[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f27lukbopsj7n8":3,"$ffeh0925h8cuz":51,"$f2emv3tus0uf1":55,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":59},{"item":4,"previous":39,"next":45},{"id":5,"slug":6,"title":7,"description":8,"excerpt":9,"contentType":10,"featuredImage":11,"bannerImage":9,"body":12,"agentsBottomLine":13,"bodyImage":14,"isInfographic":15,"categories":16,"isVideo":15,"videoThumbnail":9,"videoSource":9,"publishedAt":37,"updatedAt":38},1443,"one-of-the-top-reasons-to-own-a-home","One of the Top Reasons to Own a Home","One of the benefits of homeownership is that it is a \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>“forced savings plan.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong> Here’s how it works: You make a mortgage payment each month. Part of that payment is applied to the principal balance of your mortgage. Each month you owe less on the home. The difference between the value of the home and what you owe is called \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>equity\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>.","","blog","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F16144025\u002F20190919-Share-KCM.jpg","One of the benefits of homeownership is that it is a \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>“forced savings plan.”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong> Here’s how it works: You make a mortgage payment each month. Part of that payment is applied to the principal balance of your mortgage. Each month you owe less on the home. The difference between the value of the home and what you owe is called \u003Cstrong>\u003Cem>equity\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fstrong>.\u003C!--more-->\r\n\r\nIf your home has appreciated since the time you purchased it, that increase in value also raises your equity. Over time, the equity in your home could be substantial. Recently, \u003Cem>CoreLogic\u003C\u002Fem> \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.corelogic.com\u002Fdownloadable-docs\u002Fcorelogic_2019_specialreport.pdf\">revealed\u003C\u002Fa> that the average homeowner gained more than $65,000 in equity over the last 5 years.\r\n\r\nUnlike last decade, homeowners are no longer foolishly tapping into that equity. In 2006-2008, many owners used their homes like an ATM by pulling equity out to purchase new cars, jet skis, or lavish vacations. They were pulling out cash \u003Cstrong>(equity)\u003C\u002Fstrong> from an appreciating asset, and then spending it on rapidly depreciating items. That is not happening anymore.\r\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Over 50% of Homes Have at Least 50% Equity\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\r\nThe number of homeowners that currently have at least 50% equity in their home is astonishing. According to the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.urban.org\u002Furban-wire\u002Fmortgage-debt-has-peaked-why-has-share-homeowners-mortgage-fallen-13-year-low\">\u003Cem>Urban Institute\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa>, 37.1% of all homes in the country are mortgage-free. In a \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.prnewswire.com\u002Fnews-releases\u002Fequity-rich-us-properties-increase-to-new-high-in-2018-300791092.html\">home equity study\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Cem>ATTOM Data Solutions\u003C\u002Fem> revealed that of the 62.9% of homes with a mortgage, 25.6% have at least 50% equity. That number has been increasing over the last five years:\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F20190919-MEM.jpg\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-40776\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F20190919-MEM.jpg\" alt=\"One of the Top Reasons to Own a Home | Simplifying The Market\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>By doing a little math, we can see that 53.2% of all homes in this country have at least 50% equity right now. Of all homes, 37.1% are mortgage-free and an additional 16.1% with a mortgage have at least 50% equity.\r\n\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Bottom Line\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\r\nHomeownership is different than renting. When you own, your housing expense (the mortgage payment) comes back to you in the form of equity in your home. That doesn’t happen with your rent payment. Your rent helps build your landlord’s equity instead.","\r\nHomeownership is different than renting. When you own, your housing expense (the mortgage payment) comes back to you in the form of equity in your home. That doesn’t happen with your rent payment. Your rent helps build your landlord’s equity instead.","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F20190919-MEM.jpg",false,[17,21,25,29,33],{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},5,"For Buyers","buyers",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},11,"First-Time Buyers","first-time-buyers",{"id":30,"name":31,"slug":32},38,"Move-Up","move-up",{"id":34,"name":35,"slug":36},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy","2019-09-19T10:00:40Z","2019-09-19T10:00:41Z",{"id":40,"slug":41,"title":42,"featuredImage":43,"publishedAt":44,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},1442,"what-buyers-need-to-know-about-hoas","What Buyers Need to Know About HOAs","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F13125117\u002F20190918-Share-KCM.jpg","2019-09-18T10:00:17Z",{"id":46,"slug":47,"title":48,"featuredImage":49,"publishedAt":50,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},1444,"4-reasons-to-sell-this-fall-infographic-3","4 Reasons to Sell This Fall [INFOGRAPHIC]","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2019\u002F09\u002F19144531\u002F20190920-Share-KCM.jpg","2019-09-20T10:00:49Z",{"cover":52,"open":53,"shareSpread":54},"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Cover-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Spread-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Buyers-Guide-Magazine-original.png",{"cover":56,"open":57,"shareSpread":58},"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Sellers-Guide-Cover-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Sellers-Guide-Spread-original.png","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.keepingcurrentmatters.com\u002FKeepingCurrentMatters\u002Fcontent\u002Fimages\u002F20260603\u002F2026-Summer-Sellers-Guide-Magazine-original.png",[60,64,65,66,70,74,78,79,83,87,88,92,96,100,104,105,109,113,117,121,125,129,133,137,141,145,149,153,157,161],{"id":61,"name":62,"slug":63},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":67,"name":68,"slug":69},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":71,"name":72,"slug":73},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":75,"name":76,"slug":77},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},{"id":80,"name":81,"slug":82},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":84,"name":85,"slug":86},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":30,"name":31,"slug":32},{"id":89,"name":90,"slug":91},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":97,"name":98,"slug":99},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":101,"name":102,"slug":103},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":34,"name":35,"slug":36},{"id":106,"name":107,"slug":108},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":110,"name":111,"slug":112},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":114,"name":115,"slug":116},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":118,"name":119,"slug":120},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":122,"name":123,"slug":124},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":126,"name":127,"slug":128},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":130,"name":131,"slug":132},322,"Affordability","affordability",{"id":134,"name":135,"slug":136},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips",{"id":138,"name":139,"slug":140},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":142,"name":143,"slug":144},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":146,"name":147,"slug":148},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":150,"name":151,"slug":152},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":154,"name":155,"slug":156},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":158,"name":159,"slug":160},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":162,"name":163,"slug":164},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]