Rent an Apartment or Buy a House?

Choosing a place to live may seem like a typical and mundane task to some, but to others it can be a downright hassle. We may not like the wallpaper or the carpet. We may not like the location. We might be upset that the place doesn't offer free cable or have a pool to keep cool in the summer. This type of negative thinking can make house-hunting or apartment-hunting a real chore, and one that we more often times than not wish that we could avoid. But, due to the neccessity of needing a place to live as we would rather not live in the street, we comb the classifieds or look at real estate newspapers and websites, looking for that one particular thing that catches our eye.

Before you can do this, however, there is a simple question that has to be asked: what is going to suit my purpose? Housing is something that really requires a lot of thought and consideration as we don't want to overextend ourselves and find out that we have just purchased a posh mansion in the Hamptons and realize that we didn't need it. While the Olympic-sized swimming pool may have looked great in the brochure and the fact that you have thirty-seven bathrooms at your disposal, do you really want or have the time to make all of the necessary repairs and keep up with the necessary maintenance?

The first thing that you want to take into your mind is this also:

1) How many people will the home be serving?

2) How many rooms do I need?

3) How much am I willling to pay?

4) How close is it to where I work or go to school?

5) Do I want to go extravagant or go with bare neccessities?

6) Is the neighborhood nice, or will I have to walk down the street in Kevlar?

7) If it is a little further away, am I willing to commute by carpool, bike, or car?

8) How nice are the neighbors?

9) What kinds of schools and shopping are in the area? Are they close enough?

10) Does the local bus system stop by close enough or will I need to walk the kids to the bus stop?