2016: Homeowner’s Net Worth Will Be 45x Greater Than a Renter

Courtesy of Keeping Current Matters/The KCM Blog Posted: 26 Oct 2015 04:00 AM PDT Every three years the Federal Reserve conducts a Survey of Consumer Finances in which they collect data across all economic and social groups. The latest survey, which includes data from 2010-2013, reports that a homeowner’s net worth is 36 times greater than that of a renter ($194,500 vs. $5,400). In a recent Forbes article the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Chief Economist Lawrence Yun predicts that in 2016 the net worth gap will widen even further to 45 times greater. The graph below demonstrates the results of the last two Federal Reserve studies and Yun’s prediction: Put Your Housing Cost to Work For You Simply put, homeownership is a form of ‘forced savings’. Every time you pay your mortgage you are contributing to your net worth. Every time you pay your rent, you are contributing to your landlord’s net worth. The latest National Housing Pulse Survey from NAR reveals that 80% of consumers believe that purchasing a home is a good financial decision. Yun comments: “Though there will always be discussion about whether to buy or rent, or whether the stock market offers a bigger return than real estate, the reality is that homeowners steadily build wealth. The simplest math shouldn’t be overlooked.” Bottom Line If you are interested in finding out if you could put your housing cost to work for you through homeownership, meet with a real estate professional in your area who can guide you through the process.

N.C. is becoming a 'craft beer powerhouse'

I've shared information about great BBQ in the area... now it's time to share news about North Carolina craft beer!  

Click HERE for an article by Rebecca Troyer that appeared in The Charlotte Business Journal.  The article called discusses the shout-out given to NC breweries by INVERSE, a Denver-based news and culture website.  The INVERSE blog post, named North Carolina as becoming one of the top 6 craft beer producing "powerhouses" in the country!

Many folks will tell you that there's nothing like BBQ and beer!   

-----------

Since there is a limit to how many postings appear on a page, you will need to click on "older posts"  (below right) to see more posts.  Alternatively, you can go to the BLOG ARCHIVE on the left sidebar and search for postings by date.

Best BBQ Joints in NC

Courtesy of BHHS Blog
April 10, 2015

Looking for great Carolina barbeque?  See BHHS/Carolinas Realty's take on the top 10 in North Carolina...

http://blog.bhhscarolinas.com/best-bbq-joints-in-north-carolina/

Looking for something to do this weekend?

According to CHARLOTTE STORIES, here are the top 5 things to do...

#1 Japanese Festival “Bon Odori 2015″

#2 Charlotte Knights vs. Buffalo Bisons

#3 Nicki Minaj

#4 Whitewater Center River Jam

#5 Steve Byrne at The Comedy Zone

Winter Forecast 2015-16

So where are my friends in zone 6 heading this winter?  Contact me if you want to check out new options anywhere in the country!

 

Click on this link (or the map) for the breakdown by zone:
http://firsthandweather.com/930/early-2015-16-winter-forecast-a-regional-breakdown/

Source:  Oursuncitycarolinalakes community website

Sales Center Parking Lot Closed begining 7/6 As of Monday, July 6th, the Sales Center Parking Lot will no longer be available for homeowner parking... by: Trevor Sunderlage

Effecting Monday, July 6th, the Pulte Sales Center will no longer be able to accommodate homeowner vehicles due to construction.  This includes daily overflow parking as well as longer-term RV parking. Thank you to the staff at the Sales Center for making their lot available to the community for the past 9 years.

CHARLOTTE FOODIE GUIDE

Best Charlotte Restaurants — A Foodie Guide

The link above is to a great blog by Mary Cowx, the Fervent Foodie.  She does an amazing job of covering the Charlotte food scene!

 

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY NAME RECOGNITION

Homeownership as an Investment: The Role of Price Appreciation

Courtesy of Keeping Current Matters / The KCM Blog

Posted: 27 May 2015 04:00 AM PDT

We recently posted on the results from the latest Home Price Expectation Survey (HPES) showing where residential home prices are headed over the next five years. Today, we want to show you what the results of the report could mean to you. A good portion of every family’s wealth comes from the equity in the home they live in. As the value of their home (an asset) increases so does their equity. 



Let’s look at a possible case scenario based on the latest HPES. Here is a chart showing the survey’s projections on annual appreciation over the next five years:



 We then looked at the five-year impact this would have on the equity of a family that purchased a home in January for $250,000: Their family wealth (based on increased equity) would increase by $47,772 over those five years.

Bottom Line If you don’t yet own, perhaps you should be thinking about purchasing. If you already own, maybe it’s time to move up to enjoy your dream home and also ride the increase in equity of the larger asset.

MEMORIAL DAY AT SCCL

Today's Memorial Day ceremony at SCCL was a lovely tribute to those who died in service to our country as well as to our resident Veterans.  The ceremony included the presentation of colors by the Charlotte Civil Air Patrol, a wonderful performance of our National Anthem, America, and America the Beautiful by the Carolina Lakes Choral Society,  and resident Garland Mitchel eloquently speaking of the history and meaning of Memorial Day.   
 
Watching our Veterans walk out to the dock together and salute as taps was played as a memorial wreath was put into the water was very moving.  Our resident Vets stood proudly as they honored those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

 
Also, during the event, residents heard Dan Sadvary, head of the Steering Committee of the Honor Our Veterans / Memorial Interest Group speak about plans for a special area at the second amenities center (The Lodge) that will be dedicated to our Veterans.  Anyone interested in this project can join the Honor Our Veterans group at the SCCL website. As per the website, "The mission of our group is to honor the veterans of Sun City Carolina Lakes by displaying a collection of their military memorabilia in the SCCL Lodge currently under construction.  The Honor Our Veterans group is comprised of four committees – Communications, Physical Space Design, Memorabilia and Fund Raising with oversight provided by a Steering Committee. These committees are currently being developed by the Steering committee headed by Mr. Dan Sadvary."

It is a pleasure to live in a community that appreciates and honors our Veterans!  

A big heartfelt thank you to all our Vets for their service!