Financial Benefits of Homeownership

Homeownership Is Full of Financial Benefits

A Fannie Mae survey recently revealed some of the most highly-rated financial benefits of homeownership, which continue to be key drivers in today’s power-packed housing market. Here are the top four key benefits of owning a home according to consumer respondents:

88% – a better chance of saving for retirement
87% – the best investment plan
85% – the chance to be better off financially
85% – the chance to build up wealth

Additional financial advantages of homeownership included in the survey are having the best overall tax situation and being able to live within your budget.

Does homeownership actually give you a better chance to build wealth?

No one can question a person’s unique feelings about the importance of homeownership. However, it’s fair to ask if the numbers justify homeownership as a financial asset.

Last fall, the Federal Reserve released the Survey of Consumer Finances, a report done every three years, with the latest edition covering through 2019. Their findings confirmed that homeownership is a clear financial benefit. The survey found that homeowners have forty times higher net worth than renters ($255,000 for homeowners compared to $6,300 for renters).

The difference in net worth between homeowners and renters has continued to grow. Here’s a graph showing the results of the last four Fed surveys:The above graph only includes data through 2019, but according to CoreLogic, the equity held by homeowners grew by $26,300 over the last twelve months alone. That means the gap between the net worth of homeowners and renters has probably widened even further over the last year.

Some might argue the difference in net worth may be due to homeowners normally having larger incomes than renters and therefore the ability to save more money. However, a study by First American shows homeowners have greater net worth than renters regardless of their income level. Here are the findings:Others may think homeowners are older and that’s why they have a greater net worth. However, a Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University report on homeowners and renters over the age of 65 reveals:

“The ability to build equity puts homeowners far ahead of renters in terms of household wealth…the median owner age 65 and over had home equity of $143,500 and net wealth of $319,200. By comparison, the net wealth of the same-age renter was just $6,700.”

Homeowners 65 and older have 47.6 times greater net worth than renters.

So, the idea of homeownership as a direct way to build your net worth has met the test of time. Let’s connect if you’re ready to take steps toward becoming a homeowner.

Begin Your Own Property Search:

So, if you’re ready to begin your search for your dream home or condo in Naples Florida, I encourage you to explore our website to find information about communities in Southwest Florida.

If you are buying a home in a golf community, you will find it’s more complex than a typical home purchase. As you can probably imagine, there are significant differences between golf communities. There are many different fee structures, membership options, pet restrictions, demographics and many other details that apply to the SWFL golf communities.

We specialize in golf community real estate and we’ll help you navigate more than 150 different golf communities in our area. If you prefer a more direct approach, we will provide a list of properties and communities that meet your needs.

Also, if you are considering new construction, remember the contractor’s real estate agent represents the builder’s best interest, not yours. There is no cost to you to have an agent represent you. In fact, I may be able to help you save money and negotiate for extras which the builder may not let you know about.

If you’re looking for information about a specific community in Bonita Springs, Estero or Naples, please contact me and I will prepare a custom market report for you. I will provide the market information and insights to help make sure you select your dream home!

Lastly, I will handle all contract negotiations for your property from offer to close!