There's No Place Like Your Own Home
Article submitted by Angie Weeks

"There's no place like home." These words are as true today as they were for a young girl prepping for a return trip back to her Kansas homeland. This wisdom is especially true when the residence is your own - lock, stock, and barrel. True, achieving home ownership requires a bit more than focused heal clicking. But the benefits are well worth the effort you'll put into securing a precious piece of property that has YOU all over it.

While renting definitely has its upside, channeling hard-earned dollars in this direction does little to pave the way to a secure future. Fortunately, home ownership provides a financially sensible alternative. That's because monthly house payments build equity over the duration of the mortgage. Once a mortgage is paid off, the property is legally and completely yours. At that point, you can bid a fond farewell to house payments. You are now living free of charge in a place of your own!

Understandably, landlords require compliance with a set rules and regulations governing what you can and can't do in their place. After all, rules are rules. And when you're a paying guest, you're obliged to follow all those carefully considered do's and dont's. Should you take it upon yourself to enlarge your landlord's kitchen, you can count on some pretty serious intervention sooner or later.

No such restrictions with a home of your own. Unless you're violating some sort of municipal code, you pretty much can do as you please - paint the walls in dazzling fluorescent rainbow colors, shape the hedges to resemble your favorite zoo animals, put in shag carpeting so high it will give you a nose bleed. Whatever your heart desires. The choice is all yours.

Once you move into your dream home, you'll no doubt be inundated with house warming gifts from friends and relatives. One of your favorite relatives has a very special gift for you. Except in very rare instances, your present from Uncle Sam doesn't come wrapped in colorful paper. But you'll appreciate it just the same. It's called a tax incentive. In the vast majority of cases, homeowners can save thousands of dollars a year in taxes.

If you're contemplating your first home purchase now or in the future, you're definitely on the right track. Ensuring a solid financial future, personal independence, and boundless gratification, home ownership offers a number of irresistible incentives guaranteed to leave even the most diehard procrastinators wondering why they waited so long. Don't be one of them.

Article written by Tony Marino
Submitted by Angie Weeks
First Time Buyer Specialists