April | 2016 | Bay Equity Blog

April 28th, 2016

Homeownership brings peace of mind

Posted by bayequity at 1:09 pm

Worried about the rising price of housing in America? Purchasing a home might be the way to calm your nerves. This somewhat counterintuitive notion can be surmised from the results of a recent Gallup Poll – nearly half of renters said they were worried about their housing costs, compared to only 25 percent of homeowners. This might seem obvious given the fact homeowners are generally better off than renters, but the poll showed this “worry gap” extended pretty evenly across all income levels. Rental block Some long-term renters argue that home ownership is a kind of prison, keeping them tied down when they want to be free. They have no desire to replace or repair anything themselves, nor the patience for the home loan process. But paying a monthly fee (rent) to live on someone else’s property has its own...

When the hot tub goes down the drain

Posted by bayequity at 4:17 pm

For every beginning there is an end. The word “countless” is one of the most overused adjectives in the English language – because everything can be counted, right? Hot tub ownership – in both “countless” hours of maintenance and “countless” dollars – is one of the few places in life where it fits. Just as surely as “not enough” aptly describes the amount of time spent enjoying the tub, no matter how many hours you count. Like with all appliances, at some point the hot tub will outlive its useful existence. Whether trying to diagnose and repair problems, or calling in a trained professional to do it for you, the cost is just no longer worth it. A well-maintained, working hot tub can actually raise the value of a home, but a non-working hot tub is an eyesore and a...

Home insurance: Boring but important

Posted by bayequity at 1:23 pm

Every person who has a home mortgage or has any plans to get one will be required by their lender to purchase homeowners insurance. Even people who own their homes outright should probably have at least some coverage. For a new homeowner, home insurance can seem a tedious portion of an otherwise exciting home buying adventure. Admittedly, home insurance is pretty straightforward, and hopefully, it goes unused. However, it is important to understand insurance basics to better evaluate your buying options. If the need to make a claim ever arises, it can help homeowners understand coverage limitations, their rights as a policyholder and future courses of action. A new homeowner should evaluate choices diligently before selecting a policy, and it behooves experienced homeowners to re-evaluate coverage at least once a year. Every home insurance policy is a little different...