Why rent?

Renting verses Home Buying

Renting an apartment isn’t just for people who cannot afford to buy a house. There are quite a few advantages to apartment living

At Berkshire Property Advisors, we want our residents to know the benefits of renting an apartment home versus buying a house. Many people are not aware of the financial burden and hardship that comes with homeownership.

Below are a few upsides to think about in renting an apartment from a Professional Management Company:

Maintenance free worries – no cost to you for repairs. Just call the office and our professional maintenance team will do the rest.
Landscaping – instead of spending time and money mowing a lawn and planting flowers, spend your time with friends and family.
Maximum Flexibility – It’s easy to pack up and move without agonizing over selling a house. The freedom of living where you want, when you want is a benefit that simply cannot be overlooked.
Amenities – enjoy amenities included in your rent that you would have to pay additional fees for if you owned your house.
Enjoy your Social Life – since renting an apartment typically is less costly than owing a house, you will be able to enjoy vacations, cars, saving for your children’s education and other fun activities.
Discover the Area – if you are moving to a new city, renting an apartment will allow you to see if the area is actually where you want to live. You will be able to check out the neighborhood, the jobs and services available to you and what the location is like in regards to schools, restaurants and shopping.

Here are a few things to think about:

Can you afford to own a home and still have social life?
Can you afford to save and/or have an emergency fund?
Can you afford the insurance and property taxes?
Can you afford the repairs if something major breaks?
Can you afford all of the above but you do not have time to deal with them?
In years past, home buying was an investment. Everyone felt comfortable that their home value would appreciate. Will home values continue to decline?

Owning versus renting is a personal decision. If you would like more information visit www.naahq.org or www.nmhc.org.

Below are a couple of brochures that could also help you in making a decision.

http://www.nmhc.org/Content/ServeFile.cfm?FileID=4203

http://issuu.com/kimduty/docs/renting_smart2