Sellers: Want to sell your house? Visit Realty Times, and get the maximum market value for your home and learn valuable tips to help the entire process go more smoothly.  Then call Tanya for your personal listing appointment and to develop a unique marketing plan that will suit your needs. Contact me for a CMA of your home.    Buyers: Benefits of Owning Your Own Home The Best Investment - As a fairly general rule, homes appreciate about five percent a year. Some years will be more, some less. The figure will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, and region to region. Income Tax Savings - Because of income tax deductions, the government is basically subsidizing your purchase of a home.  All of the interest and property taxes you pay in a given year can be deducted from your gross income to reduce your taxable income Stable Monthly Housing Costs - When you rent a place to live, you can certainly expect your rent to increase each year – or even more often. If you get a fixed rate mortgage when you buy a home, you have the same monthly payment amount for thirty years. Even if you get an adjustable rate mortgage, your payment will stay within a certain range for the entire life of the mortgage – and interest rates aren’t as volatile now as they were in the late seventies and early eighties. Forced Savings - Some people are just lousy at saving money, and a house is an automatic savings account. You accumulate savings in two ways: 1) Every month, a portion of your payment goes toward the principal. Admittedly, in the early years of the mortgage, this is not much. Over time, however, it accelerates.  2) Second, your home appreciates. Average appreciation on a home is approximately five percent, though it will vary from year to year, and in some years may even depreciate.. Over time, history has shown that owning a home is one of the safest and very best financial investments. Freedom and Individuality - When you rent, you are normally limited on what you can do to improve your home. You have to get permission to make certain types of improvements.  When you own a home, however, you can do pretty much whatever you want. You get the benefits of any improvements you make, plus you get to live in an environment you have created. More Space - Both indoors and outdoors, you will probably have more space if you own your own home. Even moving to a condominium from an apartment, you are likely to find you have much more room available – your own laundry and storage area, and bigger rooms.   HUD introduces Homeownership basics online:  This series gives you some brief, basic, easy-to-understand guidance about the homebuying process. English Spanish

New Construction: Is building a home in your near future?  Research recent articles at Realty Times so that you can be informed.  Need to find a Builder in East Texas? Visit the Tyler Area Builders Association website for more information on Parade of Homes and other events in the area.