At Home With Valerie

When it comes to a home, you have two options: buy or rent.   What is right for one person may not be right for another, which is why it's important to know which is the best option for your individual situation.   Why People Rent There are a number of reasons why someone may either choose or be forced to rent, including sporadic or unpredictable income, a high debt-to-income ratio, a bankruptcy or foreclosure within the last six months, unpaid collection accounts or judgments, frequent relocating for employment or the inability to save enough money for a required down payment on the purchase of a home. Maintenance Matters As a homeowner, you will be responsible for any maintenance or repair issues that arise.   This is a big consideration when choosing whether to rent or buy.   When you rent, the property owner is responsible for repairs and it may not always be obvious that these issues can be very costly. How To Know When It's Time To Buy If yo...

If you are thinking about getting into the real estate market this Spring, here are the latest stats from the REALTORs® Association of Edmonton. Home prices rose slightly in March. Single family home prices lead the charge in pushing March's prices upward. But the market found some balance in April's prices. The average single family home price dropped 3.5% in April, and the average price for a Condominium was down 1.3%. Duplexes and row houses were up 2.8% in April. The average single family home price in April was $402,270 while the average condominium price in April was $243,503. For a duplex or row house, the average price was $324, 975. Even with nearly 3.5% drop, prices in March shot up higher than most expected. Prices were still higher than April 2012. So what do these stats say to the average seller or buyer? 1) Seller's are getting a price they can be happy with. 2) Buyer's are happy to see more balance with the market. One final note, if...

The decision to purchase a home is exciting and a major investment for your future. Because there is only so much of it to go around, real estate is the top choice for many investors and the desire for most families. This article is designed to highlight some of the many benefits of home ownership and how buying a home can often turn the American and Canadian dream into a reality. One of the most profitable markets in real estate is rentals, which means that many families are paying to live in a home that isn't their own.  In some cases, renting a home is necessary.  For all others, the money that would be spent on rent could instead be used to pay a mortgage.  In fact, monthly rent payments often exceed that of a typical mortgage payment.  One of the greatest benefits of home ownership is putting money into something that you can call your own and knowing that the monthly payments are going toward your home's equity. Speaking of equity, many properties exper...