Publisher's Note

By Leslie Hathaway

Home Ownership. It’s a Must.

Leslie Hathaway, Publisher of New Homes Guide
Leslie Hathaway,
Publisher

We hear it all the time. Pundits saying “we’re at the bottom of the market” and “it’s a great time to buy”. Some well-known economists, such as Robert Shiller, a Yale University professor and co-inventor of the Case-Shiller index, suggest that to be true. And history tells us that the American Dream of home ownership is alive and well.

Owning your own home can act as a hedge against infl ation and provide big tax benefi ts. It’s a leveraged investment; a 10% down payment produces a 1,000% return if the price of the home merely doubles. And you end up paying a small fraction of the price with your own money. For example, if you make a down payment of 10% on a $200,000 house and it doubles in value to $400,000, your $20,000 investment has grown to $220,000, a return of 1,000%. And in tough economic times like these, paying principal builds equity for you, it’s akin to forced savings. This savings can fund some of life’s largest expenses such as college tuition and retirement.

Don’t overlook the emotional benefi ts of home ownership. Pride of ownership is the number one reason people yearn to own their own home. You can re-paint the walls to suit your mood, turn up the volume on your iPod, plant a garden, have a pet and build up your credit. It provides you and your family a sense of pride, stability, security and community. Not to sound too corny but it’s making an investment in your future.

So you’re convinced it’s time to jump in to the market. You’ve come to the right place to begin your search. You’ve got New Homes Guide, the Mid-Atlantic region’s only complete guide to every new home community.

Now take a look at the special supplement in this issue, The Building Leaders of 2010. It features profi les of the area’s fi nest builders, planned communities, active adult communities and condominiums. In a changing market, you need to be just as concerned with which builder you buy from as with the home you ultimately buy. Building Leaders – it’s our version of “The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval”. It’s a “must read”.

Leslie Hathaway