Home ownership -- from Savannah Ga

There is a lot to consider nowadays regarding home ownership. Is it best to rent? There is nothing wrong with renting, however you may not like the fact you don't have the control you have as a home owner and that you don't get a tax break.

But is it safe to buy now? What if prices fall another 15%? It's a tougher decision now, but putting things in perspective might help. If you are only going to live in the home for a few years, it might pay to rent, but if you are planning on staying in an area for a long period of time, home ownership is about more than an investment.

I can also understand a young couple who are planning on having a large family being concerned about moving up to a bigger home in a few years. But let's say you are not planning on needing a larger home in a few years and you are able to buy the home you could live in for years and years to come. Now is as good a time as any to buy a home. But why buy?

There is something special about owning your own property. If you have put a lot of thought into the home you want and have picked out an area where the surroundings meet your lifestyle needs and the home is the type you feel comfortable in, then home ownership is about extending who you are. You spend a lot of time at home and the comfort and feeeling you get from your home can be important in adding to the quality of your life. It's a place to entertain and enjoy family and friends. It's a place to creatively make into a special place that's in harmony with your personality. It's more than shelter, it's an extension of you.

If you are at a stage in life where you have no pans of moving about, and you are ready to plant roots, then buying a home and building a life there can be important to peace of mind. There's a special feeling when you design a living environment that meets your estheitics and the way you view life, to have a yard you have made into a place of privacy to enjoy your little piece of earth. With all the negative news lately about the housing market, we may be losing sight of the important aspects of ownership -- of having a place that is your place. Prices will go up over time -- there is no reason to think they won't. So buyig a home for the long term is not only good for living comfortably, it can still be a good investment.