To The Newlyweds

By Mary Laskaris, Realtor

Have you heard the latest buzz?

There is no better time than 2012 to purchase your first home. Between all-time low interest rates and first time buyer programs, there are many benefits to buying now..

Fixed interest rates are at all time low levels. A 30 year fixed rate stands at 3.875%, the lowest we have ever seen. If you compare today’s rate with a rate at 6% (which is closer to an average rate over the past 20 years), the differences are astounding. Let’s take a $200,000 loan for an example. The loan payment at 6% would be $1,199 per month.  That same loan amount is $940 per month at the current rate of 3.875%. That is a difference of $259 per month, which is $93,240
over the life of the loan!

There are also many first time home buyer programs that you can take advantage of in Delaware. You can apply for a Delaware state bond loan for up to $10,000 at 0% interest!  You can use this money towards down payment and closing costs and the loan will never accrue any interest.

We have clients buy homes that bring $0 to the closing table. The costs of owning are at all time low’s and you may be surprised to see the comparisons between renting vs. owning. For $2,000 per month, you can purchase a home for $325,000 with annual taxes of $2,500 included in that payment. You could also purchase a home for $225,000 for a $1,500 monthly payment and a $150,000 home for $1,000 per month.

Buy vs. Rent Comparison

The chart below shows a cost comparison for a renter and a homeowner over a seven year period.

The renter starts out paying $800 per month with annual increases of 5%. The homeowner purchases a home for $110,000 and pays a monthly mortgage of $1,000.  After 6 years, the homeowner’s payment is lower than the renter’s monthly payment.