Find Your Aesthetic


You’re finally decorating your first home; the newest chapter in your life, but wait what’s your aesthetic? I know for me when I rented out my first apartment I spent so much money trying to figure out what style “fits” me and my home. Here are some tips from my experience to help you so you don’t have to waste as much money as me, or spend time on the internet!


Who are you? 

To get to know your own style and aesthetic you have to get to know yourself. Your personality is a huge influence on the design of your home and the feng shui that goes with it. So, ask yourself what do you love? What don't you love? Get to know the things you wear; what colors are mostly in there? The more you discover yourself the more you’ll curate items for your dream home that match with you. 

Creating

After spending $300 worth of stuff, I realized shortly after that it’s probably easier to create a mood board for my aesthetic. You can do that on the app Pinterest, you can even save content that you like or clothes off of instagram, or even the classic printing images out and cutting up pictures in magazines that you like and put it on a board. Mood boards help generate new ideas, best fitting lifestyles and create goals. 

Switching It Up

One thing I don’t regret though is changing my aesthetic or saying to myself, “huh, I actually don’t really like this.” You’re getting to know yourself and that doesn’t take just one day to do. There is no correct or wrong way in doing this, but that’s the best part of it all. Being your most authentic self will only make your home more you! 

content by Aviana Lozano, Transaction Coordinator for Atlantic Property Team at eXp Realty.

Renting vs. Buying a Home: 5 Steps to Make a Decision

1. How long are you planning on living in the same place?

Are you planning on putting down roots in your community or are you hoping for more flexibility to move?

 If you feel certain you will be staying in this location for 5 years or more, buying could be a better financial & emotional decision. When buying a home, it is easier to personalize and make it your own. With renting a home, it could be more of a short term benefit if hoping for the flexibility to move to a new location within a time frame of a few months/years. 

2. Cost of Renting vs. Buying

In some situations, renting could be cheaper, given the costs involved upfront that comes with buying a home. 

Just because you are pre-approved for a mortgage, does not mean that you are fully capable of paying all expenses that come with buying a home. In addition to a monthly payment, you’ll also have property taxes, and homeowners & mortgage insurance. 

Alternatively, purchasing a home could be cheaper in the grand scheme of things because it allows for the opportunity to build equity on the property. According to the National Association of REALTORS, after 6 years a homeowners mortgage payment is lower than a renter's monthly lease payments. 

3. Flexibility vs. Establishing Roots

Thinking about your current life situation, is having mobility more important or are you looking to find a long term area to grow with? 

Are you going to have to move in order to accommodate a family? Or will you be looking for a home, ready to fill its space with your future children and get established in a community?

4. Understanding Risks

Although building credit is a large asset to buy, there is a chance that the real estate market could change & you could lose money that you put into renovating and upgrading your home if there is a decrease in the market. There are also a lot of expenses that come along with maintenance to a home including heating & cooling, landscape, and plumbing issues. 

On the other hand, renting a house means you won’t have the chance to build equity like you would with buying. The cost of rent could increase at any time and you must abide by your landlord's wishes with the property, including the risk of being asked to move out or doing maintenance. 

5. Assess your finances & find a real estate agent

Once you have estimated the costs of buying vs renting a home, assess if you will be able to afford the additional costs that come along with buying or renting a house.

Find a real estate agent you trust. An agent can help tremendously assessing your decision and finding a property that works for you. Contact Molly Bruno with Atlantic Property Team at eXp Realty to help you find a home that works for you, whether you are renting or buying! mollybrunorealestate@gmail.com 860-961-8627