The biggest hurdle facing the homebuyer today isn’t financing, house hunting, or finding the right agent to handle their transaction, but what is commonly known as “Renter’s Mentality.” The Renter’s Mentality simply stated is one that says, “I pay you to rent on the first of every month, and you assume responsibility for my living conditions. The keyword in this statement is responsibility.
The average renter is accustomed to having little or no responsibility for his or her accommodation. Usually, the renter has accepted the fact that they have no real ownership and are simply making payments on a house or apartment that they will never own. They’ve accepted the reality of month to month, unstable, insecure existence. Renter’s Mentality forces you into Landlord dependency, where you find yourself complacent and out of touch with owning your own home to decorate, remodel and expand as you please.
Most renters are content in their temporary apartments and houses, reluctant to venture into purchasing their own homes. The thought of paying additional utilities, gardening, decorating, and maintaining your own home is frightening, After all, a home is the single most important purchase you will ever make.
I get tremendous satisfaction from helping a person change from a renter’s mentality to a “Homeowner’s Mentality.” Knowing that I helped that person do something they didn’t think they could do is a great feeling. The best part is when they say, ” don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner” always reply… “With a little effort and a lot of faith, you would be surprised at what you can do.”
The reality is for every freedom that you enjoy there’s a responsibility that goes along with it. What you must realize is that owning a home requires just about as much responsibility as renting. In both situations, the buyer and renter are paying once a month. The difference being, one will eventually own and be able to write off repairs while receiving dividends known as tax credits, and the other will continue to pay without any possibility of return or concession.
