The Benefits of Owning a Home.

We all need a place to call home and feel comfortable. It may be a house, apartment, condo, or townhouse. We all know that finding a place to call home can be a complicated and even become an emotional decision. Especially after the downturn, young people  may be hesitant to buy a home. The good news is homeownership is still beneficial in many ways. 

Health Benefits: Homeowners and their families are generally more engaged in the community surrounding their home. That makes for healthier individuals, mentally and physically, according to Mark Lindblad, research director at the University of North Carolina’s Center for Community Capital. Children who's parents own a home also do better academically. Having a consistent home and a consistent school, helps kids thrive.

Tax Benefits: If you're single or married, without any children, you probably don't have many tax deductions to help lower your overall tax burden. Owning a home automatically allows you to deduct taxes and interest paid that year, up to 10,000 dollars. Make sure you speak with an Accountant to make sure your deductions are correct. 

Stable Costs: Rents are rising in today's market and owning a home, with a fixed rate loan, makes your housing costs predictable. As you pay down the loan amount, your mortgage will cost you even less. Rent is always cheaper in the short term, but owning a home stabilizes that cost and lowers it in the long term. A rental will never do that. 

Build Wealth: Homes typically go up in value. Although that can fluctuate in the short term, home values in the long term are stable. Real Estate is a long term investment so be patient. Even better, there are monthly gains in equity as you continue to pay your mortgage down. The bottom line is that real estate is still a great way to build wealth for you and your family. 

Capital Gains Exclusion: When you sell your primary residence for a profit, you get to keep $250,000 if your single and $500,000 if you're married. You'll pay $0.00 in capital gains taxes. ZERO! You just have to live in the home for five of the last 8 years.

The financial benefits are clear but the social benefits are based on stability. So when thinking of buying a home, make sure you're going to stay there for the long term. Then get a fixed rate mortgage and look for down payment assistance, if needed. That, along with a stable job, will ensure that you reap the financial and social benefits of owning a home.

Need help making those housing decisions? Know someone buying or selling? Please contact me, I'd love to help! Visit: www.teamclayton.com or email kyle@teamclayton.com

Kyle, Why Real Estate?

So you've probably heard that I'm now a REALTOR® with my family's business, Team Clayton of RE/MAX Professionals. You've probably also asked yourself, why? Or said, that's random. Fair enough.

Over the last three years, I went from owning my own cleaning company and cookie company, to working for a dynamic new startup. All to jump in to real estate—a little random, I know. However, there's more to it than that. 

Entrepreneurship is exciting and I love it, but what was missing from all my other work was a bigger purpose—the spark that helps push you through the ups and downs of the J.O.B.—so I sat down with myself, thought about the life I wanted to live. Prayed. 

That's when I decided to stop ignoring that voice in the back of my head, shouting "REAL ESTATE!" That voice has always bugged me about helping my parents grow their business. Most of the time, I took that to mean consulting with them and helping them build their company. Little did I know a few years ago I would end up joining the team myself.

So, I took the plunge, started Real Estate school, and I finished in two and a half weeks. I passed both my school and the state test on the first try. Everything was falling into place and showing me this was the right choice. Not only that, other good things started to come into my life as well.

Then, I got to work and saw what my parents had been building. They were ready to hire a buyer's agent and start doing what it took to aggressively grow their business. Team Clayton was ready for Kyle Clayton, I just had to step up. So I did. It was time for me to be a bigger part of this family team. 

Of course, working with your parents can certainly be a minefield, but it's easy to see how much mine have grown and changed over the years—it's a good reminder that we're all human. And knowing how my parents communicate and think about things can also be a huge asset when dealing with the everyday give and take of working on a team. Plus, we're motivated by each other to grow our family business and bring it to a new level of success.

Soon after, I took my first buyer out, showed them a property and found their dream home. At that moment, I knew this was the work I was suppose to do. They had a sparkle in their eye and a joy that exuded from them; knowing they were about to buy their dream house. Even better, I was helping make that happen. 

Sometimes the right choice isn't easy to make, but when you reap the rewards of that vision and effort, you know it was the right one. I suddenly felt like all the work I had done in the past, was to help me get to this place. It also has helped me connect with my parents in a new way.

Now I am helping people, working to make their dreams happen, and it feels so good! Plus, I am still the entrepreneur I always was, just with a better focus and bigger purpose.

Thank you for always supporting me, it means more to me than you know.