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Jennifer S. had been a homeowner for seven years.  But in 2018, she sold her house and started renting again.  She was surprised to learn how much she liked renting again.

Renting gave Jennifer more free time and more free cash – in short, more freedom.

When Jennifer bought her home in 2011, she felt proud.  She had been saving for a down payment.  Her credit was excellent.  She looked for the home for nearly a year before buying.

After closing on the house, Jennifer began making it truly her own by exercising her decorating flair.  But it was more than just a decorating project.  Jennifer renovated the house from stem to stern.  There were a few mishaps, like when the basement flooded or a leak in a bathroom led to hosting more than a few fruit flies.  But Jennifer pushed through.

In 2018, Jennifer had to move to New York.  At first, she merely intended to get to know the area before buying.  But she found she liked four things about renting:

1. She didn’t miss maintaining a home. On one occasion when she was out with friends, she had to rush home to deal with a tree that fell from her yard onto a neighbor’s car.  That spoiled evening was a $700 surprise.  There were other hidden costs as well.
2. Jennifer found it cheaper to rent. There was no cost to lawn maintenance and utility bills were lower.  She could work out in the apartment complex fitness center and ditch her gym membership.  It also gave her more free time, and that is priceless.
3. There’s better liquidity in renting. Jennifer’s money was in the bank instead of tied up in real estate.
4. Freedom! Jennifer reports just feeling free.  It’s nice to come home from vacation and not be confronted with accumulated maintenance and other chores that can no longer be ignored.   And there’s no costly surprises!

Maybe Jennifer’s next move will be to Oak Creek at the Oaks at 8100!