To buy or to rent? Is that the real question? Or is it a bit more complex than that?
The New York Times created an interactive chart to help those of us who are moderate on the issue. To find out, you plug in the stats for your potential home purchase and it tells you how long you need to live in your purchased home to make it more fiscally efficient than renting.
In our case, for a home around 52k at a personal property tax rate of approximately .67 it is more efficient to purchase as long as we stay in it for 2 years. Obviously the longer you plan on living in the area, the more efficient buying becomes, but this helps you compare if you don't plan on living in the same area for 20 years.
With the purchase of a home comes a lot of stress. Andy and I are currently trying to balance the trepidation that comes with commitment to a 30 year mortgage, the financial responsibilities, planning and research that exists within any home purchase. Life doesn't stop just because you're buying a home.
"If you speak in tongues of angels but have not loved it is only a resounding noise"
Stress has a way of taking over. Fear of not having enough drives us to work long hours and some forgo stable home lives to sustain their ideal standard of living. Whether or not you read the bible, the quote above is tested and proven circumspect. Westernized culture values accomplishment and the chattels that come with it above a steadfast family unit. Daddy can work 80 hrs/week as long as I get to drive my Lexus. This is not to demean hard working fathers who, in order to make ends meet, work long hours, but to say that "needs" are relative.
We know that to purchase a home will be fiscally beneficial for us. We plan to stay in the Triad long term and establish a "homestead" of sorts but as the Beatles say, "She's so heavy...". Some couples need less one-on-one time than Andy and I, but we find it imperative when trying to maintain our busy lifestyle. Due to financial strains, we're having to make sacrifices in that area and this morning I began to wonder, "At what cost?" Everyone needs a break and Andy has already begun showing signs of wear. I react to his anxiety with forms of my own. As a blended family created from the ruins of two divorces, we've made strides to correct where we fell short before, in every aspect of our relationship. In order to create a bit more balance, we've agreed to set a limit on overtime despite financial needs. One day out of the week is sacred.
In my 25 years, I've seen the illusion of the american dream taking its toll on my family, my friends and society. In the 90's and prior to the burst of the housing bubble, the 40 hour work week and making the median income was a sufficient backbone for many people. Families in 2013 have to walk the tightrope created by the economic downturn while balancing personal growth and the development of their children. In my experience, the breadwinner in the family takes this walk the most severely which can result in emotional, physical, mental and for some spiritual fallout. Marriages crash and burn at a rate of 50% in the U.S. and the number of high school students who can read at or above proficient has been declining steadily for years.
I throw these statistics out there to say that not maintaining symmetry in a society that likes to blur the line between needs and excess can effect you and your family long term. Personally, I find it difficult to see where homosexual marriage is the true culprit when it comes to the "destruction of marriage". I would argue that the lack of willingness to part with materialism, and self-fulfillment being placed before the wellness of one's family seems more accurate. Most humans, no matter how grounded, can only take but so much.
Balance is imperative for overall health. I know this post got long, so I'll stop blabbing now but if you're interested in actively creating more balance in your life, I found a useful "How to" by Wikihow. I think I will be implementing some of these ideas in our lives. The answer to my initial question seems to be, with or without the financial statistics, do what's best for YOUR family. Only you know what that is.
"If you speak in tongues of angels but have not loved it is only a resounding noise"
Stress has a way of taking over. Fear of not having enough drives us to work long hours and some forgo stable home lives to sustain their ideal standard of living. Whether or not you read the bible, the quote above is tested and proven circumspect. Westernized culture values accomplishment and the chattels that come with it above a steadfast family unit. Daddy can work 80 hrs/week as long as I get to drive my Lexus. This is not to demean hard working fathers who, in order to make ends meet, work long hours, but to say that "needs" are relative.
We know that to purchase a home will be fiscally beneficial for us. We plan to stay in the Triad long term and establish a "homestead" of sorts but as the Beatles say, "She's so heavy...". Some couples need less one-on-one time than Andy and I, but we find it imperative when trying to maintain our busy lifestyle. Due to financial strains, we're having to make sacrifices in that area and this morning I began to wonder, "At what cost?" Everyone needs a break and Andy has already begun showing signs of wear. I react to his anxiety with forms of my own. As a blended family created from the ruins of two divorces, we've made strides to correct where we fell short before, in every aspect of our relationship. In order to create a bit more balance, we've agreed to set a limit on overtime despite financial needs. One day out of the week is sacred.
In my 25 years, I've seen the illusion of the american dream taking its toll on my family, my friends and society. In the 90's and prior to the burst of the housing bubble, the 40 hour work week and making the median income was a sufficient backbone for many people. Families in 2013 have to walk the tightrope created by the economic downturn while balancing personal growth and the development of their children. In my experience, the breadwinner in the family takes this walk the most severely which can result in emotional, physical, mental and for some spiritual fallout. Marriages crash and burn at a rate of 50% in the U.S. and the number of high school students who can read at or above proficient has been declining steadily for years.
I throw these statistics out there to say that not maintaining symmetry in a society that likes to blur the line between needs and excess can effect you and your family long term. Personally, I find it difficult to see where homosexual marriage is the true culprit when it comes to the "destruction of marriage". I would argue that the lack of willingness to part with materialism, and self-fulfillment being placed before the wellness of one's family seems more accurate. Most humans, no matter how grounded, can only take but so much.
Balance is imperative for overall health. I know this post got long, so I'll stop blabbing now but if you're interested in actively creating more balance in your life, I found a useful "How to" by Wikihow. I think I will be implementing some of these ideas in our lives. The answer to my initial question seems to be, with or without the financial statistics, do what's best for YOUR family. Only you know what that is.
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