Are Homeowners Glad They Own?

It might come as a surprise but a whopping 72 percent of surveyed homeowners nationwide are
satisfied with owning a home. The other 28 percent, not so. They say they’re
dissatisfied and that’s likely due to the devaluation of their homes.

But surprisingly, of those who were satisfied with owning a home, only 24 percent said it was
because of home appreciation. The majority, 76 percent, had many other reasons
they were happy to own their own home including the one that proves the
American Dream is alive and well: pride of homeownership. Following closely
behind were the freedom to control their home improvements and upgrades. All
this according to HomeGain’s 2012 National Home Ownership Satisfaction Survey.

Of those who were unsatisfied with owning their home, 63 percent blamed depreciation as the root
of their dissatisfaction. However, the cost of owning a home, such as paying
for property taxes, homeowner’s association fees, upkeep, and routine repairs,
also sucked the joy out of homeownership and led this group of 37 percent to be
unhappy about homeownership. On the bright side,
most – three out of four – are very happy with homeownership even in spite of
such rocky real estate times where declines in home values have crippled some
homeowners severely.

The survey polled homeowners all across the country. So you might be wondering is there a
connection between where you live and how satisfied you are with owning a home?

The highest percentage of satisfied homeowners comes from the Northeast where there is 77-percent
satisfaction, according to HomeGain. Pulling in at a close second is the
Southeast at 73 percent satisfaction. The West and Midwest were at 71 percent and 68 percent, respectively.

Those who purchased their homes within a timeframe of the past three to eight years were the least
satisfied. If they bought more than eight years ago, they tended to be more satisfied.

The higher-end market was the least satisfied with owning a home, especially if they paid more
than $800,000 for it. This group’s dissatisfaction rate was 69 percent. But
those who purchased homes for under $75,000 are cheering. This group’s
satisfaction rate was 77 percent.

Of course, a lot of homes are sold through foreclosure and short sale, which, depending on the side
of the sale you’re on, can leave you satisfied or very dissatisfied. Those
purchasing a foreclosed or short sale had the highest satisfaction ratings; 79
percent and 83 percent, respectively.

New and existing homes didn’t fare so well with homeowners. They were fairly dissatisfied and
showed it in a 73 percent and 71 percent rating, respectively. Most seemed to
have expected an increase in the value of their home and when depreciation hit,
this highly disappointed them, making this the primary reason for their dissatisfaction.

An interesting statistic may reflect the need for freedom from being tied down to a home and
its maintenance as well as other costs. Homeowners ranging from 18 to 25 were
the least satisfied (45 percent) with owning.

On the other end of the spectrum, those homeowners between 55 to 65, were the most satisfied with
their homeownership. This group’s satisfaction rating was 76 percent.

HomeGain collected some comments from some of the surveyed homeowners. Here’s how one satisfied
homeowner summarizes homeownership, “Just knowing I own it.

I rented a house two times after owning a home for 16 years, and I do NOT like relying on,
and dealing with, a landlord! I also feel pride in owning my home. I just bought a house 8 months ago and am very happy!”

Homes in Spring Texas are Great Choices to Live In

Homes in Spring Texas are Great Choices to Live In

A lot of people opt to buy homes in Spring Texas because of the great scenery and the creeks systems that run through most of its locality. Spring also happens to be a part of a changing market of real estate and features immaculate land with prices that keep going up through the years.

Most of the homes in Spring Texas are also located between highways 45 and 249, giving homeowners easy access to the main thoroughfares into Houston. There are a lot of parts there that feature lively city life, as well. Plus, it is considered to be a primary shopping hub for anybody who wants to visit the Northern part of Houston.

If you opt to look at homes in Spring Texas, then you will enjoy being between Willowbrook mall and Woodlands mall if you love to shop since you will get to revel in a vast shopping collection, as well as restaurants, nature, parks and a kind of living that you will only be able to find in Northwest Houston.

There are a lot of communities in Spring Texas that range from small subdivisions to big complex subdivisions, so you have the choice to live in a close-knit community where the people all know each other or a bigger community with various additions and sections.

Some of the communities in Spring are master-planned, as well, such as Gleannloch Farms, which can be found near Champion Forest Drive and Spring Cypress Road; and Windrose, which can be found near T.C. Jester Blvd. and Spring Cypress Road.

The majority of Spring Texas homes can be found in master-planned communities and subdivisions that provide various amenities and features, though. This means that you won’t have any trouble finding a home that will suit your personal needs and price range.

Spring also happens to feature an ideal ratio from teacher to student. The average number as of now is about sixteen students per teacher. Right now, Spring has 29 campuses available, with an average enrollment of 31,000 children.

If you are looking for homes in Spring Texas that are close to schools, then you should focus on the ones near Spring ISD and Klein ISD, both of which are highly regarded and well-known school districts in Houston. In fact, both of these districts are great for families to live in since it is famous for giving children the best education possible.

The greatest place to live !!!!

JUST FOR TODAY Leave a Legacy

In one of William Bennett’s books, he tells a story about Ben Franklin’s death. It seems that old Ben made a special gift in his will. In it, he left 1,000 pounds to the cities of Philadelphia and Boston with specific instructions. They were to set up a program of loans to young men under the age of 25, married, and who had successfully completed an apprenticeship, needing startup money for a trade or business. The money was to be loaned at 5% interest. The loan program was to continue for 200 years.

At the end of 100 years, the two cities were to withdraw $100,000 each for public projects, and continue lending the balance as stated above. At the end of 200 years, the fund was to be split between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Boston, and Massachusetts. In the year 1990 there was $6,500,000 in the fund. For 200 years, Ben Franklin helped young men get started in business by making those funds available, and had $6.5 million left over.

Just think of the many ways you and I could benefit our families, the community, or the lives of total strangers if we just took the initiative exhibited by Ben Franklin. By setting up a similar fund that earns just 5%, it would contain $17,292,581 at the end of 200 years. The purpose could be educational loans for family members.

Set aside $1,000 now and add just $100 per month to it for ten years, earning 5% on loans made from the account, and the fund would have $17,157. After the ten-year period of adding $100 per month, no more money is added and it continues to be loaned at 5% for the next 190 years. At the end of 200 years, the fund would contain $181,141,192. At that point, it could be converted to an outright “grant” program to which family members could apply for education funds.

Instead of focusing on just your immediate family, think about the legacy you could leave by planning much further into the future. Thanks to the “future value of money” concept, you could provide valuable support to many future generations. It’s just a thought, but why couldn’t we give it a try?

Find Homes in Spring Texas

     Homes in Spring Texas

Spring Texas has been in existence for more than thirty years.  This town is situated north of Houston, bordering the Montgomery County.  Whether you are looking for a luxurious home, an apartment, single family home an inventory home or one in the planned communities, you are sure to find the best house here. The area is covered with various species of trees and vegetation making the place suitable for building a large house to live in. The place is properly wooded and makes you feel like you are inside a forest except for the elegant houses.

The main reason why this place attracts many people is because it is extensively developed. Residents of Spring Town are able to access and enjoy its facilities easily. Shopping facilities like the Wal-mart, Wal greens and a Kroger are available and have full stocks of items and equipment.  The vibrancy of business in the town is best exemplified by the creation of Spring Klein Chamber of Commerce. 

For the people who want to own their homes and have families, there are excellent public schools and recreational facilities, all in a natural environment. One of the locations where you can find homes for sale in Spring is North Crest Village. It is a community of single family homes where each homes is built on an area ranging between 1470 and 2600 square feet. These homes are designed on Esmart features’ meaning the environment is critically conserved thus creating a clean and wonderful area for children’s growth. Living in these homes, you will feel comfortable in the knowledge that you are playing your part in environmental conservation.

The Carlton Woods is another gorgeous area to look for when you are in Spring.  It is a prestigious place having a lot of single family homes. If you are looking for the latest houses, you can visit 3 rambling Spring Way. Here you will get fancy houses which smell new because they have just been constructed.  Most of the houses here have 5 bedrooms and are built in the traditional style.

 At Spring Tx, there are affordable state of the art houses that have more than what you desire.  In the master planned community of Spring Trails, for example, lies a beautiful 2 story house with a stunning pool and 3 car garage. You will love its close proximity only ten minutes away from a great Woodland shopping Mall.

Aside from that, there is a beautiful condo 77388 Devonshire woods. This place is very convenient because it’s located 2.5 miles from downtown Houston. You will easily buy groceries and other household amenities at nearby stores. The houses have 4 bedrooms, 2 car garages, a game room and formal dining rooms.

Spring town is definitely the place of choice for anyone who is planning to purchase or rent a house.  If you are searching for homes for sale in Spring Texas, you can consult a realtor who knows the area and has a vast experience on dealing with sale of homes.