Ah, summer. The word itself is enough to ignite a smorgasbord of delicious scenarios. Lively pool parties as the sun goes down, lazily reading a trashy airport novel with a chilled glass of lemonade, or even a slightly over-intense game of volleyball with the fam are just a few of the nostalgic images summer brings to mind. Even if these aren’t your exact go-to’s, we’re sure your mind flits to at least one scenario involving that iconic staple of summer — pools.
While owning a pool has a five-star rating when it comes to entertaining, lounging, and exercise benefits, there’s also some practical issues to consider before deciding if a pool is right for your family. Just for our Homie readers, we taking a deep dive into the breakdown of the pros, cons, and best ways to maximize your pool investment.
The Pros and Cons of Pool Ownership
Before you tell the kids they’re going to have a watery wonderland to cavort in during the summer months ahead, it’s smart to carefully consider the upsides and downsides before you dip your toes into swimming pool ownership.
Pros of Owning a Pool
Social Benefits
“Public pools are fun,” they said. So, you lather up the kiddies in sunscreen and claim a spot on one of the coveted loungers with your latest page-turner. Just as you’re about to find out who pushed Angela over the stair banister, you look up and to your horror, see the toddler next to your own kids squint and scrunch into their “bathroom face.” Long gone are the days of yelling, “Get out of the pool NOW!” to your kids in front of total strangers. Having your own pool in the backyard offers a host of social benefits. Pool parties, barbecues, Fourth of July celebrations, and lackadaisical days by the pool are just a few of the backyard bonanzas you can dream up when you have your own pool.
Landscaping Benefits
While Arizona is known for its cotton-candy hued sunsets and earthy desert landscapes, having a pool gives homeowners the opportunity to contrast the stereotypical desert aesthetic and create a tropical landscape that leans on the side of aloha. Surrounding your pool with sherbet-orange birds of paradise, wispy emerald vines, and a gentle, natural rock waterfall can turn your backyard into your own private oasis. Do we need to come right out and say that a gorgeous pool will make you the envy of your street?
Increase Marketability
Owning a swimming pool will increase your home’s resale value and marketability, especially with those steamy, but beautiful Arizona summers. The vast majority of potential Homie buyers are going to view households with an in-ground pool as a huge plus. Because of its leisure and convenience aspect, Homie buyers may show more initial interest in a house listing with a pool simply because it plays to their grandiose imagination of summer pool ragers with friends and family.
Health Benefits
Another sweet benefit to owning a pool is that it has an almost magical ability to make physical activity fun. If you struggle to get the kids away from a TV or computer screen, watch what happens when you have a gleaming, blue expanse of delicious swimming goodness waiting just outside! Families can schedule in daily swimming time as a fun way to incorporate an exercise regimen for kids — and they’ll be none the wiser! While your kids are busily splashing away and hosting a who-can-swim-the-fastest contest, their video games, phones and TV binge-watching habits will dwindle.
Cons of Owning a Pool
Safety Issues
While we don’t like being a Debbie-downer, having a pool, although great in the wondrous summer months, increases the need for adult supervision. Pools in general can be dangerous for young children, especially in Arizona where drowning is one of the top reasons for childhood injury or death. Although it doesn’t dismiss all potential for unfortunate accidents, one effective way to minimize pool danger is to have added safety measures installed, such as a locked pool gate. With the desire to have everything in your house be Pinterest-worthy, there are pool gate design options so your pool doesn’t have to sacrifice charming designs for safety.
Low Equity Value
Still tossing the pros and cons of a pool around? If you are solely investing in a pool because you think it will increase the amount of equity a house has, we hate to break it to you, but owning a pool only adds around seven percent to equity. In the grand scheme of things, a seven percent equity isn’t much in comparison to the $30,000 average investment that goes into the construction and addition of a backyard pool. As the saying goes…there is no beauty without pain.
Neighborhood Value
The rule is to never judge a book by its cover, but in the world of real estate, your neighborhood can determine the value of your house, regardless of how much winter-white subway tile you hand-laid in your house. When it comes to swimming pools, the value of your house may only benefit depending on how great the real estate gods deem your neighborhood. If you live in a higher-end neighborhood where the majority of your friendly neighbors all own swimming pools, your home could gain value with the addition of a swimming pool. On the contrary, if your house is worth $200,000 without a pool and $225,000 with a pool, the financial benefit of owning a pool is significantly less.
Ongoing Cost and Maintenance
While we would all like to believe the tiny aquatic vacuum droid patrolling the pool floor is enough to keep your pool sparkling clean, the truth is that pools do need constant maintenance, and this requires both money and time. Buying chalky chlorine tabs, filtering out pool water, installing a pool heater, and repetitively scooping out leaves, debris, and the occasional toy car courtesy of Tommy are all costs to take into consideration. Hiring a pool cleaner is definitely an option, but also requires extra moola in the bank.
Additional Insurance –Images of the kids spewing water at each other from pool noodles or getting that toasted-marshmallow tan you’ve always wanted are reason enough to want your own swimming pool. But as your Homie friend, we do have to let you know pools come with their fair share of liability issues. Depending on where you live and your specific homeowner’s insurance company, you may have to pay additional insurance costs to cover your swimming pool.
The Most Cost Effective Types of Pools
If we lived in a perfect world, we would all have enormous pools complete with a jade waterfall, full-sized bubbling jacuzzi and automatic fancy drink dispensers. But alas, this is the real world, and in this world, big luxuries cost big dollars. Although the swimming pools you see on Million Dollar Listing are not the most feasible for the average household, don’t despair. There are great, cost-effective ways to enjoy having your own pool. Here’s a bite-sized overview:
Build a Smaller Pool
Smaller pools cost less money. Who knew! It’s almost too obvious to state, but one of the best ways to reduce the cost of your in-ground pool is to make it smaller. Even if you have ample room in your backyard, a smaller pool means more room for other great summer fixtures, such as backyard furniture, a swing set or jungle gym for the kids, or even a lush patch of grass for Fido. While pools entertain guests in the summer, having other backyard features like the ones listed above can provide easy, breezy entertainment all year round.
Go Vinyl
When it comes to initial installation, vinyl pools are the kindest option to your wallet. Its counterparts — concrete and fiberglass pools — sport a significantly higher price tag and can take longer to install, which means you’ll be sadly standing around in your swimming trunks pool-less for longer. Before hopping on the vinyl pool train, however, know that vinyl liners last for about five to nine years before needing to be replaced. The replacement cost? $4,500 on average.
Hold out for Autumn
Swimming pools are synonymously rejoiced alongside summer, which means the demand for pool installation is highest during the summer or spring seasons. If you’re okay putting your pineapple-patterned one-piece away and getting your thrills watching new Netflix series, one way you may be able to save money is by installing a pool during the fall. By holding off on pool construction until the autumn season, pool contractors may be more open to negotiating a killer deal since business will have simmered down.
Buy a Pool Kit
For the do-it-yourself gurus, purchasing an in-ground pool kit gives you all the materials you need to build your own pool. If installing furniture from a certain Swedish company often leaves you in a crumpled, soggy mess of a human, we’d recommend giving the pool construction to someone else. To potentially save you some extra cash, buy a DIY pool kit and then hire an expert contractor to do the heavy lifting for you. When searching for your potential contractor, let them know you have all the necessary materials and want to know how much the cost of installation will be.
How to Maximize Your Pool Investment
If you’re reading this, we know you’re smart with your hard-won cash. After all, you did make the intelligent choice of being in fabulous cahoots with Homie. We appreciate the fact you like knowing the most efficient ways to stretch a dollar, and pools are no exception. If you decide to get a pool for your own benefit or for the benefit of selling your home, here are some tips to help you get the most splash for your cash in your pool investment.
Use a Pool Cover
Reduce the amount of time and prevent future problems by utilizing a pool cover. Having a pool cover will keep your pool free from strange floating debris and lower the chances of having to deal with any drain blockage down the road.
Use the Power of the Sun
If you’re going to live in the scorching deserts of Arizona, you might as well use the power of the sun to your advantage. Installing solar panels to heat your pool can not only save you money, but also extends the life of your swimming pool into the colder months. Heated dips into the pool with a mug of velvety cocoa? We think yes.
Reduce Filtration
When you’re not using the pool, save energy by reducing filtration in your pool. Be careful not to completely stop all filtration though. Just like it’s important to keep our body’s circulation happy and humming, a pool’s circulation is important to maintaining the cleanliness of your pool no matter the season.
Whether you are on the pro or con side of the pool gate, make sure to float your ideas to your partner and make an informed decision with the help of your friends at Homie. To infinity pool and beyond!
By Peter Anderson16 Comments – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited November 4, 2011.
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Christmas time is only a month and a half away! At our house it’s one of the most joyous times of the year as we celebrate the birth of our savior, and revel in all the blessings we have seen in our lives during the year. This year we’re celebrating the birth of our first born son – and he’s celebrating his first Christmas!
The most important parts of Christmas aren’t physical or material things, but in our culture it’s often expected to give gifts during the Christmas season. Because of that, if you’re not careful it can quickly become one of the most expensive times of year. If you’re trying to cut down on spending, like we are at our house, it can become a challenge to find creative gifts to give.
Check out the newly expanded list: 100 Frugal Christmas Gifts
Here in this post I thought I would put together a list of ideas for some good frugal gifts that you can give this Christmas.
NOTE: The frugality of the gifts vary from gift to gift, but I’ve linked some possibilities on Amazon. You can probably find some cheaper ways to put these things together yourself if you try. Feel free to chime in on the comments section down below with your own frugal gift ideas!
The Big List Of Frugal Gifts
Baked goods: I don’t know any guy who wouldn’t love to get a box full of cookies, banana bread and pastries! (Hint: not good for someone on a diet)
If you’ve got an old laptop, make a frugal digital picture frame out of it!: At 14-15″ it’ll be bigger than most you buy at the stores, and cheaper since you’ll be using old parts!
Personalized Calendars: Most photo processing places will have these personalized calendars you can buy, or pick up pre-made ones in Target’s dollar bins. Get photos of you and the person you’re giving the gift to in each season, and place them in the appropriate month/season of the year!
Themed gift baskets: Give a themed gift basket. For example, a movie night theme basket with microwave popcorn, a movie or two, and some cheapo popcorn buckets from Target dollar bin.
Custom t-shirts: Create your own custom t-shirt for a family member on Cafepress. It can be cheaper than you think!
Scrapbooks: Make a scrapbook for a close friend showing moments you’ve shared together. My wife did this for a friend’s wedding. Very meaningful.
Donation to a local charity: Give to a local charity in someone’s name. Make sure it’s a charity that they would actually give to.
Handmade Christmas ornaments: make personalized Christmas ornaments for your friends and family!
Board Games: buy a board game, a gift that gets the family together and keeps on giving all year long! Even better, if you can find some board games at garage sales or on ebay, create a themed game night gift basket (see above)!
Family history DVD: Put together a family history DVD with photos, written family histories, family tree, video and anything else you can think of.
Framed family picture: Take a picture at a family event, frame it, and give it as a gift!
Coupon Books: Make a personalized coupon book with such favorite coupons as “back rub”, “dinner” or “clean the house”.
Make a blanket: make a nice fleece blanket. Instructions here.
Make some custom painted wine glasses: Make some custom painted wine glasses, and then give them along with a bottle of wine. Instructions here.
Give a magazine subscription: My brother loves reading National Geographic and the Economist. We gave him subscriptions as a gift.
Romantic evening gift set: Candles and silk flower petals! Cheap and fun!
Keeping warm gift set: Give a gift set of hat, scarf and gloves. Add long underwear as well if you wish!
Leatherbound journal: buy a nice leatherbound journal at your local Borders or Barnes and Noble. They make for a nice gift. Add a nice pen if you want to pay a little more.
Craft Kit: Put together a crafting kit with things like markers, glitter, scissors, clay, crayons, glue, paper, etc.
Photo Collage: If you’re handy with Photoshop or another image editing software, create a photo collage/montage, print it out and frame it! Or if you don’t have Photoshop, print separate pictures and create a collage.
Movie Tickets: Buy a pair of movie passes or a movie gift card for someone to go see a movie. Not as cheap as it used to be :).
Buy a single stock: Buy a family member a single stock to get them started, and give them a copy of a finance book like Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover (although you may want to stress that you’re giving it because it has helped you. People can get touchy about money related gifts)
Flannel Sheets and PJs: Buy a keeping comfy gift pack with flannel sheets and pajamas!
Coffee lovers gift pack: Buy some gourmet coffee and a personalized coffee cup for the coffee lover on your list.
Set of soaps, towels and soap dish: Put together a nice matching set of hand towel and soap dish, and then give some handmade soaps.
Big breakfast gift pack: Put together a gift pack with pancake mix, batter dispenser, syrup and pancake mix-ins.
Puzzle day: Give a gift pack of a puzzle and snacks to eat while you do the puzzle!
BBQ Kit: Get some BBQ sauce from local source, and add it to a nice BBQ Utensil kit.
Basket of spices and seasonings: Put together a basket of seasonings and spices from a local spice or grocery store. Make sure to get a good mix for cooking, BBQs, etc.
Netflix subscription: Pay for someone to have netflix for a couple of months. If they have a connected device, they can even stream movies!
Deck of cards and book of card games: Buy a cheap pack of cards, and a book listing the rules of different card games. Good for hours of fun!
Cheap keychain digital picture viewer: Buy someone a cheap digital picture viewer keychain (around $20?) and fill it with pictures.
Bath time gift pack: Buy a nice wash clothe, some bath oils/beads and even some lotions at your local bath store.
Laser Etched Crystal: Need a unique Christmas gift? Turn any photo into a 3D crystal image. While this isn’t the most frugal option on the list, if you’re looking for something special, you can find something well under $100. Use coupon code HOLIDAYCHEER to save 30%.
Botanicals: buy a nice low maintenance plant to brighten up their day, along with a small watering can.
Make a recipe box: If you’re good with wood, make a nice recipe box, and fill it with blank recipe cards.
An appreciation book: Get a nice journal, and write in it to the person about how much you appreciate them, things you love about them, shared moments and experiences and general encouragement. Even add a few photos.
Book gift pack: Find some books on your own shelf that you’ve already read, and put together a gift pack of books
Chocolate attack!: Put together a gift pack with all kinds of chocolate. Hot chocolate, chocolate bars, truffles, etc.
Car wash kit: Put together a kit for washing the car. Can include things like sponge, tire brush, bug remover, car soap, etc.
Regifted items: Did you get a 2nd crock pot last Christmas that you haven’t used? Give it away this Christmas (to someone other than who you received it from)
“That’s a spicy meatball” gift pack: Give them a nice italian dinner with a pasta bowl, pasta, strainer, fancy olive oil, pasta utensils and even some sauce.
Give your service: Good at cooking? Offer to come over and cook a gourment meal. Are you a designer? Offer your design services for free. Good with computers? Offer free tech support. You get the idea.
Wine and cheese gift pack: Buy a variety of specialty cheeses, crackers and a bottle of wine. Put it together and you have one gourment evening!
Picnic pack: Put together a picnic pack with a blanket, a basket, some cheap utensils and plates.
Sewing Kit & lessons: put together all the sewing essentials (thread, needles, pins, etc) and then give the person lessons on how to sew.
Gardening gift pack: Buy the person gardening gloves, gardening tools and some seeds. Put them all in a small bucket or waterging can.
Handmade jewelry: Make a handmade necklace or bracelet at a local bead or craft store. Give it as a meaningful gift.
Music lover’s delight: give an itunes gift card, along with a book about their favorite artist or band
Beer afficionado gift pack: Give a beer mug, snacks and gift card from a local brew pub.
A Birdhouse: Give your loved one of these bluebird houses so they can relax on the porch and watch the colorful avians.
Outdoorsman gift pack: Put together a gift pack with a leatherman mini, a pair of choppers, and an aluminum water bottle (or your choice of other outdoor gear)
Used electronics: Have an extra MP3 player and know someone who needs one? Clean up your spare and give it as a gift!
Art lovers gift pack: Get a free photo canvas of one of your favorite photos, along with supplies to hang it. If the person is artistic, put together a gift pack with art supplies!
Give a memory photo book: Give the person a photo book that includes memories of you and that person together.
Active lifestyle gift pack: Put together some small gifts like a BPA free water bottle, workout video or video game and some wristbands. Be careful not to offend anyone with this one. 😉
Accessories: Know someone with an Ipod? Give them an Ipod accessories pack. Father with a cell phone? Give him cell phone accessories.
Host a party: Instead of giving gifts to a large group of friends, invite them over for a Christmas party that you host.
Gingerbread house kit: Give all the things needed to make gingerbread houses, along with recipes for frosting and building instructions. (Best if given before Christmas)
Give the gift of a blog: Know someone who might enjoy blogging? Buy them a domain name, setup their blog and host them on your hosting account if you have one! Buy a copy of my ebook for them!
Give the gift of communication: Know an older member of the family who doesn’t have a cell phone? Buy them a cheap pre-paid phone and a small amount of air time. As cheap as $20-30!
Take someone out to dinner: Take a friend or family member out to dinner at a reasonably priced restaurant on the house!
Tea gift pack: Give a nice teacup along with a selection of teas.
Make a music mix: Purchase some of your favorite music for someone from Itunes and put it on a thumb drive or CD-RW! (no illegal content distribution folks!)
Make a memories CD for a parent: If you’re younger make a memories CD for your mom and dad with photos, audio or video of you talking about good times you’ve shared, and maybe some written memories.
Yard Work Coupons: Have an elderly family member or friend? Make up some nice looking coupons for free yard work or other odd jobs on your computer.
Scrappers gift pack: If you know someone who enjoys scrapbooking, put together a nice canvas bag with scrapbooking materials, and maybe a gift card to Michael’s or other craft store.
Sports gift pack: Know a kid who enjoys sports? Put together a sports gift pack with equipment for several different sports.
Recipe gift pack: Give the gift of several of your favorite recipes, and a gift card to a local grocery store.
Create a memory jar: Have a bunch of friends write down favorite memories of the person receiving the gift – get as many as you can. Then put them all on small pieces of paper, and put them in a decorated jar with the instructions to open one fun memory every day.
Put on a concert: If you’re musically talented, put on a Christmas concert for family and friends. If you want to give to others, go to a local nursing home and play!
Football gift pack: Have someone obsessed with football? Get them a t-shirt for their favorite team, a team blanket for cuddling up and watching games on Sunday and some snacks!
Write a poem: Write a “Where I’m From Poem”, either about yourself for the gift receiver, or about them. Details here.
Custom collage notebook: One year my brother made me a notebook that had a fun photo and magazine clipping collage on the cover. It was creative and I used that notebook for quite a while.
Movie based on a book: Buy someone a book that you enjoyed, as well as the movie based on that book.
Now that I’ve given you some ideas for some frugal Christmas gifts, why don’t you give us your own ideas! Leave a comment with your idea for a good frugal Christmas gift below!
More Frugal Christmas Gifts & Ideas
75 ideas not enough? Here’s some more ideas for a frugal Christmas!
Stone walls, crocodile-filled moats, Rottweilers — our ancestors found some pretty creative home security solutions!
Today’s home security systems feature a more tech-savvy approach, but the goal remains the same: to keep your family, your property, and your stuff safe from outsiders.
Recent innovations have fueled a new surge in home security sales.
As you shop around and compare systems, consider your home’s security challenges, your lifestyle, and your budget.
Chances are good you’ll find the system you need, whether you’re a new homeowner or just new to the home security market.
How Security Systems Have Changed Over Time and Recently
Believe it or not, tech-driven security systems have been around nearly two centuries. Augustus Russell Pope of Boston combined electricity, magnets, and a bell to create a burglar alarm in the 1850s.
Marketing the invention proved difficult, though, because people feared electricity as much as they feared intruders. As the decades passed, the world caught up with Pope’s idea.
By the early 20th century, electricity had grown safer and more common. The burglar alarm started to catch on.
By the 1970s, home security systems featured motion sensors. Off-site monitoring caught on in the 1980s.
Prices started to fall in the 1990s, making systems accessible for more homeowners. Now the internet has changed the industry again.
For a few hundred dollars in hardware and installation fees — or perhaps less if you install the system yourself — you can monitor your own home from your smartphone from work, school, your commute, or even while on vacation.
These new systems have drawbacks, too, so before you jump in, make sure you’re getting the security your family needs.
Monitored Vs Unmonitored Security Systems
This has become the first question to ask when shopping for home security: Should you pay more for a system with professional monitoring included?
For decades, monitoring fees prevented a lot of homeowners from getting a home security system.
Even the lowest fees can become cost-prohibitive when you pay them month after month and year after year for the indefinite future.
For those homeowners, unmonitored systems may offer the only way into the home security market. If you have a choice, though, give this question some thought.
Monitored systems come with some advantages you may like.
Advantages of Professionally Monitored Systems
Just like with cars, computers, and houses, you get what you pay for with a home security system.
A monitored system costs more, but consider these advantages:
More seamless responses: With an unmonitored system, it would be up to you to contact fire or law enforcement officials when you get an alert about an intruder. When you’re out of town, calling 911 probably won’t work as quickly since you’d have to be transferred between areas of jurisdiction. Someone monitoring your home should be able to contact officials more quickly.
Someone else deals with false alarms: When you’re at work or out shopping and you get a security alert from your unmonitored security system, it’s up to you to assess the risk. If the FedEx guy triggered the alarm by delivering this month’s dog food, you’d feel relieved. But when something like this happens several times a day, it starts to get distracting. A monitored system can take care of these distractions, saving your attention for when it really matters.
Equipment may be included: Customers who buy an unmonitored system tend to be responsible for maintaining and upgrading their own security equipment. A monitored system would more likely include the equipment and, naturally, its maintenance and upgrades. In a fast-changing industry, your gear can get outdated pretty quickly.
Protection isn’t dependent on cell service: Most of us always know where our phones are. But what happens when you’re in an area with poor service or when you lose your phone on the Slinky Dog ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? (I’m not judging!) You may not have access to your at-home security system alerts when most needed. A monitored service can contact authorities to protect your home even when you aren’t in the loop.
Advantages of Unmonitored Systems
Unmonitored, also known as self-monitored, home security systems have become the fastest growing segment of the market for a reason. Advantages include:
The cost, of course: Since you could use a self-monitored home security system without paying monthly fees, you can save a lot month to month and year to year. Even if you pay a professional to install the system’s panel or cameras, you can still avoid that monthly bill.
A perfect fit if you’re renting: The home security market has traditionally ignored renters since they don’t have the authority to install hardware or enter a long-term contract. An unmonitored system offers exactly what a renter needs: flexible service with no long-term commitment.
Having more control: When you’re making all the decisions about whether to call for help or whether it’s a false alarm, you’re automatically controlling the response level. Since you know better than anyone what’s normal at your home, this can prevent some confusion. For example, the monitoring service may not know your brother has a spare key but does not know the alarm code. Since you know this, you can automatically filter out the police response as a viable option (unless you really have it in for your brother).
Integrating additional home systems: Some of the best self-monitored systems are an extension of WiFi-enabled home automation. Along with feeling more secure, you can also lock or unlock doors, change your thermostat, turn certain lights on or off, and even control the garden sprinklers (and lawn mowers!), all from an app. (Traditional monitored services have started adding these features, too.)
Can You Get the Best of Both Worlds?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could combine the best aspects of professionally monitored and self-monitored systems?
Well, the industry has been moving in that direction.
Here’s why: The rapid growth of self-monitored home security systems has grabbed the attention of the traditional home security companies.
The leading monitored services are compensating by adding modern conveniences such as app-based customer control and, in some cases, acquiring smaller, self-monitored home security companies.
And it’s not a one-way street: Some self-monitored services have added the option to have your home professionally monitored, but with a twist. You can get add-on monitoring for a fee only when you need it. That way you could still avoid the contracts and flat monthly fees.
As the market continues to evolve, I’d expect to see less separation between these two categories.
But full-time monitoring will continue to be a separator. It simply costs more money to have someone monitoring your home and responding to problems all day every day.
And in many cases, professional monitoring equals a more secure home.
Should You Buy a Monitored or Unmonitored Security System?
This gradual merging of monitored and unmonitored home security features could, ironically, make it harder to decide what kind of service to buy.
If you like the control an unmonitored system offers, you don’t necessarily have to opt for an unmonitored system anymore. You can find a monitored system with similar capabilities.
Or, if you want a monitored system because you’re out of town a lot, you no longer have to choose from only traditional security service providers. You may be able to find an unmonitored service with added-on monitoring periods without a contract.
If you can’t decide for sure, take a look at your home, your lifestyle, and your personal preferences. They can tell you a lot about your needs.
What Type of Home Do You Have?
The kind of home you’re protecting should help drive the kind of protection you buy.
Makes sense, right?
Well, it’s easy to forget such obvious things once you start comparing features, prices, contracts, apps, and customer reviews.
Take a look around your home. If you have two full floors full of windows and doors, along with a garage door and windows to consider, you’ll need a lot of equipment installed and maintained.
You’ll also have a lot more sensors to trigger false alarms. A monitored system could be worth the cost.
On the flip side, if you live in a 2-room apartment with just a few windows and only two doors, your up-front equipment investment will be less, and you’ll have fewer trigger points to keep an eye on as you monitor things while away. A self-monitored system could do the job.
How Connected Are You?
If a home security system sends an alert to your smartphone but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? We could debate that question for hours, and if your phone happens to be off, someone could be stealing your stuff as we contemplate.
With an unmonitored system, you’re on call around the clock via your smartphone. If you’re the kind of person who likes to unplug after work or while on vacation, you may want to lean toward a monitored security system.
If, however, you and your phone are inseparable — if you sleep with the phone beside you on the pillow — you’re likely set up well to monitor security alerts.
That said, I’d suggest using a different ringtone for home security alerts. You wouldn’t want to ignore a serious problem thinking it was just a reminder to pick up your sister’s cat from the vet tomorrow.
How Connected Is Your Home?
Most of us have WiFi at home now. Most does not mean all, though.
People without WiFi at home will have a hard time using all the features of a self-monitored home security system.
In that case, a landline-based, traditional system would be a better option.
If you have WiFi, the quality of your surveillance will depend a lot on the quality of your Internet connection.
As more devices and appliances get online — thermostats, washing machines, tablets, phones, TVs, refrigerators, lawn mowers — there’s more demand on your network. For many of us, a DSL connection just doesn’t cut it anymore.
If you have a gigabit-per-second coming across fiber into your home, your unmonitored security features should work just fine.
How Busy Are You?
A lot of us can add tasks to our regular schedules without a lot of stress. People in the gig economy or with a couple side hustles may have just the kind of schedule flexibility they need to assess threats from their smartphones.
Sure, you may have to re-arrange a few things or tell a client to hold on a second while you check the alert on your phone, but it’s still possible. People who teach school, run meetings, perform surgery, or preside over class-action lawsuits may not have time to check their phones every couple of hours.
Just like any other commitment you take on, consider the time demands of an unmonitored security system.
I’ve been in more than one meeting where someone had to check on a security alert. (Usually, something like leaves blowing onto the porch or a delivery from Amazon triggered the alert.)
Do You Own Your Home?
I referred to this earlier, but it bears repeating. Traditional home security firms more or less ignored renters for years since they didn’t have permission to install a system anyway.
With no wires to run behind walls, a tenant can usually install an unmonitored system without changing the property.
Mounting a camera in the corner is hardly different from hanging a picture, and it’s a whole lot simpler than installing a wall-mounted TV.
Plus, when you move on to a new home in a new city, you could take a lot of the system’s components with you to use at the new rental house. Of course, check your lease agreement to make sure you have permission to make the changes an unmonitored system would require.
And, by the way, if you’re a renter who would like a traditional monitored system, ask your landlord about it. He or she may be fine with the idea, especially since a system could reduce your landlord’s homeowners insurance rates.
Best Security System Providers For 2023
We’ve chewed on a lot of theoretical stuff, so let’s get into what really matters. How do systems compare to each other, and which one should you get?
A year or so ago I would have made two best security system lists: One for monitored security systems and one for self-monitored systems.
The features of these systems have blended so much I think one list will better serve shoppers. I’ll be sure to indicate whether you would need a contract to use each service.
While convenient features are important and worth weighing into the equation, the quality of the system itself still matters most.
So I’ll be giving the quality of your home security system first priority in these comparisons while giving conveniences and customer flexibility a little less importance.
Frontpoint
Contract required: Yes Professional monitoring: Yes Length of contract: At least one year
Remember earlier when I suggested the future of home security will likely blend the features of monitored and unmonitored systems?
I had Frontpoint in mind when I said that.
This company has led this confluence of features, offering professional monitoring plus the conveniences do-it-yourself systems introduced.
Yes, Frontpoint requires a contract and you’ll be paying for 24/7 professional monitoring. But you’ll also have a user-friendly app that can control your locks, lights, and thermostat.
With Frontpoint, you install the equipment yourself since it’s wireless, lightweight, and easy to position with included adhesive strips.
Essentially, Frontpoint offers the best features of monitored and unmonitored services in one package: professional monitoring, quality equipment, convenient features, and a do-it-yourself approach.
That’s why I’ve listed Frontpoint first.
I also like the 30-day, risk-free guarantee. If you’re unhappy with the service, Frontpoint won’t bill you and you can return all the hardware. You won’t be on the hook for the rest of the contract.
I also like the one-year contract. Most companies require a three-year commitment.
Frontpoint offers three price points. If you’d like to access recorded video surveillance from your property, you’ll need to go with the most expensive plan.
Best for: A homeowner who wants mobile control, full-time professional monitoring, and more contract flexibility than usual. Avoid if: You don’t want to enter at least a one-year contract.
ADT Pulse
Contract required: Yes Professional monitoring: Yes Length of contract: At least three years
ADT, a leader in home security for almost 150 years, has also started offering the conveniences of unmonitored security in its ADT Pulse system.
Like Frontpoint, ADT Pulse still bases its services on contracts, but it has bulked up its app to give customers more control over their security equipment. In fact, you can probably incorporate your own cameras and sensors into ADT’s system since it supports many third-party hardware brands.
Unlike Frontpoint, ADT Pulse includes professional installation (and a corresponding $99 set-up fee). The result is another best-of-both-worlds approach for the customer who is willing to enter into a contract.
In ADT’s case, the contract will last at least three years, and you’d be billed a hefty termination fee to get out of it.
ADT will let you out of the contract if you’re not happy with the service, but it’s not a no-questions-asked policy. ADT will try to resolve your issues, which is a good thing if home security is your priority.
Best for: A homeowner who wants a time-tested, trustworthy home security partner with professional installation plus modern mobile-based control. Avoid if: You’re not sure about entering a long-term contract.
ProtectAmerica
Contract required: Yes Professional monitoring: Yes Length of contract: At least three years
By now you’re sensing a trend: Traditional, contract-based home security companies that have adopted modern conveniences are dominating the top of this list.
And for good reason: Ultimately, a home security system should provide the best home security for you and your family, and professional monitoring tends to offer more security.
ProtectAmerica makes this list for those reasons and because of its flexible pricing options. The company has five price points.
I’d stay away from the company’s less expensive, landline-based options. They do not offer the control and integration you’d get from Frontpoint or ADT Pulse (unless you want a traditional, landline-based system).
ProtectAmerica’s broadband and cellular-based options deliver a lot. You can even integrate the system with your Amazon Alexa or Google Home smart device for voice control.
And when an alarm goes off, you can also get a voice prompt from the system telling you which sensor or camera triggered the alarm. When you’re half asleep, this simplicity can pay off! There’s also a panic button which will automatically call for help.
Best for: A homeowner or renter who wants the conveniences of tech-based security with fewer potential complications. Avoid if: You’re shy about a three-year contract.
Vivint Home Security
Contract required: No, unless you’re financing equipment Professional monitoring: Yes Length of contract: At least 42 months (but only when financing equipment)
If you’ve been looking for a no-contract home security solution that still delivers professional results, consider Vivint Home Security. Vivint offers monitoring for a monthly fee, but it doesn’t require its customers to commit to more than one month at a time.
However, if you cancel your account while you still owe money on your equipment, Vivint will bill you for the balance. So even though you wouldn’t have an official contract, you’d still be compelled to keep the service or pay a lump sum to end your connection to the company.
It’s not exactly a no-strings-attached situation, but customers do have more control month to month, especially if they pay up front for the equipment.
Vivint makes this list because of this potential flexibility and because of the flexibility of the company’s equipment.
You can essentially build your own home security and home automation package the way you want. Rather than choosing from a package, you can combine different kinds of surveillance equipment including outdoor monitoring, and different safety features such as smart lighting and thermostat control.
You can manage your system through a Google or Amazon smart speaker or you can use a more customized control panel.
Best for: A homeowner who wants to customize a security solution. Avoid if: You don’t want to pay up front for equipment. If you don’t pay up front, you’ll have a de facto contract.
Link Interactive
Contract required: No, unless you’re financing equipment Professional monitoring: Yes (by a third party monitoring center) Length of contract: N/A unless financing equipment
Link Interactive rounds out my top 5 because, once again, it blends traditional and unmonitored features to give customers the best of both worlds. Link Interactive stands out because it has embraced broadband and cellular networks more thorough than most other providers.
As a result, you can talk with a professional monitor through your control panel at home during an emergency. Sometimes just knowing what’s going on and finding out easily when help will arrive can alleviate stress.
But you should know that Link Interactive uses a third party, which doesn’t always equal a loss in quality, but it does mean the company has less control over the monitoring process.
Still, lots of Link Interactive customers have been satisfied with their service according to TrustPilot and Better Business Bureau reports, which tend to lean toward the negative for security systems.
Link Interactive lets you pay month to month instead of committing to one to three years. However, as with Vivint, if you owe money on your home security equipment, you’d have to pay the balance if you canceled service.
So unless you pay up front for the equipment or pay the balance down enough to make more affordable, you’d likely be sticking with the service for a while.
Essentially, it’s a contract by another name. Link Interactive does stand by its 30-day grace period. If you change your mind or don’t like the service, you can cancel without obligations.
Security matters most, and even though I’ve listed a couple concerns, Link Interactive has the experience (about 70 years’ worth) and the equipment to serve its customers well.
Best for: A homeowner who wants a reliable partner with the best modern conveniences. Avoid if: You don’t plan to stick with the company for at least until you’ve paid off the equipment.
Best Self-Monitored Home Security Services For 2023
I know — I listed my five top choices for home security, and not a single one offers a completely self-monitored system.
I alluded to the reason earlier but here it is again: Professionally monitored systems simply provide better security across the board, and we’re looking for the best home security systems.
In most cases, security tends to be better because you have a staff of monitors at the ready to respond to a crisis at your home.
Most, of course, doesn’t mean all. You may have just the right work-life balance to handle a self-monitored system. Or you might just prefer to self-monitor your home security, either to save money or because you like the control.
If so, you have a lot of choices.
Let’s take a look at a few of my favorites.
Ring Alarm
You’ve probably seen this one on TV. It looks simple, efficient, and affordable.
Overall, it lives up. For only $200 or so up front, you can get a pretty solid set-up and install it yourself. Pricier packages offer more components for larger homes.
You can opt for professional monitoring (for $10 a month or $100 a year) or for self-monitoring, which is free. Ring connects to Z-wave, which means you can incorporate a wide variety of home management and security equipment.
Amazon owns and sells Ring systems, so if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper you’ll know pretty much what to expect.
Best for: A low-cost but useful alternative with professional monitoring available.
Honeywell Smart Home Security
Honeywell, whose name you may have seen on thermostats somewhere along the line, has expanded its business into smart home connectivity, including home security.
You’ll pay more, over $1,000 most likely, to get your system going, but after that, you can do a lot, including arming and disarming the system with a key fob and even integrating facial recognition.
Honeywell’s system works seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, and the system should soon also offer Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit integration.
Honeywell also syncs with Z-wave, which means you can use all sorts of wireless equipment to manage and monitor your home.
Best for: A do-it-yourself alternative that still has top-notch gear and accessibility specializing in self-monitoring.
SimpliSafe
SimpliSafe has grown in name recognition and market share. The company offers a lot of options. About 16 to be precise. They all vary slightly in the number of components and price.
Set-up fees range from about $290 to about $550 depending on how much equipment your home needs. The equipment is easy to install and use. You can go without professional monitoring and keep using the security equipment.
It tends to be harder to incorporate third-party equipment, though. So if you get SimpliSafe don’t assume you can use existing gear from previous systems.
Best for: An all-in-one system for homeowners new to security systems.
Nest Secure
If you use Google products — Google Assistant and the Android operating system, for example — Nest Secure could offer a sensible extension for your home automation and security needs.
Naturally, the service integrates nicely with Google Assistant and your Android phone or tablet. You can spend up to $500 or so getting the equipment set-up.
You can add professional monitoring on a contract or month-to-month basis.
Best for: Customers who already use Nest home automation products. Nest is part of Alphabet, Google’s parent company.
Going Cheap? Create Your Own System And Go Full DIY!
Even though the home security market has changed a lot with the success of self-monitoring systems, customers still have two basic choices:
Enter a contract of some sort to get professional monitoring and pay less up front.
Buy a do-it-yourself system, spending $300 to $1,500 up front, and have the freedom to self-monitor and avoid the contract.
Some customers wonder why they can’t just buy some cameras and door sensors and connect the gear to their smartphone. That may be possible, and if that’s your thing, you could save compared to buying a pre-packaged deal.
But, for the majority of consumers, I do not recommend this approach for a few reasons:
It depends upon your ability to connect and maintain the equipment.
You couldn’t add professional monitoring if you wanted to.
It’s more difficult to self-monitor without an app to centralize the camera feeds and sensor data.
Regional Security Firms May Offer a Lot
I tried to limit this post to companies offering nationwide service. Some regional companies offer great equipment and great service, too.
If you’re considering a regional firm in your area, make sure to check on the following issues:
Who monitors the company’s security systems? Is it local or third party? If third party, try to find out response times for the monitoring service.
Are you as the customer responsible for maintaining the equipment or will the company keep it up to date? If you’re responsible, work that into what you’ll be paying.
Does the system’s control panel have a battery backup during loss of electricity? What about backup for the WiFi connection? If not, the system could leave you vulnerable.
If you have the ability to self-monitor, can you integrate components you already own via Z-wave or another similar service?
What do local law enforcement officials think about the firm? Cops know a lot about home security. They may know the value of a local or regional home security outfit.
Need Proof of Results? Ask Your Insurance Agent
Our homes are personal. Having a stranger violate, steal, or destroy our homes, our property feels like a personal attack even if we’re not home and deal only with the aftermath.
People who have experienced that feeling know it can change the way you look at the world for a while.
It makes sense for homeowners (and renters) to seek some kind of protection against this danger. No system can guarantee your safety and the safety of your family.
But home security systems do get results. For proof, just ask your homeowners insurance company.
Many insurers will give you a discount on your home insurance premiums if you have a professionally monitored home security system. Insurers give this discount because they know a quality home security service will likely reduce the likelihood of a personal property insurance claim.
As you compare systems, consider what kind of security you need and whether what you’re buying fits your home.
Security is personal. It’s up to you to make sure you’re getting a system to match your life.
isolate a pinhole leak in the fuel filler neck and hose assembly
maintain and/or replace an evaporator canister
recognize the term “evaporator canister”.
“Evaporator canister” does return only 457 Google hits, leading one to question whether such a component even exists. (cf. “skyhook”, “snipe hunt”, and “key to the batter’s box.”)
The vehicle in question, a 2008 Ford Explorer, has 52,340 miles on it. The check engine light came on, a crisis that created an opportunity to do two things:
save a little money
spend a lot of money.
You can read about what to do regarding vehicle maintenance in the book (available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other fine bookstores). Rule 1 is Don’t Go To The Dealer. More specifically, don’t begin at the dealer. You might have no choice if you need a specific original-equipment part for body work, but for repairs not restricted to a certain make and model of vehicle, start elsewhere.
There is a caveat, the exception that reinforces the rule. It’s OK to begin at the dealer if you’re willing to stay a few minutes with your vehicle and confirm that you don’t want this to turn into a full-on service appointment. If your vehicle’s clearly in the warranty period, it shouldn’t be a problem. If it’s on the fence, stand your ground and ensure that the dealer’s service department won’t charge you.
“On the fence” means you aren’t sure whether a certain component is still in the coverage period or not, which is definitely possible. Here are some examples from the warranty for said Explorer:
catalytic converter (8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever comes first)
idle air bypass valve (5 years or 50,000 miles, unless you’re driving something other than a heavy duty vehicle, which is a truck from 8,500–19,500 pounds)
intake manifold (7 years/70,000 miles, if you have the long-term defects warranty, but only if your engine is at least 4 liters)
any other emissions-related part (15 years/150,000 miles, but only if you’re in California, the special state that might as well be an independent country for its refusal to accept the laws the rest of us seem to have little trouble crafting.)
So yeah, you might not know what’s covered until the dealer’s already in your pocket. Beware, especially since check engine lights are similar to dental cavities: ignoring them is never an effective way of getting the underlying problem to disappear.
It’s astonishing how many people will take steps to reduce their water bills by .35¢ a month, or shop around to save $5 on groceries, but won’t expend a little effort to save hundreds on automotive repair.
The dealership will tell you that only it can diagnose the check engine light and identify the code that arises. They’ll also charge you $90 for the privilege of determining what’s wrong with something they sold you in the first place. (Read that sentence again.) This is the same dealership that likely told you the $1100 desert protection package option is a vital add-on that all the smart drivers are getting this year, even though you live on Kaua’i.
In other words, a lie. If you don’t have a scanner of your own, find a lube shop that does and an employee who knows how to use it. Depending on what state you live in, you need to do this surreptitiously. The bureaucrats in some state governments, peons of the automotive-industrial cabal, prohibit everyone but dealers from using scanners legally. Which is not only counterproductive and immoral, it’s expensive.
Nor are state transportation department employees above going to a lube shop, asking for a diagnosis, then levying a fine. (The 1930s are alive and well in some industries.) So be careful. If you’re already comfortable at a particular lube shop, and they know you, or you can prove that you’ve taken your vehicle there before, ask if you can get someone to check the code on your vehicle. Obviously, you shouldn’t do this in front of anyone but a single technician. At the very least, they might be able to recommend someone who can help you. Be explicit about how you’re not there to jeopardize anyone’s livelihood.
With a diagnosis from a lube shop, which takes less than a minute, you’ve already saved the $90 service fee a dealer would charge. (At this point you’re welcome to tip the technician.) Yes, the dealer will refund the $90 if the work is covered under warranty, but why wager $90 to take that chance? Better to walk in armed with at least the results from the code reader.
The Explorer had an evaporation leak, which the tech classified as a small one. Small, by definition, means .004-.006”. (Anything smaller is hard to detect.) The initial course of treatment was a “smoke test”, in which a tech literally blows smoke up your vehicle to determine the genesis of the leak.
Lube shops don’t do this, so the next stop was a non-affiliated service center, which quoted close to $90 for a smoke test. However, the dealer charges about the same, but also tells you if the work is under warranty. Thus in this case it is time to head to the dealer, for a rare justifiable visit. A few hours later, the verdict: repair the leak in the fuel filler neck and hose assembly, and replace that mysterious evaporator canister. $1531.
Fortunately, a small evaporation leak isn’t enough to render the vehicle un-drivable, at least not for a few days. So off we go to comparison shop, after a tactical lie to the dealership’s service writer (“I’m broke until my next paycheck. I’ll take it home and hopefully have enough to come back and let you fix it next week.”)
Then to the service center. Their quote?
$818, at least ¾ of which is parts. Same guaranteed work, none of which voids the warranty. That’s more than a $600 savings, and no one had to turn off the faucet while brushing to accomplish it.
Only go to the dealer if you absolutely have to. In a situation like this one, doing so gets you the best of both worlds: as inexpensive a diagnosis as possible, plus a quote, which you can then use to shop around with and get a better price. Thus selling a liability, and leaving you more funds to buy assets with.
Greg McFarlane is an advertising copywriter who lives in Las Vegas and Lahaina – testament to the power of entrepreneurship. He recently wrote Control Your Cash: Making Money Make Sense, a financial primer for people in their 20s and 30s who know nothing about money. Buy the book here (physical) or here (Kindle) and reach Greg at [email protected].
If you’re the kind of buyer who appreciates a six-burner Wolff stove and a custom-paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator, you’re looking for more than square footage. You’re looking for a home that really speaks to you, reflects your lifestyle, and rewards you with a rush of pleasure and satisfaction every time you walk through door. But this kind of luxurious, high-quality home is sometimes difficult to place a valuation on. Just how much more should you pay for that heated driveway, basketball court, and pool?
1580 Connecticut Dr., Salt Lake City, UT
Quality you can feel
When visitors walk into your home, they might not notice the detailed woodworking, but they will notice how it feels to be in a home with high-quality workmanship. And so will you.
8 Pepperwood Pointe, Sandy, UT
Every day you walk through your space, quality craftsmanship (like bull-nosed edges on your dry wall and waterfall edges on your granite countertops) not only looks good, it feels good, enhancing any lifestyle.
A new view on life (literally)
What’s life above the inversion with a view of rustic Wasatch mountains, pine trees, and a stunning panorama of the valley worth to you? While some buyers are fine living down in the valley, others prefer the hillsides. Discriminating buyers also take the aesthetic of neighboring homes and community security features into account.
Reduced maintenance costs and worries
“Commercial-grade exterior doors with embedded thermopane windows, extra insulation in the attic, a brick exterior, commercial HVAC systems —these are not typically reflected properly in the basic cost per square foot calculation, but they (among other items) have greatly reduced my maintenance over the years” says Homie homeowner Dan Peterson.
A quality home that has been well-maintained can mean less annual maintenance, which can save valuable time and money. It’s recommended that homebuyers set aside 1-4% of the home’s total value aside annually for repairs and maintenance, which makes it easier to understand quality’s real value.
Protected resale value
According to Remodeling.com, there are quite a few home upgrades that can have a positive ROI for homeowners. A garage door replacement, for example, may cost $3,400 on average, but 98.3% of that cost can be recouped according to their data. Similarly, a wood deck addition, a minor kitchen remodel and a steel entry door all have ROIs of more than 80%. And a luxury master bath is always a hit.
While homeowners should pay attention to this data, so should home buyers. These numbers speak to the value that quality materials and renovation can have on your home for years to come.
Living your best life
Quality features can make the difference between living in a home and truly enjoying a home. As a homebuyer, look deeper than what’s on the surface —you may find that the very best “hidden features” are the ones that will make life more pleasant and will ensure that your new home withstands the test of time.
So, what does all this mean for assessing the value of high-end homes? We come back to the age-old adage, a home is worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. And discriminating buyers know the value of quality. Browse high-end homes at homie.com today.
By Peter Anderson4 Comments – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited February 9, 2012.
We’re in the midst of tough economic times and a lot of people are finding themselves in situations where they need to come up with money quickly in order to pay for one debt or another. Whether it’s IRS tax debt or needing to replace a broken water heater, there are times when people find themselves with a large bill with no emergency fund to pay it. So what do you do in a situation like that? For many people the answer is to take out a 401(k) loan. Up to 3/4 of company 401(k) plans have a provision available to do a 401(k) loan, and up to 30% of people with one of those plans have taken advantage of that and taken out a 401(k) loan.
Taking out a 401(k) loan can be a legitimate road to take if you’re dealing with a serious financial situation like IRS debt or a foreclosure. You should also be aware, however, that there are risks to taking out a 401(k) loan.
How 401(k) Loans Work
Before we get too far into talking about the pros and cons of the 401(k) loan, let’s look at how they typically work. Different plans may have different rules and regulations surrounding 401(k) loans, but typically they’re pretty similar.
Minimum withdrawals: Most plans will have a minimum amount that you can take out when doing a 401(k) loan, typically anywhere from $500-1000. They do that in part to try and discourage people from taking out small amounts from time to time to pay for smaller bills, to discourage people from short-circuiting their investment gains.
Maximum loan amounts: Typically you’re allowed to borrow up to 50% of your vested balance in your 401(k) account, but no more than $50,000. Also keep in mind that quite often you won’t be able to borrow from your vested company matching funds, but only personally deposited and vested funds.
Payment terms: Usually 401(k) loans have a 5 year payment term, and the interest rates are usually set at prime rate plus 1%. If you’re taking out the loan to buy a home, longer terms may be available.
Fees to process your loan: Many plans will charge a fee just to process your loan – a fee anywhere from $50-100.
When taking out a 401(k) loan be sure to know what the provisions and stipulations of doing one are with your company’s 401(k). Depending on what the fees are, maximum or minimums may be, you may not want to go down that road.
Pros Of Doing A 401(k) Loan
I’m not a huge proponent of doing a 401(k) loan just because I think it short-circuits the gains you could see in your retirement account, and it carries some significant risks. That being said, there are some situations where I might consider doing one.
For example, if you’re in a situation where you’ve got a large IRS debt that you need to pay, I think a 401(k) loan might be preferable to getting in trouble with the IRS. You don’t want to go to prison. Or if you’re in danger of going into foreclosure, or losing a vehicle to repossession, you may want to consider it. Just know the risks.
Here are some reasons why a 401(k) loan can be a good thing.
Very little paperwork needed: Typically a 401(k) loan requires very little paperwork and can be done regardless of if you have an actual need. In many cases it’s as easy as making a phone call or clicking a few links in your online account. The only time you may need additional paperwork is if you’re using it for a home loan.
Paying yourself interest: When you get a loan from your bank or a credit card you’re going to be paying interest to them on the loan proceeds. With a 401(k) loan you’re paying yourself interest. Sounds like a good deal right?
Easy repayment: Quite often a 401k loan repayment comes directly out of your paycheck. That makes paying your loan back easy – it comes directly out of your paycheck so you never see the money and feel the pinch of losing it.
While I don’t typically suggest a 401(k) loan, it can be an option if you’re in a pinch and you have to pay off a pressing debt right away. There are some positives of doing one, but you also have to be aware of the significant risks – which we’ll look at next.
Cons Of Doing A 401(k) Loan
There are some considerable risks to be aware of when doing a 401(k) loan. If you’re not careful they could come back to haunt you.
Fees, fees, fees: If you’re not careful you could be losing quite a bit of money to fees. There can be loan origination fees, and in some cases annual maintenance fee. So for example, if you take out a $1000 loan, and then have a $75 origination fee and $25 maintenance fee on a 5 year loan, you would end up paying $200in fees – or 20%. That’s a steep price to pay. Be careful to know what fees your plan charges.
Defaults, penalties and taxes: If you go into default on your loan for one reason or another it will mean that the money will be taxed at your normal rate, and you’ll be charged a 10% early withdrawal penalty. That could mean a huge tax payment when it comes to tax time, something most folks may not be prepared for, especially if the money is already spent.
Money taxed twice: When you repay your 401(k) loan, you’re using post-tax money to repay it. But since the money is then going back into a pre-tax account, it will then be taxed again when a distribution is taken in retirement. Double taxation!
Moving jobs or being fired means loan comes due: If you end up deciding to move to a new job, or if you get let go from your current job, the 401(k) loan will automatically come due in full – although usually there is a grace period of 60-90 days. If you can’t pay in that time you’ll be subject to a 10% penalty and your normal tax rate just like a normal default. That can mean upwards of 35-40% in taxes and penalties. So when tax time comes, you may have a big tax bill at a time when you can least afford it!
Lost retirement gains: When you take money out of your 401(k) you’re taking away from any gains that your retirement funds may have made during the interim. The cost can be especially great if you take the money out at the bottom of the market and it isn’t returned to the account until later when the market is higher. You lose out on any gains your money may have made.
So as you can see there are a ton of cons associated with taking out a 401(k) loan. There are risks associated with the fees charged, penalties if you default or lose your job and can’t pay in full, and the lost opportunity cost of not realizing investment gains. Those are some pretty serious things to consider.
Try Considering Other Options First
My suggestion when it comes to taking out a 401(k) loan is to avoid it if you can and try other options first. What are some other options?
Try saving up an emergency fund in advance so that when you have a need for a large chunk of cash you’ve already got it saved and ready to go. That’s what I’ve done with our 12 month emergency fund – so that when big bills come due, like my recent $5000 tax bill, it wasn’t a problem because we’d planned ahead.
Another option is to open and use a Roth IRA account for your retirement savings instead. When you use a Roth, you can withdraw your Roth IRA contributions at any time without any tax penalties, so you can avoid those risks of the 401(k) loan. You’ll still be having the risk of losing out on investment gains, but at least you won’t be paying taxes or penalties.
If and when you decide to go down the road of a 401(k) loan, however, make sure that you’re doing your homework. Go run the numbers using a 401(k) loan calculator and see just what interest rates you’re actually paying. That may help you to decide if it’s actually a good deal.
Have you ever taken out a 401(k) loan? If so, how did it turn out, did you pay it all back, or did you face paying taxes and penalties? Tell us your 401k loan experience in the comments.
Do you find yourself transferring money back and forth between your low-interest brick-and-mortar checking account and your high-interest online savings account? It’s understandable. After all, who doesn’t want to earn the most on their money and still have access to all that online checking accounts have to offer?
But here’s the thing: transferring money is a pain. I much rather be spending time with family than worrying about my account balances or the interest I’m earning. I’m sure you’re in the same boat.
What if you didn’t have to transfer money and could still get an awesome interest rate? It’s now a reality folks, and it’s called Radius Hybrid – a new all-in-one checking account from Radius Bank.
Let’s take a closer look.
Maximize Earnings Without Transfers
You’ll be hard-pressed to find even a couple of saving accounts that offer such a generous amount of interest: up to 1.00% APY. And keep in mind, this is a checking account – most checking accounts don’t come anywhere near this amount of interest.
The main benefit to this is that you’ll no longer have to transfer money between accounts in order to maximize your earnings. You’ll need to have at least $2,500 in the account to earn the most interest, but if you’re budgeting and saving like you should, you’ll probably have enough to make this work.
Protect Your Money
Radius Hybrid accounts are FDIC-insured which means your money is insured up to at least $250,000. Why would you need a savings account if your money is protected in a high-interest checking account?
I can’t think of a better way to protect your money than to have your money in an FDIC-insured account like Radius Hybrid.
All-in-One Features
Radius Hybrid comes with many of the features you’d expect from a checking account and more.
You’ll get a debit card, online banking, and mobile banking. These are the essentials.
When it comes to moving money, you’re covered. There are free internal and external transfers (just in case you need them). You can deposit your paycheck right into the account and also complete mobile check deposits via mobile banking. You can even make fee-free deposits and balance inquiries at ATMs displaying the NYCE® Shared Deposit Program logo. Finally, you can get unlimited deposits via postage-paid Bank by Mail envelopes.
Need to make a withdrawal? Yep, you can do that too. You’ll get unlimited, fee-free withdrawals at all Radius Bank ATMs and Banking Center locations. You’ll also get unlimited surcharge-free withdrawals at ATMs displaying the SUM(SM) Program logo. Travel? All foreign ATM fees will be rebated each month!
There are a variety of ways to make purchases with your Radius Hybrid account. First, you can pay bills and people using bill pay through your online banking account. You can also pay with your phone and their free Radius Pay app linked to your Radius Debit Card. Finally (and probably most importantly), you can make signature and PIN-based purchases in stores and online with your Radius Debit Card.
You can also stop payments, make wire transfers, and have overdraft protection. You’ll get all the handy bells and whistles.
By the way, there are no monthly fees. Many accounts of this caliber have them, so this is a nice perk. And your first order of checks? Free.
Radius Bank has truly created a well-rounded checking account with just about everything anyone would want from their bank. Two thumbs up from me.
How to Open an Account
Opening an account is super simple.
First, read all about what Radius Hybrid has to offer. You can use their Radius Hybrid Calculator to determine how much interest you’ll earn over the period of 12 months.
When you’re ready, sign up. The process goes like this . . . .
You can apply from your phone or tablet by just taking a picture of your Driver’s License and they’ll pre-fill your contact information for you. Pretty easy.
There’s only a $10 minimum balance to open an account. With such a low minimum and no ongoing monthly maintenance charges, anyone can afford to start an account.
Final Thoughts
Radius Bank’s tagline is “Built Around You.” I think they’ve proven themselves worthy of such a tagline, because it’s true.
Remember a few years ago when banks wanted to charge you fees just for using your debit card? Ridiculous. It’s time that banks start treating customers with respect and create accounts without frustrating fees.
When you sign up for a bank account, you’re adding your money to a pool of capital that they can use to make loans or participate in other investments. In return, you should have easy access to cash, all-in-one features, a great interest rate, and easy-to-use banking tools.
Radius Bank’s new Radius Hybrid account delivers that and more.
Last Updated on February 24, 2022 by Mark Ferguson
Paying cash for rental properties may seem like a safe bet, but it may actually be costing you a lot of money. I am trying to buy as many rental properties as I can because I feel they are one of the best investments available. Many people feel paying cash is the best option because you don’t have to pay any interest, but I make more money when I use loans. I can buy more rentals, which means I have more tax advantages, more equity, more cash flow, and more appreciation. So should you pay cash or get a loan on rental properties?
The key to my strategy and obtaining great returns is being able to leverage my money. Leveraging is using other people’s money for investments so you use less of your own money. By using other people’s money, you can buy more properties and increase your returns on the total cash invested. If you pay cash your returns decrease dramatically, and all the benefits of owning rental properties decrease as well.
How can debt be a good thing?
Many people assume all debt is bad but debt can be an amazing tool if used correctly. Some of the largest companies in the world have used debt to grow faster and bigger as have some of the richest people in the world. If you have an investment or business that makes more money than the interest rate costs you on the debt, it might make sense t0 get a loan to multiply your returns.
If you have too much cash and nothing to invest in, debt will not do you any good. If you want to make a lot of money very quickly, debt can help you. With real estate, you can control an asset that is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) with 20 percent down or less as an owner occupant. If you have a house worth $100,000 and it increases in value 10 percent it is now worth $110,000. You made a 10 percent return paying cash or a 100 percent return if you put 10 percent down and only has $10,000 invested into the property.
Now, real estate is not that simple and there are many more costs than just the down payment, but I wanted to start with a straight forward example to show how debt can make you money.
Is it riskier to pay cash or get a loan and go into debt?
Many people shy away from debt because it is risky. I tend to think that using all cash to buy rentals can be risky as well. The problem with real estate is that it is not very liquid. If you need to take money out of a property you can get a loan against it (refinance or line of credit) or you can sell it. It can take 30 days to get a loan if all your finances are in order. If you have a high debt to income ratio, don’t have an income, or have bad credit you may not be able to get a loan at all even if you have a property completely paid for.
If you need to sell a property it can take 30 days under the best of circumstances when you price it very well. If you want top dollar it may take months to sell. If you sink all of your money into a property so that you can pay cash it is very hard to get that cash out. If you have an emergency or lose your job, you will be in trouble will all your money tied up in real estate.
I would rather use a loan to buy a property so that I have cash in reserves and readily available than spend all my money to buy with cash. I also believe that is is better to have more cash flow with multiple rentals than less cash flow with one paid off property.
Do you make more money from cash flow with loans?
I am going to use some basic figures to outline the benefits of leveraging your money. If you buy a $100,000 house with cash that makes $500 a month in cash flow, you are making about a 6 percent return from the cash flow alone. Cash flow is the profit you make after paying all expenses on a rental property.
If you buy a $100,000 house and put 20 percent down, you will have a mortgage payment, but the return on your money increases. If you are paying a 4 percent interest rate, your principal and interest payment will be about $382 (check out the bank rate mortgage calculator for calculating mortgage payments). You are only making $118 a month cash flow after subtracting the mortgage payment, but you are making a 7 percent return on your money due to the lower cash investment.
Even though the cash on cash return is 7 percent, you are actually making much more than a 7 percent total return in the above scenario. You are also paying down the principal on the loan by an average of $118 each month. That $118 equals another 7 percent return on your money that you would not have on a cash purchase! You have more than doubled your return by getting a mortgage instead of paying cash.
The exciting part about using leverage is when you get a higher cash flow, the returns increase even more. If you can make $800 a month cash flow without a mortgage, you will be making 9.6 percent cash on cash return. With 20 percent down on the same property, you would cash flow $418 a month after the mortgage payments and make over 25 percent cash on cash return just from cash flow! The way to make big money in rental properties is finding properties that will give you big cash flows and buying as many as possible while leveraging your money.
Below is a video that goes over this topic as well:
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How does debt allow you to buy more rentals?
The best part about leveraging your money is it allows you to buy more properties. You can buy three or four homes with $100,000 instead of just one home paid for with all cash. Using the cash flow figures from above and buying three properties instead of one, you are now making $1,254 a month cash flow instead of just $800 a month. Not only does your cash flow increase by purchasing more properties, but the equity pay down increases, the tax benefits increase and the appreciation increases. If you can purchase homes below market, then every time you buy a home, your net worth increases as well!
Tax benefits
Rental properties have many tax benefits including depreciation. The IRS allows you to depreciate a percentage of your rental properties every year and write that off as an expense. You can depreciate a rental over 27.5 years, which means you can deduct 1/27.5 of the value of the structure every year from taxes. You can also deduct the interest paid on the loan and most expenses. If you have three houses instead of just one, you can get triple the tax deductions.
Appreciation
If you have three properties instead of one and the market appreciates, you also have the benefit of triple the appreciation. It is the same situation if rents go up, the more properties you have, the more money you will make. I never count on rents to go up or appreciation, but it is a nice bonus. I live and invest in Colorado where we have seen crazy appreciation. Some markets may not see any appreciation at all.
Equity pay down
With multiple rental properties, you are also paying down the loans on three properties, which increase your returns as well. Most of the payment will go to paying interest at the beginning of the loan, but as time passes a larger portion will go to the principal of the loan.
Buying below market
One of the biggest advantages of real estate is being able to buy below market value. I can buy a house for $100,000 that is worth $120,000 or even $150,000 today. I did 26 flips last year and I used the same concept. There are many ways to get great deals but it is not easy. If I buy one house with cash I would gain $30,000 in equity if I bought it $30,000 below market (this assumes it needs no repairs). If I buy 3 houses with a loan, I would gain $90,000 in equity!
When you think of the tax savings, possible appreciation, buying below market, and equity pay down the returns shoot through the roof. With leverage, I can buy three properties for every one property with cash. I am making more money per month, plus paying off loans, plus saving money on taxes and creating a ton of equity.
How can you be safe using a loan?
When you use leverage, do not blindly get a loan for as much money as you can. Make sure you have enough cash flow as we have already discussed. You also need to make sure you have reserves in place. Reserves are extra cash you have available in case a problem comes up. If you have an eviction, someone stops paying rent, or repairs to make you need cash available to cover those expenses. Most banks will want 6 months of reserves for every mortgage payment you have including a new purchase. If you have one or two mortgages I would suggest having even more cash ($10,000 would be ideal).
How can debt be bad?
There is a downside to more properties. You will have to pay more for repairs and improvements since each property will need repairs, not just one. You will also have three rental properties to manage instead of one. However, if you are able to cash flow $400 or more with a mortgage, you will still be way ahead of the game by leveraging your money. You will also have more total cash flow coming in, which can pay for a property manager. We accounted for the repairs and maintenance when we figured the cash flow, so it won’t be an added expense with more properties, but it will be more work if you manage the properties yourself.
Some people think it is less risky to buy with cash than with a loan, but I would also disagree. Here are some reasons why cash may be riskier than getting a loan.
Diversification
When you buy with cash you have fewer properties. The fewer properties you have, the fewer sources of income you will have, and the more a loss of an income will hurt. If you have 1 property paid for with cash, it really hurts when it goes vacant. But if you have three rentals that have loans on them, one may go vacant, but you have two more that are bringing in money. When you have multiple rentals, you also have more diversification. If you happen to have one rental, you are more susceptible to neighborhood changes, storm damage etc. With multiple rentals, you have less of a chance of all your properties being damaged or hurt by other factors.
Market Crash
You actually lose less money when prices go down with multiples properties. I know that may not make sense at first, but consider this. If you buy three houses below market value for $100,000 (they are worth $125,000 when you bought them) and the market goes down 20 percent. Your houses would be worth $100,000 so you are not losing any money if the market goes down since you bought below market value. If you bought one house with cash below market value you would be in the same position, no loss or gain.
If you are able to get better deals and bought the houses for $90,000 that were worth $125,000 you would be in good shape if the market goes down 20 percent. You would have three houses worth $100,000 that you bought for $90,000. You would have $30,000 in equity from buying below market value. If you only bought one house for $90,000 with cash and the market went down 20 percent, you would only have $10,000 in equity from buying below market value.
If the market went down even more or you bought with properties with less equity you would lose more money using loans. It can be riskier to use loans if the market crashes, but not always. The main thing to remember is that you don’t have to sell in a market downturn. If you have plenty of cash reserves in the bank, and the houses are rented, there is no reason to sell them. Ride out the bad market.
Over-leveraging
The riskiest move using loans is when you over-leverage. That means loan values are very high compared to the rents or the value of the property. When I buy a property with 20 percent down and below market value I have a lot of equity. On the example above the loan would be $80,000 and the value $125,000 when I buy a house for $100,000 that is worth $125,000.
If you have a loan of $100,000 on a house that is worth $110,000 you may be asking for trouble. You are asking for more trouble if you are only making $50 a month in cash flor or losing money every month. Almost all the horror stories from the last housing market crash came from investors who were breaking even or losing money on their rentals every month. Most of the investors who were making money every month made it through okay.
Conclusion
If you are wondering if it is smart to pay cash for a rental, consider the returns you may be giving up. In my opinion, it is better to use other people’s money and increase your returns versus paying cash. Some people are very averse to any risk and do not want any debt at all. If the idea of debt makes you sick to your stomach, maybe paying cash versus getting a loan is the best route for you. I will continue to get as many loans as I can and to buy as many rental properties as I can because of the incredible benefits rental properties offer.
Last Updated on February 24, 2022 by Mark Ferguson
Rental properties can be a great investment if they bring in cash flow and are bought below market value. I bought 16 rental properties from the end of 2010 to the middle of 2015. I stopped buying rentals in my market because prices increased so much that it became very tough to cash flow. I bought my properties well below market value, and prices in my area (Colorado) increased tremendously. I put a lot of thought into whether I should sell the properties, keep them, or refinance them. So when does it make sense to sell your rental?
I decided to sell a couple of properties, refinance a few more, and keep the rest as they were. The reason I decided to sell some of my properties was I had $100,000 of equity in some of them but was only making $500 per month. That means I was making about 6% cash-on-cash returns on my equity (I was making much more on my initial investment since it took around $30,000 to buy each house). Even though I was making close to 20% on the money I had initially invested, I could make much more by taking my equity out and buying more houses.
Should you sell your rental properties if they are not making you any money?
My readers and podcast listeners constantly ask me when or if they should sell their properties. Many people are not making very much money on their rentals but have a lot of equity. Here is an example:
The house is worth $200,000
The house rents for $1,500 per month
The investor has a loan of $125,000 against the house
The payments are $1,100 per month
On the surface, it looks like this rental is making $400 per month, which is great. However, the investor has not accounted for any maintenance or vacancy expenses. Those expenses usually add up to 10 to 20% of the rents every month, which would equal another $150 to $300 in expenses. The investor is only making a couple of hundred dollars per month on this rental but has $75,000 of equity in the property. That is only a 3% return on your money. There are other advantages to rental properties, like depreciating the property, equity pay down, and increasing rents. However, which opportunities are the investor missing by keeping the property and all that money tied up? I think the investor should sell the property and invest the money in more houses or apartments.
If you sold this property, you would not be able to keep all the equity. There would be selling costs and taxes you have to pay unless you do a 1031 exchange. The selling costs could end up being 6 to 10% of the cost of the house. If the house sells for $200,000, that would be $12,000 to $20,000. Taxes on the sale of a rental property would most likely be 15 or 20% depending on which tax bracket you are in. You only pay the taxes on the profit you made on the property and any recaptured depreciation. We will assume the investor bought the property for $150,000 a few years ago, which means they would pay around $6,000 in taxes. That leaves the investor with about $50,000 in cash to play with if they do not do a 1031 exchange, which could reduce the taxes to nothing.
How much more money could an investor make?
Rental properties can be expensive, which is one of their downfalls. With $50,000, you could buy a better-performing rental property that generates more money. Not only could you buy a rental that generates more money, but you could also buy the property below market value, which will make up for all that money you lost selling the other property. Here is an example:
Buy a property for $100,000 that needs $10,000 in work
Put $20,000 down on the property, with a house payment around $600
Repair the property and rent it out for $1,200 per month
If you bought the property correctly, it should be worth at least $140,000
You now have a house with $60,000 in equity (almost as much as you had before). You are making more money every month. You even have $15,000 in cash leftover ($20,000 down payment, $10,000 in repairs, $5,000 for miscellaneous costs).
Some of you may not think this is an awesome deal, but you have more cash in your pocket that can be used to buy additional rentals in the future. You also have a property that generates much better income every month. If you have some extra money to buy a second property right away, the equity and cash flow would double, and the investor would be much better off. If you have a property with more equity than my example, you would buy more rentals right off the bat without using any extra cash and be way better off as well. If you are trying to decide whether you should keep or sell some of your rental properties, analyze how much cash you could get from them and how much you could make with that money.
What did I do with my rental properties?
I got really good deals on all of my rentals, and our market took off in Colorado. I had properties that I bought for $100,000, put $20,000 of work into, rented out for $1,3000 a month, and are now worth $220,000. I had properties with $120,000 in equity but were only generating $7,000 per year. I was making 6% on my money, which is good for some investors but not what I am used to from investing in real estate. I always wanted to make at least 15% cash-on-cash return on my rentals. I knew I wanted to make more money, but I was not sure how. I ended up refinancing some properties, selling a couple and keeping others as they were.
I refinanced properties because I could take cash out of them and still make money. In the example I first used for the investor with a $200,000 house, he could have refinanced as well. You can usually refinance a house at 75% of what it is worth. The investor could have taken a loan out for $150,000 on the $200,000 house and had payments around $1,100 per month after taxes and insurance. If you are wondering why that payment is the same as the payment I used for the $125,000 loan balance above, I assumed the investor had the loan for a while and the original balance was $150,000 at a higher interest rate than we have now. When you refinance a house, you have to pay closing costs again, which can add up to 3% of the loan amount, or $4,500 in this example. By refinancing, the investor would get $20,000 back in cash with a similar payment as he had before. That is not a bad deal, but I do not know if $20,000 is enough to buy another rental. If so, the investor may be better off refinancing than selling.
I had more equity in my properties than in the example we used. I was able to take out anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000 in cash from many of my rentals and still make decent cash flow. By refinancing my properties and selling a couple of other ones, I was able to get all the money back out that I had used to buy my 16 properties, and I was still making $7,000 per month from them. I sold the properties that were the least desirable to me and kept the ones I liked.
How do you buy new rental properties if there are no good rentals in your area?
The problem I ran into when I wanted to sell my properties and buy more rentals was I could not find good rentals in my market. Prices had increased, but rents had not increased nearly as much. I had to use much more cash to buy houses because prices were high, but I made less money on that cash. I decided to stop buying properties in my area and look in other markets. I went to Florida and found good rentals, but I ended up not buying any properties there. Instead, I started to flip more houses, and that is where I invested my money. I have historically flipped from 5 to 10 houses per year, but in the last three years, I flipped 12 and 18, and this year I will come close to flipping 30 houses. I want to buy more rentals. In fact, I have a goal to buy 100 properties. I am not going to buy bad investments to reach that goal, so I have switched directions with my investing. If I find the ideal place to buy rentals or my market changes, I will be set up to invest a lot of money into rentals thanks to the flipping business. You can watch the video below to hear more about investing in expensive markets.
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I have not bought any residential rental properties since 2015, but I bought two commercial properties this year and have two more under contract to buy. Commercial properties are completely different from residential ones but can be great investments as well. I bought a small shop for my flipping supplies earlier this year, and I just bought a 7,500-square-foot commercial property that I will write about later this week. Not only can you buy different types of rentals when prices are too high in your area, but you can also buy out-of-state rentals or even turn-key rentals.
Should you sell your rental property if you are not making any money on it?
Many people buy rental properties without any cash flow, hoping to make money through appreciation. Some people end up being accidental landlords when they turn a property into a rental because they could not sell it. I think, in both instances, owning a rental that does not generate any money is very risky. Betting on appreciation is tough because of all the selling costs we talked about, and if you are not making any money, it makes it tough to get a new loan on properties. I would suggest getting rid of rentals that don’t make any money and focusing on investments that do. This advice assumes you are not ultra rich and have so much money that you do not care if a property makes money or not.
Conclusion
Many investors have seen their properties go up in value over the last few years. It is tough to know what to do with all that equity. Should you leave it and let it earn a small return? Should you refinance? Should you sell? I chose to do all three, and it has worked out well. I do not want to max out the loans on every property I own because it would hurt cash flow and be risky. I also do not want to leave unused equity in my properties. I sold some properties to take advantage of the hot market and clean out some of my poorly performing assets. If you are thinking of selling some rentals, run the numbers to see how much money you would get, see what properties or other investments you could put that money in, and maybe selling will make sense. If you would like me to look over the numbers of your rental property for you, you can post them on the InvestFourMore Insider.
There are so many possibilities for living arrangements once you move out on your own. You can decide to live alone or with one or more roommates. You can share space in a house or get an apartment. Another option, that has been around longer than you may think, is buying into or renting within cooperative housing.
Unlike all these other options, people who buy into a co-op own a piece of the entire building. It’s a unique way to own property that’s often more affordable than buying a condo or home.
It’s also a big investment. As a renter, living in a co-op creates a different, more communal atmosphere that you may not find elsewhere.
Before deciding to research co-ops in your area, it’s important to understand what a co-op apartment is.
What is a co-op apartment?
Cooperative housing is where you buy in to become a part-owner of that entire piece of property. “When you buy into a co-op, you become a shareholder in a corporation that owns the property. As a shareholder, you are entitled to exclusive use of a housing unit in the property,” says Lisa Smith from Investopedia. Rather than owning a single unit, you become a part-owner of the whole building. This gives you the right to live on the premises, in an available apartment.
Everyone who is a part of a particular co-op shoulder some of the financial responsibility of ownership. This includes primary expenses of mortgage payments, maintenance costs and taxes. Other fees can consist of utility bills, the expense of running the building, maintaining amenities and insurance premiums. Each cost breaks up among the total number of people vested in the co-op.
The history of co-op apartments
“There is no clear-cut answer as to when the first housing cooperative appeared in the United States.” Says Lynne Goodman from The Cooperator New York. She does reference authors Richard Siegler and Herbert J. Cooper-Levy in “Brief History of Cooperative Housing,” who claim the first American residential co-op was established in 1876 in Manhattan.
As the starting point for co-ops, New York City continued throughout history to offer this housing option. Moving in waves of popularity in this ever-growing city, co-ops began as home clubs, where people organized with the intention of building an apartment building together.
Co-op popularity hit another high in the 1920s as urban populations boomed, post-WWI. The next uptick was in the 1940s as a response to rent control provisions. In the 1980s, popularity rose as a result of increasing oil prices.
Today, co-ops are more than just living arrangements. You can buy into a food co-op or shop at a store that produces goods from a co-op. The methodology of being a part of a larger group has grown beyond investing in housing.
Where can I find cooperative housing?
In varying degrees of availability, you can find cooperative housing in every part of the country. “Housing cooperatives are quite common in certain parts of the country, such as New York City, Washington, D.C. and Chicago, but can be harder to find in other areas,” according to the National Association of Housing Cooperatives. They’re popular throughout the Northeast but exist elsewhere.
How do fair housing laws impact cooperative housing?
The Fair Housing Act consists of laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, skin color, sex, nationality, religion, disability and more when it comes to buying, selling, renting or financing housing.
Co-ops must abide by these laws, but at the same time, their approval processes for tenants is very different than what you find in a regular apartment. There’s no landlord-tenant relationship. Instead, a community board reviews applications. The members of this board can set up their own qualification system within the fair housing parameters. This can include net worth minimums or a certain debt-to-income ratio for eligibility.
“The board must not reject an applicant based solely on his or her race, gender, national origin, religion, sexual preference, marital status or familial status. The board can, however, take into consideration factors that impact an applicant’s ability to meet the financial obligations of the community, as well as governing responsibilities,” according to the law firm, Pentiuk, Couvreur & Kobiljak P.C.
A community board can be more restrictive than other housing options when it comes to inviting people to become owners or renters. This can make for a longer and more tedious approval process that doesn’t always feel so fair.
Is it worthwhile to buy in and become a part-owner?
Personal preference is what makes a co-op apartment appealing. To figure out whether it’s the right place for you, weigh the pros and cons carefully.
The perks
As a part-owner within a co-op, you influence how the building runs. You attend board meetings and get to vote on all decisions. This includes shaping rules and regulations for how the building is managed and who is eligible for consideration to join the co-op. You pretty much get to pick your neighbors and prevent anyone from moving in who might not maintain their space in the same way as the rest of the shareholders.
Another perk is the cost. Cooperative housing can cost less than owning a condo. “Co-ops tend to be cheaper per square foot. They typically offer buyers more control as an individual shareholder and often have lower closing costs,” says Lester Davis from The Washington Post.
The last primary perk to co-op living is community. This special living situation gives you more than somewhere to live, you get a whole community. You more often than not know your neighbors, have a network of people watching out for you and our home and connect with people you can rely on when in need of assistance.
The drawbacks
To get into a co-op, prepare for a more rigorous approval process. Not only will the board run a background and credit check, but you’ll have an in-person interview to get through. Everyone receives the same treatment. Once you’re approved, you’re in, but the process can also make it harder to sell when you’re ready to leave the co-op.
Rules within cooperative housing can feel more confining than in other living situations. Because you don’t own the unit you live in, you’ll have to contend with restrictions on how you can use your unit, whether you can sublet and more. You’ll also need extra insurance for your personal belongings since the building’s insurance won’t cover it.
One final key drawback goes back to cost. It may cost less to buy into a co-op, but with shared expenses comes more potential financial responsibility. If someone defaults on their payments, you and your neighbors are obligated to cover a portion of their missed payment.
Can I rent within a co-op?
This is a tricky question. Since a set of shareholders own the building, no single unit belongs to any one person. Because of this, many co-ops don’t allow renters at all. Additionally, the rate of owner occupancy in cooperative housing is much higher than you’d find elsewhere.
If a building does allow it, you may face a large application fee, along with set limits on the length of your lease. You’re also technically subletting rather than renting outright since you rent the unit from the co-op shareholder who holds a lease on that particular space. It’s a little more work to rent within a co-op, but it’s not a terrible option. If you want something more flexible, with a little less upfront cost and rigidity when it comes to the approval process, you may want to consider other options.
Is a co-op right for me?
A co-op may be right for you if, after learning more about what it really is, the idea still sounds appealing. It all depends on your own personal needs, which is why it’s good to know you have options when searching for your perfect living situation.
While co-ops can get you more square footage for your dollar, they can also feel more strict when it comes to rules and regulations. Finding the perfect balance of cost and comfort will help you know whether it’s time to start looking for a co-op.