Ruhl Blog

The Cost of NOT Owning Your Home

Friday, December 01, 2017

Owning a home has great financial benefits, yet many continue to rent! Today, let’s look at the financial reasons why owning a home of your own has been a part of the American Dream for as long as America has existed.

What proof exists that owning is financially better than renting?

1. We recently highlighted the top 5 financial benefits of homeownership:
- Homeownership is a form of forced savings.
- Homeownership provides tax savings.
- Homeownership allows you to lock in your monthly housing cost.
- Buying a home is cheaper than renting.
- No other investment lets you live inside of it.

2. Studies have shown that a homeowner’s net worth is 44x greater than that of a renter.

3. Just a few months ago, we explained that a family that purchased an average-priced home at the beginning of 2017 could build more than $48,000 in family wealth over the next five years.

4. Some argue that renting eliminates the cost of taxes and home repairs, but every potential renter must realize that all the expenses the landlord incurs are already baked into the rent payment– along with a profit margin!!

Bottom Line
Owning a home has always been, and will always be, better from a financial standpoint than renting. Contact us today to see how much you could be saving by owning your home. Call us at 866-441-1776 or e-mail us at customerservice@ruhlhomes.com.

Source: Keeping Current Matters

Your Friends Are Crazy Wrong If They're Telling You Not To Buy

Saturday, November 25, 2017

The current narrative is that home prices have risen so much so that it is no longer a smart idea to purchase a home. Your family and friends might suggest that buying a home right now (whether a first-time home or a move-up home) makes absolutely no sense from an affordability standpoint. They are wrong!

Homes are more affordable right now than at almost any time in our country's history except for the foreclosure years (2009-2015) when homes sold at major discounts. As an example, below is a graph from the latest Black Knight Mortgage Monitor showing the percentage of median income needed to buy a medium-priced home in the country today in comparison to prior to the housing bubble and bust.

As we can see, the percentage necessary is less now than in those time periods.

The Mortgage Monitor also explains that home affordability is better today than it was in the late 1990s in 47 of 50 states.

Bottom Line
Your friends and family have your best interests at heart. However, when it comes to buying your first home or selling your current house to buy the home of your dreams, let's get together to discuss what your best move is, now.

Contact us at 866-441-1776 or customerservice@ruhlhomes.com to be put in touch with a Ruhl&Ruhl Realtor today!

Source: Keeping Current Matters

3 Low-Cost Ways to Fix Leaky Windows

Friday, November 17, 2017

If the “wind eye” focused on you last winter, but you’re not ready to invest in new windows, you can still cut your energy bills if you seal those air leaks -- and if you do so now, you’ll prevent cool air from escaping your home this summer. These tips are also a sneaky way to improve the value of your home!

Here are three low-cost tips to help keep air leaks at bay:

#1. For most windows: Just fill the gaps.
Easier said than done if you’re dealing with old, flaky caulk, weather stripping, or adhesive that’s really tough to remove. But if you don’t clean it off well, your new caulk and stripping won’t adhere well and could peel away before you see any benefits.

However, a common household product, petroleum jelly, removes that adhesive goo quite well. Just rub the jelly over the sticky goo, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe away. Another swipe with rubbing alcohol will remove the greasy film left from the jelly. (This technique, by the way, also works for removing price labels.)

#2. For older windows with rattling panes: Make baffles.
Cut quarter-round pine strips to fit. Use finishing nails and wood glue to secure them just inside the framed glass. Once you’ve caulked and painted the strips to match, they will disappear into the framework and look like part of the original window. It worked wonderfully on my 1920-era casement windows.

#3. If you want window treatments, too: Install waffle shades.
Folding fabric shades that are made with cells that trap air have great insulating properties -- so good that some of them qualify for federal energy rebates, which have been extended into 2011. They start at around $50 -- still less expensive than new windows—and you get a new look, too.

Leaky windows are a big deal, winter or summer. What ways have you found to fix your windy windows?

Source: Nicolette Toussaint with HouseLogic

Thankful for You

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

As you celebrate this holiday, know that I am grateful for you in my life. Thank you for trusting me as your real estate adviser and, more importantly, for your friendship.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with happiness, warmth and love!

6 Steps to Prep Your Home for Guests

Wednesday, November 08, 2017

Hosting has its shares of anxieties, especially if you're striving to make your home welcoming.

How do you know everyone will feel comfortable?

And will you ever get a chance to relax yourself?

You will if you focus on what's really necessary. Here's a list of steps to get your home ready — and take the stress out of hosting.

#1 Declutter
The day before guests arrive is no time to pull apart junk drawers and clean out linen closets.

Declutter guest rooms and public areas -- foyer, kitchen, living room, den, and dining room. Remove anything unnecessary from countertops, coffee tables, and ottomans; if it’s out of sight, keep it out of mind, for now.

If you run short of time, bag up the clutter and store it in car trunks, basements, and out-of-the-way closets. Sort and arrange after your guests depart.

#2 Add Night Lights
Even though you can navigate your home blindfolded, your guests can’t. Make sure outside lights are working so they don’t trip on the way to your door. Put motion-activated night lights in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms to ensure safe passage after the sun sets.

#3 Make Space in the Entryway
Your home’s foyer is the first place guests see, so make a good first impression.
- Place a small rug or welcome mat at the entrance to protect floors from mud and snow.
Clear out shoes, umbrellas, and other clutter.
Add extra hooks to walls so guests can hang coats and hats.
Add a storage bench where guests can remove boots and shoes.

#4 Add a Coffee Station and Extra Stools
Your kitchen is command central during the holidays, so make sure it’s ready for guests and extra helpers.
Move your coffee station into a family room so guests don’t crowd the kitchen when you’re trying to fix meals.
If you like to visit while you’re cooking, place extra stools and chairs around the perimeter of your kitchen so guests can set a spell.

#5 Create Extra Sleeping Space
If you’ve got a guest room, replace the ceiling fixture with a ceiling fan and light combo, which helps guests customize their room temperature without fiddling with the thermostat for the entire house.

To carve sleeping space out of public areas, buy a folding screen or rolling bookcase, which will provide privacy for sleepers. Fold or roll it away in the morning.

#6 Make Extra Bathroom Supplies Easy to Find
Bring toilet paper, towels, and toiletries out of hiding, and place them on open shelves so guests can find them easily.

If you don’t have enough wall space for shelves, place these items in open baskets around the bathroom.

Also, outfit each tub with a bath mat (to avoid falls) and each toilet with a plunger (to avoid embarrassment).

Source: Lisa Kaplan Gordon - HouseLogic