You may be thinking, “With everything that’s happening in the economy, maybe I should put off buying a home or land for now.” While it is smart to be cautious during challenging times, it may be wise to consider home ownership sooner rather than later. Here’s why:
Property Prices
In today’s market, the general starting price of a home can be upwards of a million dollars. Depending on the area you prefer to live or the amenities you are looking for, the cost could be even more. Additionally, prices tend to increase over time, therefore, waiting longer to buy a home could mean a higher price in the long run. If you can afford it, buy now to take advantage of current prices before they go up.
Manageable Payments over a Longer Time
Younger homeowners will have a longer time to pay off their mortgage before they retire. The longer repayment period means that their monthly instalment would be lower and more manageable as well. If you start your home ownership journey later in your life, you will have a shorter time to repay and your monthly instalment would also be higher. Therefore, an early start will make your installments comfortably smaller and you’ll have a longer time to pay off your mortgage. We offer mortgages with terms up to 30 years.
Building Value over Time
Over time, your property builds equity. What is home equity? Simply put, it is the difference between the market value of your home and the outstanding balance on your mortgage. With each payment of your instalment, your outstanding balance is reduced and the equity in your home increases. You can use home equity to acquire a loan to help pay for important or urgent expenses, such as tertiary education, medical expenses, home repair, once-in-a-lifetime travel etc. The sooner you decide to buy your own home, the longer the term of your mortgage loan and the more home equity you will be able to build up.
Put First Things First
Yes, you deserve to enjoy life – a decent car, your favorite electronics, recreation and so on. Having your own home should be on your list of must-haves. If you keep waiting until you are 100% ready for that step, before you know it, time and opportunity would have passed you by.
Remember, you don’t have to delay your dream of homeownership until you find your dream home or have enough money to build a mansion. You can consider getting a starter home that meets your current needs, a fixer-upper that you can customise or build an extension to existing family’s property. If you delay too much, later on, you may regret not starting earlier when property prices were lower or when interest rates were more favourable.
We are here to help. We can guide you from the first day you walk through our doors to the first time you walk through yours, and beyond. The first step to home ownership is getting pre-qualified. Let’s get started!
