Homeownership Still Matters

From NAR "Home Delivery" newsletter, Nov. 2011

According to results from the 2011 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers Survey, consumers still believe in the value of home ownership.

Seventy-eight percent of recent home buyers said their home is a good investment, and 45 percent believe it’s a better investment than stocks.

Given the current restrictive credit environment, many buyers were much more cautious about their purchase and stayed well within their means; recent buyers had higher incomes and used modestly higher downpayments than buyers in the 2010 survey.

Recent buyers were also more likely to be married – 64 percent of all buyers were married couples, compared to 58 percent in 2010.

New Year~ New Home

If you have just purchased a home and gotten over the excitement/exhaustion of moving in you now have to begin building a life in the new community you have chosen.
A great place to begin is the web page of your Chamber of Commerce.  This page will offer you links to business's that can supply your needs,and community calendars for activities your family can participate in.
If you have school aged children, volunteer at their schools or join the PTO. Nothing will get you involved in a community faster than events surrounding it's children.
If you are a person of faith, churches and temples typically are very welcoming to new members of the community and are always looking for more people for the missions and worship they sponsor.

Your Realtor can also help you by offering their knowledge of the area~ from the location of the best place to eat out to a great dry cleaner or grocery.

After the excitement wears off, the realization that you have to "start over" may be daunting but by joining in and becoming a part of things you'll soon be at home in your new place.