Sept 19: Best from the Blogosphere

September 19, 2016

By Sheryl Smolkin

The discussion about whether or not to buy a home and if home ownership is a good investment rages on, particularly among younger people living in expensive urban areas who may be contemplating the purchase of their first property.

While purchasing property is definitely a huge financial commitment, there is also a strong emotional component in every decision to make an offer for real estate. Even if the house turns into a “money pit,” it’s YOUR money pit and no one can kick you out unless you default on the mortgage.

Sean Cooper, who bought a house at age 27 and paid off his mortgage three years later, believes the home ownership dream is still alive and well. He says, “By being laser-focused on paying down your mortgage quickly, you can reach financial freedom years sooner…..A paid off home gives you choices: you can quit the rat race, travel around the world, start your own business or take a job you truly enjoy.”

On Millennial Revolution, FIRECracker does the math to see if she and her partner The Wanderer would be richer if they bought a house in 2012, instead of investing their $500,000 down payment and renting. Based on Toronto Real Estate Board figures for the period, she estimates she would have made a respectable 7.8% if she sold in 2016. However, expenses like real estate commission, lawyers’ fees, maintenance, utilities and additional furniture would have reduced their profit. so by investing instead of buying, their gains were 2.61 times the gains from the house.

On their very first outing with a real estate agent, Jessica Moorhouse and her husband bought their first place, officially becoming homeowners. They ended up buying a two-story stacked townhouse in Toronto’s west end. “We knew that if we found a place that ticked off all of our boxes and was within our budget, we needed to act fast,” she says. “Places like the one we got do not come around often, and I am seriously so thrilled we’re living in this place!”

Those of you who already live in your own home and want to move up face the classic homeowner’s conundrum: Should you buy first or sell first? The choice depends on the people, the house and the city, realtors say, though there are some constants that hold true for most situations. “If it’s a seller’s market, then you need to be buying first. If it’s a buyer’s market, then you need to be selling first,” Ara Mamourian, broker and owner of Spring Realty in Toronto says.

And once you do own a home (or at least the bank does) the next question you will likely face is Should You Save Money or Pay Extra On Your Mortgage? Bridget Eastgaard’s spreadsheet shows that after 25 years, homeowners who opted to put $5,000 extra into a their TFSA instead of towards their mortgage, would come out $80,000 dollars richer than the person who thought it was worthwhile to put the cash towards his mortgage, just to become debt-free five years faster. Nevertheless, she acknowledges it really only works this way because mortgage rates are so low in Canada.

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Do you follow blogs with terrific ideas for saving money that haven’t been mentioned in our weekly “Best from the blogosphere?” Share the information on http://wp.me/P1YR2T-JR and your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

Bridget Eastgaard, FIRECracker, Jessica Moorhouse, Millennial Revolution, Sean Cooper, Tax Free Savings Accounts, TFSA, The Wanderer, Toronto Real Estate Board

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