[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fl4825inlwz9m":3,"$ffeh0925h8cuz":43,"$fbwk2pqjjqsc7":47},{"item":4,"previous":31,"next":37},{"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":29,"updatedAt":30},3940,"are-you-wondering-if-this-is-the-year-to-buy-a-home","Are You Wondering if This Is the Year To Buy a Home?","Every year, many renters ask themselves the same question: \u003Cem>Should I continue \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F25\u002Fthe-difference-between-renting-and-owning-infographic\u002F\">renting\u003C\u002Fa>, or is it time to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F10\u002Fhow-to-navigate-a-market-where-multiple-offers-is-the-new-normal\u002F\">buy a home\u003C\u002Fa>?\u003C\u002Fem> If you’re a renter, chances are you’ve asked yourself that question at least once, and it’s likely because you’ve faced an increase in your monthly housing costs over time. After all, according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.census.gov\u002Fhousing\u002Fhvs\u002Ffiles\u002Fcurrenthvspress.pdf\">\u003Cem>Census\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa> data, rents have risen consistently for decades.","","blog","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F15132003\u002F20220316-KCM-Share0.jpg","Every year, many renters ask themselves the same question: \u003Cem>Should I continue \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F25\u002Fthe-difference-between-renting-and-owning-infographic\u002F\">renting\u003C\u002Fa>, or is it time to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F10\u002Fhow-to-navigate-a-market-where-multiple-offers-is-the-new-normal\u002F\">buy a home\u003C\u002Fa>?\u003C\u002Fem> If you’re a renter, chances are you’ve asked yourself that question at least once, and it’s likely because you’ve faced an increase in your monthly housing costs over time. After all, according to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.census.gov\u002Fhousing\u002Fhvs\u002Ffiles\u002Fcurrenthvspress.pdf\">\u003Cem>Census\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fa> data, rents have risen consistently for decades.\u003C!--more-->\r\n\r\nTo make an informed and powerful decision, the first step is understanding what’s happening in today’s housing market so you can determine which option is the better long-term \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F01\u002F31\u002Fowning-is-more-affordable-than-renting-in-the-majority-of-the-country\u002F\">financial decision\u003C\u002Fa> for you.\r\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Rents Are Going Up Again This Year\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\r\nRents are skyrocketing right now. \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnews.move.com\u002F2022-02-22-Realtor-com-R-January-Rental-Report-Buying-a-Starter-Home-is-More-Affordable-than-Renting-in-Over-Half-of-the-Largest-U-S-Metros\">Data\u003C\u002Fa> from \u003Cem>realtor.com\u003C\u002Fem> shows just how much rental prices are surging throughout the country. The graph below highlights rental unit price increases over the past year:\r\n\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F15114120\u002F20220316-MEM-Eng-1.png\">\u003Cimg class=\"aligncenter wp-image-46162\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F15114120\u002F20220316-MEM-Eng-1.png\" alt=\"Are You Wondering if This Is the Year To Buy a Home? | Simplifying The Market\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Fa>\r\n\r\nIf you’re a renter and plan on signing a new lease, your monthly costs are likely to go up when you do. Those rising costs can have a big impact on your financial goals, including any \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F02\u002Fdown-payment-assistance-programs-can-help-you-achieve-homeownership\u002F\">plans\u003C\u002Fa> you’re making to save for a home purchase.\r\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Homeownership Offers Stable Monthly Costs\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh4>\r\nOf course, one of the key benefits of owning your home is that you’re able to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F21\u002Freal-estate-voted-the-best-investment-eight-years-in-a-row\u002F\">lock in\u003C\u002Fa> and stabilize your payments for the duration of your loan.\u003Cstrong> That’s not the case when you rent. \u003C\u002Fstrong>\r\n\r\nWhile rents are already on the rise, there’s a good chance many people will see their rental costs increase even more this year. As Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at \u003Cem>realtor.com\u003C\u002Fem>, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.prnewswire.com\u002Fnews-releases\u002Frealtorcom-december-rental-report-rental-market-wraps-up-2021-with-price-growth-thats-5-3-times-faster-than-in-2020--301468347.html\">says\u003C\u002Fa>:\r\n\u003Cblockquote>\u003Cem>“\u003Cstrong>With rents already at a high and expected to keep going up, rental affordability will increasingly challenge many Americans in 2022\u003C\u002Fstrong>. For those thinking about making the transition from renting to buying their first home, rising rents will remain a motivating factor. . . .”\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\r\nSo, if you're ready to become a homeowner, waiting any longer may not make financial sense. Instead, escape the cycle of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F01\u002F04\u002Favoid-the-rental-trap-in-2022\u002F\">rising rents\u003C\u002Fa> and enjoy the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002F2022\u002F02\u002F14\u002Fare-you-ready-to-fall-in-love-with-homeownership\u002F\">many benefits\u003C\u002Fa> that come with homeownership today.\r\n\u003Ch3>\u003Cstrong>Bottom Line\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fh3>\r\nStarting your journey towards homeownership can pay off significantly this year. If you’re financially ready today, let’s connect so we can discuss your options.","\r\nStarting your journey towards homeownership can pay off significantly this year. If you’re financially ready today, let’s connect so we can discuss your options.","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F15114120\u002F20220316-MEM-Eng-1.png",false,[17,21,25],{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},5,"For Buyers","buyers",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},11,"First-Time Buyers","first-time-buyers",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},53,"Rent vs. Buy","rent-vs-buy","2022-03-16T10:00:58Z","2022-11-16T17:20:18Z",{"id":32,"slug":33,"title":34,"featuredImage":35,"publishedAt":36,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},3938,"dont-get-caught-off-guard-by-closing-costs","Don’t Get Caught Off Guard by Closing Costs","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F11143419\u002F20220321-KCM-Share.jpg","2022-03-15T10:00:56Z",{"id":38,"slug":39,"title":40,"featuredImage":41,"publishedAt":42,"contentType":10,"isVideo":15},3941,"did-your-dream-home-just-come-on-the-market","Did Your Dream Home Just Come on the Market?","https:\u002F\u002Ffiles.simplifyingthemarket.com\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002F2022\u002F03\u002F16092751\u002F20220317-KCM-Share.jpg","2022-03-17T10:00:48Z",{"cover":44,"open":45,"shareSpread":46},"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",[48,52,53,57,61,65,69,70,74,78,82,86,90,94,98,99,103,107,111,115,119,123,127,131,135,139,143,147,151,155],{"id":49,"name":50,"slug":51},1,"Uncategorized","uncategorized",{"id":18,"name":19,"slug":20},{"id":54,"name":55,"slug":56},6,"For Sellers","sellers",{"id":58,"name":59,"slug":60},7,"Foreclosures","foreclosures",{"id":62,"name":63,"slug":64},8,"Infographics","infographics",{"id":66,"name":67,"slug":68},9,"Home Prices","home-prices",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24},{"id":71,"name":72,"slug":73},34,"Senior Market","senior-market",{"id":75,"name":76,"slug":77},35,"Mortgage Rates","mortgage-rates",{"id":79,"name":80,"slug":81},38,"Move-Up","move-up",{"id":83,"name":84,"slug":85},41,"For Sale by Owner","for-sale-by-owner",{"id":87,"name":88,"slug":89},42,"Featured","featured",{"id":91,"name":92,"slug":93},45,"New Construction","new-construction",{"id":95,"name":96,"slug":97},52,"Luxury \u002F Vacation","luxury--vacation",{"id":26,"name":27,"slug":28},{"id":100,"name":101,"slug":102},80,"Time-sensitive","time-sensitive",{"id":104,"name":105,"slug":106},81,"Outdated","outdated",{"id":108,"name":109,"slug":110},147,"Internal","internal",{"id":112,"name":113,"slug":114},148,"Do Not Autopost","do-not-autopost",{"id":116,"name":117,"slug":118},320,"Inventory","inventory",{"id":120,"name":121,"slug":122},321,"Agent Value","agent-value",{"id":124,"name":125,"slug":126},322,"Affordability","affordability",{"id":128,"name":129,"slug":130},323,"Buying Tips","buying-tips",{"id":132,"name":133,"slug":134},324,"Downsize","downsize",{"id":136,"name":137,"slug":138},325,"Economy","economy",{"id":140,"name":141,"slug":142},326,"Equity","equity",{"id":144,"name":145,"slug":146},327,"Forecasts","forecasts",{"id":148,"name":149,"slug":150},328,"Selling Tips","selling-tips",{"id":152,"name":153,"slug":154},339,"Expired\u002FWithdrawn\u002FCanceled","expiredwithdrawncanceled",{"id":156,"name":157,"slug":158},340,"Price It Right\u002FOverpricing","price-it-rightoverpricing"]