3. Maintenance
Why Buy?
If you own the home, customizing it to your liking is easy. With ever-changing technology and green initiatives, a homeowner can deck out their abode with energy efficient improvements. Adding solar solutions or smart home features will not only save on utilities, but may be eligible for a tax deduction.
Why Rent?
With the weather slowly warming up, the other day I turned on the in-ground sprinkler system for a test run. Zones 2 and 3 were perfect, but when the sprinkler reached Zone 4, an epic geyser erupted! Quickly turning the system off, I promptly called the landlord to explain the sudden appearance of a fountain of water that rivaled Old Faithful.
If this rental was our property, we’d have another pressing project on the “honey do” list. Owning a home requires quite a bit of upkeep. The seemingly endless list of chores places demands on a person’s time. Often, a military member may already have their time taken up with a deployment, TDY trips or simply long days at work. Additionally, fix-it projects are often expensive. No matter if it’s a routine replacement or an unexpected repair, the ole budget needs plenty of wiggle room to cover maintenance expenses.
Take Away:
- Owning their own property, a military member has the freedom to make improvements that add to their quality of life or potentially preserve the environment.
- Before signing a lease, a military member can clarify contact information with the landlord and how repairs and maintenance of the rental will be handled.
With this, I’ve asked, “If you are military, should you or shouldn’t you buy a house?” Much like the three points discussed here, if a military family can
- afford to finance a home
- rent the house if they must move
- continue to maintain the property
…then they might as well follow the homeownership dream. Homeownership can provide a military family a sense of stability amidst this ever-changing military lifestyle.
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