Should I pay off my home mortgage?
Should I pay off my home mortgage?
Other people say that mortgages nowadays don’t seem geared to ever being paid off. Most houses are sold long before the mortgages are paid off—often to buy more expensive homes with larger mortgages. The mortgages are usually for 30 years, regardless of the age of the applicant. Why try to pay off your mortgage when you may not live there forever, anyway?
Many people derive a sense of satisfaction and security from having their mortgage paid off. Owning your house free and clear simplifies your financial life, and it can give you an unparalleled feeling of freedom. Unfortunately, with spiraling property taxes, even owning your house free and clear doesn’t guarantee a roof over your head for life. And with the lost opportunity cost, just because you’ve paid off your mortgage doesn’t mean your house isn’t costing anything for you to live in it. It's easy to think of something that is paid for as not costing you money. However, the money in your house is not earning you money and providing income, which it could if it were invested elsewhere.
If you are still young, you will probably sell and replace your home several times before you retire. So you may not gain much by paying off your mortgage in a hurry. You will hopefully gain more equity in your home by rising home prices than by trying to work down the mortgage. You should definitely pay off higher-interest loans, make retirement plan contributions, and make sure you have an emergency fund before you make extra mortgage payments. If you should need the money, it can be expensive to have to refinance your home or apply for a home-equity loan.
As you get closer to retirement, however, paying off your home makes a lot of sense. Many people buy a smaller home after the kids leave home, or they retire to an area where homes cost less, so they can pay for a house outright or pay off their mortgage more quickly. Eventually, most homeowners want the security of living mortgage-free.
So which is the better strategy for you? You may need to think about several issues before planning your approach. Compare the costs of maintaining debt, your investment returns, and other factors to make sure your resources are working as hard for you as they should. What's right for someone else may not be right for you.
Should I pay off my home mortgage - To learn more about this author, visit Sally Herigstad's Website.
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Some people say that paying off your mortgage is one of the most important financial goals you should have. After all, once your mortgage is paid off, you can afford to live on much less, and you can feel more secure with your house all paid for.
Other people say that mortgages nowadays don’t seem geared to ever being paid off. Most houses are sold long before the mortgages are paid off—often to buy more expensive homes with larger mortgages. The mortgages are usually for 30 years, regardless of the age of the applicant. Why try to pay off your mortgage when you may not live there forever, anyway?
Many people derive a sense of satisfaction and security from having their mortgage paid off. Owning your house free and clear simplifies your financial life, and it can give you an unparalleled feeling of freedom. Unfortunately, with spiraling property taxes, even owning your house free and clear doesn’t guarantee a roof over your head for life. And with the lost opportunity cost, just because you’ve paid off your mortgage doesn’t mean your house isn’t costing anything for you to live in it. It's easy to think of something that is paid for as not costing you money. However, the money in your house is not earning you money and providing income, which it could if it were invested elsewhere.
If you are still young, you will probably sell and replace your home several times before you retire. So you may not gain much by paying off your mortgage in a hurry. You will hopefully gain more equity in your home by rising home prices than by trying to work down the mortgage. You should definitely pay off higher-interest loans, make retirement plan contributions, and make sure you have an emergency fund before you make extra mortgage payments. If you should need the money, it can be expensive to have to refinance your home or apply for a home-equity loan.
As you get closer to retirement, however, paying off your home makes a lot of sense. Many people buy a smaller home after the kids leave home, or they retire to an area where homes cost less, so they can pay for a house outright or pay off their mortgage more quickly. Eventually, most homeowners want the security of living mortgage-free.
So which is the better strategy for you? You may need to think about several issues before planning your approach. Compare the costs of maintaining debt, your investment returns, and other factors to make sure your resources are working as hard for you as they should. What's right for someone else may not be right for you.
Should I pay off my home mortgage - To learn more about this author, visit Sally Herigstad's Website.
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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