HEC Yeah! The Home Equity Coach

To build on my article from 2 weeks ago – accelerating home equity to Increase your Net Worth Faster – I have now coined it the Home Equity Coach program and have purchased www.TheHomeEquityCoach.com.  I plan to expand this free program over the next 12 months, as I strongly believe in building wealth thru real estate ownership, among your other investments such as stocks and businesses.  Since the road is not always clear on how to get there, I am offering my service on this important financial asset that can be easily overlooked and taken for granted .  Of course, I will continue my main occupation as a Realtor representing home sellers and buyers for years to come.  This program is a supplemental guide for homeowners to realize a larger payoff upon selling, which can then be used for a larger down payment on the next home, pay down other debts, invest in retirement funds, or however you wish! 

 

Financial experts seem to agree that the proper percent of home equity compared to your total net worth should be in the 20%-30% range, meaning if your net worth is $500,000 that your home’s value minus the loan(s) is $100,000 – 150,000.  This percent will fluctuate substantially over your lifetime – smaller when buying your first home, and higher when selling your last one.  Currently, the average person’s home equity is a much higher % of their total financial worth, as the average savings/investing rate is lower than it should be.  So even though my goal is to build your equity faster, I also believe you need to be properly invested and balanced in different asset classes.  You should not be house-rich and cash-poor.

I have represented 365 clients buying and selling a wide variety of homes and locations over a 27 year career that includes managing other agents for five years.  This experience has given me many insights on how to make a financially-smart purchase, to grow that value while enjoying your life there, paying down the debt sooner, and eventually selling it with a larger check in hand.  I can enter the picture in any of these stages to lend guidance in achieving these goals with you.  It can apply to your own home or to rental homes you own.  This is NOT a get-rich-quick scheme; buy-for-zero-down investment; flipping-houses-with-other-people’s-money; or anything you have heard advertised.  Nor is it designed to sell you a larger home (unless you want to of course, then I am happy to :).  I simply feel bad for folks that have missed opportunities to accelerate their wealth during their home ownership using tools already available to them.  In the end, I hope to earn/ keep your business when it is time to buy and sell homes.  That’s it!

If this terminology intimidates you, don’t worry, I can simplify.  If it is too basic, it is supposed to be.  The concept here is not difficult to grasp, just difficult to maintain the discipline, that is where having a coach can be invaluable.  Contact me soon to arrange a home visit where we can begin your plan.  Time to bring in the Coach!

Happy HEC-ing!

Increase your Net Worth Faster

Home “equity” is simply your home’s value minus what you owe on it.  Many of us have a rough idea of what our home is worth and also what we owe on it.  Several years ago, 25% of home owners had a negative number, severely hampering their ability to move or refinance.  Fortunately today, few owners are in that position as average home values have risen steadily for 5 years.  I believe you should have a clear picture of these two numbers, and how to drive them further, as it can be a large percentage of your net worth.  It can harm you, and it can help you, in house matters and in other life pursuits.  Your home equity is an important figure – you should have more than a vague idea of what it is and how to increase it.   Even as you closely track your assets and investments, this may be a higher priority as you can take several steps to build it, and limit your risk of losing your home.

I am offering to assist you in focusing closely on (1) what your house is truly worth; (2) how to increase that value without overspending; (3) evaluating how and where to get maximum return on repairs and improvements; (4) comparing home loan options on purchase and refinance that work best for you; and (5) making that mortgage work for you.

I offer these services for free in the hopes of earning your business in the future, and referrals of those you know in the immediate term looking to sell or buy homes.  Consider me an unbiased third party on home improvements and loans, as I do not financially gain from the choices you make.  I would not steer you wrong in these matters knowing that you may come to me later to sell your home, and I have to answer to my recommendations.  Also, I can give you hard figures to track your home equity amount so you have a clear number to work with, which can benefit you in several ways; plus I can document your repairs and improvements for an easy record (now required by title companies for 12 month period prior to sale) of paid receipts, lien waivers and warranties when it is time to sell.

If you don’t own a home, let’s change that and start building your equity for 2018.  It can be exciting to watch how leveraging a down payment on a home purchase that is appreciating in today’s market can dramatically magnify your net worth!  Leveraging works in reverse too, I can show you how to be mindful of that.  If you are not completely sure of how this works, take the time to understand this basic principle of finance.  Another principle worth understanding is the magic of compounding – it is not just for interest on your savings, it works on your mortgage payoff too!

Happy equity building!

Make Homeownership Work for YOU

Homeownership is one of the best ways to build wealth and secure your financial future.  Here are five primary ways being a homeowner can help you accomplish this

 

Homeownership can help create a forced savings. Most people aren’t very good at putting money aside each month, but every financial expert would agree that having a savings cushion is essential for financial freedom. For homeowners, a monthly mortgage payment can act as a forced savings. As you pay down your principal, you build equity, which helps to increase your net worth.

 

Homes usually appreciate in value. While there’s no guarantee that the home you buy will appreciate, there’s a pretty good chance. According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Index, home values have appreciated an average of 3.33% each year since 1991. For instance, if you purchased a home for $100,000 in 1991, your home would be worth almost $250,000 today. In addition to the amount you’d have paid off on your mortgage during that time, this appreciation in value builds even more equity, therefore increasing your net worth.

 

 A home is a tax shelter. When you earn a profit from a property or investment (say, the stock market), you normally have to pay capital gains tax. But if you make a profit when selling your home, that profit can’t be taxed (with some limitations), which keeps more money in your pocket. Owning a home also comes with other tax benefits, such as deductions on mortgage interest, mortgage discount points, mortgage insurance, and property taxes. These reduce your taxable income and can help you keep more of your hard-earned money.

You can have a fixed, stable housing payment. Renters are susceptible to fluctuating rental prices, which have historically gone up each year. Mortgages, on the other hand, can be fixed, which provides a stable housing payment that won’t fluctuate over the life of your loan. This will allow you to keep your cost of living down and put more of your money toward savings, investments, or other avenues that can help you build wealth.

 

Homeowners have a greater net worth. According to the Federal Reserve’s latest Survey of Consumer Finances, homeowners have 36 times more net worth than renters. As of 2013, the median net worth for homeowners was $195,400, compared to $5,400 for renters. This comparison clearly shows the power of homeownership for building wealth.

 If you want to gain financial freedom, homeownership is a no-brainer. Buying a home is one of the smartest things you can do to help you build wealth for the long-term.  This article was provided by Vibrant Living. 

 

Happy Saving!