Should I sign another lease or take the plunge and buy a place I can really call home? This is a question that millions of Americans ask themselves everyday. This question is also an important one for me, as I am currently trying to make this decision. To answer this question consumers need to consider a few factors. A couple of these factors that need to be considered are their lifestyles and financial situations. According to the 1990 United States Census, there are approximately three million people in the state of Texas that live in owner-occupied housing and slightly over two million that live in renter-occupied housing. There are numerous reasons that people may choose to rent over actually buying a home. Making a choice between renting and buying is made easier in this day and age, due to the amount of information that is available on the World Wide Web. I have done a great amount of research through the use of the Internet while working on this report. There is an unbelievable amount of information on purchasing a home. The following is some information that is available to help with the home buying decision: Step-by-step instructions on the home buying process, mortgage calculator (helps to compare cost of buying vs. renting), on-line loan applications, on-line mortgage companies, on-line Fannie-Mae forms, on-line real estate companies. Through the use of the Internet the home buying choice and the actual home buying process is made much easier. A consumer can actually apply for a home loan, obtain pre-approval, and buy a house on the Internet. In addition to the amount of research gathered on the Internet, two interviews were conducted. The first interview was conducted with a real-estate agent. This real estate agent was able to provide some helpful information from a different perspective. The second interview was with a personal friend who has been on both sides of the avenues, renting and buying.
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