sure your sales assets have the tools to help their customers.

Here are SOME rerasons to own. Let me know of others and I'll add them.

Tenants can usually be evicted…for cause or not in most markets…in 30 days.
(And the 30 day notice is almost always at a bad time for the tenant.)

Tenants then have little choice when to move.
New phone numbers? New cable carriers? More deposits to the utility companies?

Even paying your rent timely doesn’t prevent a forced move.
If the landlord has not paid the mortgage, tenants can be evicted by the lender in a foreclosure
action, receivership etc.

In almost all cases now, owners know exactly what their monthly mortgage payment will be in one, three, five and ten years.
And usually, it will be the same then as it is now.
Renters can only anticipate increasing rents.

Communities of owners have more stability or residents.
Other owners have a stake in keeping the community safe.

Owners don’t need to ask permission to hang pictures…ANYwhere.

Owners’ kids get to know the neighbors’ kids; we get to know their parents.
There’s a better chance of a better overall kid experience because we all know we’ll likely be
neighbors for some time.

Owners can do their laundry at 3AM, and in the nude, if they want.
Apartment dwellers often can not.

Owners can control more where they park each car, and can usually avoid neighbors’ cars chipping their own car doors.

Owners can paint the kids’ room “Pooh Bear Yellow” if they want.

Owners can glue mirrors to the walls or ceilings if they want.
Owners can build in a window seat, add a bidet, or upholster a wall if they want.

Owners decide for themselves if it is time to add a pet to the household.

Owners can do a house swap for vacations if they want.

Owners determine who has keys to their home.
Owners know who has a door opener for their garage.
Owners can change the locks, codes, door openers, whenever they want.
They don’t need to wonder if a previous resident still has access.

Owners determine who can stay over…for a week, a month, a lifetime.

Owners decide if they want to knock down a wall, combine rooms, convert a closet to a
desk-bookcase, etc.
Owners can remove cabinets, replace them and allow for a larger refrigerator, a second dishwasher, or larger sinks.

Buyers of NEW homes can choose colors, flooring materials, shower enclosures, door peepholes,
light fixtures, etc.
And NONE of them have to be beige, boring and gray!!!

Buyers of NEW homes get the latest technology, best energy efficiency and most modern designs.

Buyers of NEW homes get a warranty. And no lead based paint, no asbestos, no urea
formaldehyde foam insulation, no lead in the water.
In a NEW home, the popcorn is in front of the television and not in the ceiling texture.

Buyers of NEW homes have a built in mechanism to resolve any purported defects in the home.
Buyers of NEW homes, because of their builders’ relationships, have access to the best
trade contractors to remedy any legitimate claims. Try that with a landlord or a used house.

Buyers of NEW homes decide on whether to have built in sound or theater systems…and where
to put them. And get a warranty from the builder in many cases.

Rent vs Buy is not the question. Rent vs OWN is the question.

What is your answer?