Ahh, the life of a renter

I've been a home owner for many years. At one point I owned a three bedroom, two bath home; sold it (and by "owned" I mean I paid mortgage payments on a home). Then I owned a condo; after the move we sold it...eventually.

Since moving to North Carolina I have been a renter. I forgot all the perks of renting. I pay rent on the first of each month. In exchange for that rent, I get a nice place to live (with heat, a welcome change from our last rental where we lived all winter in the master bedroom with a space heater - one room of a three bedroom house!). We enjoy good neighbors in a safe neighborhood. And best of all, no responsibility!!!

It is our landlords job to maintain the place. If there is a plumbing problem, I don't have to figure out how to fix it (for the single handy-woman out there I recommend Dare to Repair for your common household repair jobs). It is someone elses responsibility to take care of annual maintenance, repair jobs and landscaping. I'm really enjoying this change. I don't have to spend weekends raking leaves or mowing lawns. Nope, not me. I pay rent, let the landlord do it. What freedom! I am not shackled with the responsibility of home ownership.


I know some of you out there are thinking, "rent is such a waste of money." In this economy it's working for me. My last home lost so much value from the time I bought it to the time I sold it, that the mortgage I owed exceeded what the property was worth. Yes, we all expect property values to rise again in the future and if I'd of hung on to it I could have gotten that money back. First, there is no guarantee of that, and second, I didn't want the hassle of owning property in a state I don't live in. So, I chose freedom...and I'm loving it!

I also like that we aren't shackled to a place. Where will we go next? Who knows?! But, renting gives us the flexible to go quickly when we are ready.