Time to Sign on the Line

I’m an advocate for renting instead of buying a home. My whole adult life was spent in pursuit of the American Dream only to realize I had set my sites on the wrong goals.

I took the fear by the proverbial horns and went head on into renting. I have loved almost every minute of it, except one month.

When it comes time to renew the lease, most people get commitment phobic. Not me. I am looking to sign on the not-so-dotted line and secure my home for another year. I don’t get cold feet. I want security, and I really don’t want to pack up and move in the middle of winter.

Enter my fear – the homeowner wants out.

I want people to like me. I want everyone I encounter to love everything I do. I know that is ridiculous, but I still dream about it. When it comes to my house, I want the landlord, the property manager and whoever else is in on taking care of the place I live, to like me – really I want them to love me.

I take care of the place I live. I treat it as if it is my own home. After all, I live here so I want it to be nice. So, come every renewal season, I get nervous. I point out things that have made me a great renter. I tell them I have the carpets cleaned every six months and my husband even pressure washed the outside of the house. I want to sway the owner into another year of commitment.

I want everyone to know how much I love renting and how it has saved my soul. Therefore, my rental rant goes on. As an advocate of renting instead of buying, here’s a few more perks courtesy of the Devils’ Advocate.

Owning a home is more expensive than it seems. I’ve heard plenty of people say renting means throwing money away. Maybe so. However, I threw plenty of money away on homeowner’s association dues, property taxes and even a fountain maintenance fee.

Renters insurance is much cheaper. Check out the Home Insurance Guide for tips on saving in renters and homeowner’s insurance. I pay less than $10 and get the same coverage as I did when I paid five times more when I owned a home.

Home prices are still declining. This is a worry I am glad is off my back. I used to check real estate sites daily to watch the price of my house plummet. People would think I was checking the NYSE, but I wasn’t that sophisticated. I might not have been losing money on stocks, but the mortgage monster had crawled out from under the bed and come to life in order to haunt me.

Owning a home is a big deal. Don’t walk into it lightly. And, don’t base your dreams and reality off being a homeowner. Have fun – rent!

Staci Dennis lives in Norfolk, VA, is married to Eric, who is awesome, and has a fat cat and two cute Puggles. She has been published in various newspapers and magazine across the nation, and worked as a reporter for 12 years. She is a contributor for Nexxt, and Realestatejobsite. You can read more of her blogs at RealEstatejobsiteblog.