Tips para comprar una nueva casa en Portland-Vancouver, OR
Boomers Are Driving the Housing Market
It is no secret that as more than 76 million Baby Boomers enter their empty-nesting years many are rethinking their housing situation. Affluent Boomers whose children have flown the coup are fueling a new housing spurt; and according to Fannie Mae's 2002 National Housing Survey results, nearly 31 percent of Baby Boomers said they are very or fairly likely to buy a home in the next three years.
In fact, a recent Associated Press article states that the newest trend in homebuilding is "aging in place." Healthy people still in their 50's are preparing for a comfortable retirement by designing homes they will be able to live in for the rest of their lives.
Empty nesters want all the amenities of suburbia without the usual maintenance and upkeep of a home. Real estate marketing analyst, Sandra Kull says, "This is a new type of retirement. This generation is active. They don't want to move to Florida or Phoenix. They want to stay closer to their children and grandchildren."
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Buying New Makes Sense
One quick glance at today's headlines, and it's no wonder that, as concerned consumers, we're pinching pennies more than ever. In a recent survey conducted by HSBC Bank USA, 64 percent of us plan to cut unnecessary spending this year. And, in a similar survey by Discover Financial Services, about half of consumers plan to cut down on such non-essential spending as dinners out and movies - even remodeling.
Still, when it comes to buying a house - something that many consumers are doing because of the many good deals to be had in a slow market - most of us prefer new. Even better, buying a new home also makes good financial sense. New homes offer countless advantages for consumers when it comes to saving money. Perhaps the biggest plus is that, since they're brand-new, the maintenance headaches that often accompany maintenance - as with older homes - simply don?t exist, and won't for a while.
New homes also use the latest in whole-house systems, like heating and air conditioning, so they're not likely to break down, saving consumers money. They're also more energy-efficient, which is also good for saving lots of green. Speaking of green, with interest rates that aren?t too far away from historic lows (just over 6 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage as of March 11), consumers can also save money on new home mortgages. And, since mortgage interest and real estate taxes are deductible, it's another way to save money by buying a new home, especially when it comes to tax time.
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