• No special tax deductions.
• There are no equity gains in the rising value of property.
• Space and storage is usually less than a home.
• Changes to accommodate your life or growing family cannot be made or are limited in scope.
• Rents can rise with inflation and or supply and demand in the rental market.
• You will probably have restrictions on noise level, pet ownership, or children.
• Advantages and disadvantages of buying a home

• The home may increase in value, resulting in a significant gain in net worth.
• The emotional high derived from ownership and the sense of status created both at home and in the community.
• Homeowner's tend to have better credit ratings.
• The longer you live in a home, the more equity you build that can be leveraged using an emergency loan.
• Mortgage payments contribute to an investment, particularly if the property is located where it increases in value over a period of years.
• If you have a fixed loan, your payment will remain relatively constant for the life of the loan.
• The interest paid on your loan and taxes are legitimate income tax deductions.
• Ownership may contribute to security, especially in retirement years when income normally decreases.
• A homeowner can borrow against his/her equity, as the value of the home increases.
• More space may be available for family members and their activities.
• As a homeowner you have the freedom to make improvements and changes to the home and surroundings as desired (although a development or association may have restrictions and prohibitions).
• Home ownership can contribute to the general well-being and sense of "roots" of the family, especially for children.
• Homeowners generally are concerned about community affairs and how they may affect their property.

• A substantial down payment is needed.
• Owning a home requires a substantial commitment in time, emotions, and money.
• Homes may decrease in value if the neighborhood deteriorates, changes quickly, or the real estate market suffers a decline.
• Due to the initial expense of buying a home, financial resources may be limited or reduced for other purchases or activities.
• Maintenance and repairs are inevitable and could be costly.
• Part of home ownership includes procuring enough income to afford insurance of all kinds including loss of the house as a result of a natural disaster.
• Budgeting is cumbersome and a must in preparation for maintenance, repairs, home improvements, and/or home ownership/association dues.
• Depending on where you live property taxes could increase dramatically.
• The cost of buying a home should also include the cost of moving into it and furnishing it.
• Shifts in the neighborhood could drastically affect ones lifestyle.
• Security is an issue if you are not home often due to travel.
• Unexpected loss of income due to job termination or unemployment may limit money available for home ownership costs.

Decisions, decisions. The very best way to proceed is to list all the factors about your life that are important to you.

• What type of living situation would make you feel the best about yourself?
• Do you have certain neighborhood preferences that would be limited by either decision?
• Which decision would strap you the most financially?
• If you have family (married, children) which decision would impact their lives?
• Which is more important to you, what type of place you reside in or the furnishings within, or both?
• What are your lifestyle requirements?
• Do you like to entertain?
• Do you own a boat or RV?
• Do you need a garage because of your hobbies)?
• What is the distance you would have to travel to work, school, church, shopping?
• How important is privacy?
• How much time and what skill sets do you need to have to devote to maintenance and upkeep?
• Are You Ready for Home Ownership

Buying a house commits you to a long-term relationship with a mortgage and requires a considerable amount of time and energy that most homeowner will tell you becomes second nature. American consumers spend from 21% to 54% of family income on their housing. How much each family spends on housing depends on many factors. Three basic considerations that can help a family determine how much home they can afford are:

• The amount of take-home pay the family can reasonably expect.
• The family's living costs and other debt payments.
• The total amount of housing expenses, including: taxes, insurance, energy, furnishings, maintenance, and mortgage payments.

When you list your home with us, you can rest assured that behind us is a team of experts who are well trained to support your interests. Our professional support team shares our commitment to a successful transaction. Here is a list of our support efforts:

• Most office managers are non-selling real estate professionals, thus maximizing their availability to sales associates and to you
• Sales associates are supported with full-time administrative staff, allowing them more time to attend to your needs.
• Individual agent marketing of your home is supported with extensive advertising, increasing exposure to potential buyers Offices are open seven days a week, with sales associates and support staff available to you and potential buyers.
  
  

Pricing your home is a complex task that requires the expertise of an experienced real estate professional. Consider the following: If the listing price is set too high, potential buyers may be deterred from considering your home. Arriving at the optimal price requires evaluation and understanding of current market conditions, and the marketable features of your home. The closer your home is priced to fair market value when it first comes on the market, the more likely it will sell quickly at the highest price. The higher your home is priced above market value, the fewer number of buyers will look at it.

We will advise you of many factors when assisting you in determining a listing price for your home. Some of these factors include:

• Determining the selling price of recently sold properties with attributes similar to yours
• Arriving at a listing price that is attractive enough for buyers to request showings and make acceptable offers.
• Determining what properties are competing for the attention of buyers right now.
• Determining what properties have not sold. This is a good indicator of what prices buyers are unwilling to pay under current market conditions.

Understanding where buyers come from allows agents to market your home more effectively. While buyers use a variety of information sources to learn about homes for sale in their target neighborhood and price range, the vast majority will discover your home with the assistance of a real estate professional. According to research by the California Association of Realtors®, 72% of Internet home buyers and 63% of traditional buyers were first exposed to the home they purchased by their real estate agent. Therefore, we will use a comprehensive plan that includes networking with colleagues throughout the area to position your home to the right buyer.

The more exposure your home receives, the more opportunity you'll have to achieve your financial and time-oriented goals. In addition to Internet and print media advertising, we attract qualified buyers by using the following methods:

• Property Flyer - We prepare a professional marketing sales tool including graphics and highlights of your home to distribute to the brokerage community and potential buyers.
• Multiple Listing Service (MLS) - Information about your home will be included in the Multiple Listing Service, a database of currently available properties accessible by real estate professionals. Other Brokers - We cooperate with and invite other brokers in the community to tour your home in order to find a buyer.
• Relocation connections - Prospects for your home also come from relocation services, corporations, executive search firms and fellow associates who keep track of potential buyers and maintain relationships with former clients.
• Referral Network - Sales meetings allow sales associates to present new listings. Other sales associates then refer to their client databases to identify potential buyers and arrange viewing appointments.
• We will provide you with periodic status reports including buyer reactions to your home, allowing us to continually evaluate and reassess our marketing strategy.

When offers are presented, we will advise you and help obtain the best possible price and terms. Understanding the various standard contract forms and the vast array of contractual issues is key to negotiating the best terms to meet your individual needs. Making sure buyers are qualified and knowledgeable about available financing alternatives is of the utmost importance in negotiating a successful sale. We will promote your interests and assist in developing a clear and binding contract.

Many details must be attended to before a sale becomes final, including inspections, loan documents, contingency removals, and insurance. We know how difficult and time consuming this process is, and thus, we will handle scheduling inspections, reviewing documents, and making sure all of the required disclosure forms and pamphlets are provided in a timely fashion.