The recent rises in asking prices has been outpacing the increases in rents, but home buying still may make more financial sense, a new study shows. Owning a house was found to be 44 percent cheaper than renting, according to the latest study from Trulia that compared the costs of the two. The study found that owning is less than half the cost of renting in 46 of the 100 largest metros. “Buying a home is cheaper than renting in all of the 100 largest metro areas,” according to Trulia. One reason buying remains relatively affordable: Rents are rising. The demand for rentals has grown rapidly recently, some of it collateral damage from … [Read more...]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Program helps make home ownership dreams a reality for many that might otherwise believe this dream is out of reach. This special loan program enables borrowers to purchase a home with no money down. You can even roll some of the closing costs into the loan, making home ownership that much easier. To be eligible, you must meet the income limitations and the property must be located in an eligible Rural Housing Zone. The USDA defines a "rural" area as being any area other than a city or town that has population greater than 50,000. Since pretty much all of Southern Illinois fits into … [Read more...]

Congratulations! Your Southern Illinois real estate expert from Dave Thompson Realty helped you find your dream home! Now, with your closing on the horizon in the coming weeks, it's time to start thinking about moving day. One month before your move is crunch time. Hopefully, you got some of your packing out of the way last month. If so, you probably focused on your nonessential items -- your out-of-season clothing, your fanciest china, your holiday wares and other items you didn't expect to use in the near future. During this month, you'll start to pack up the stuff you use more often, leaving out the absolute essentials to the end of … [Read more...]