The New American Dream
Posted on Thu, Sep 03, 2009
I’m pleased to announce our first guest blogger, Tracy
Albright, the Founder of Beyond Wine
and Cheese Marketing. Finally, our moment
arrives to redefine the American dream. The federal government, with a
major ideological shift on housing policy, gives rental apartments a
chance to play on the dream team.
The economic crisis,
skyrocketing foreclosure rates and a change in the White House swings
the doors wide open for the apartment industry to step up and shatter
the myths of homeownership. Will we accept the challenge and capture a
market primed to acknowledge that not everyone can, or should, own a
home?
Of course, we’re not there yet, but something of this
magnitude will take a movement, every player in our industry
collectively shouting the same message, to shape the future of renting.
Starting with the accurate costs of owning a home, we can begin to plant
the seeds of the new American Dream.
Dream to keep your savings
in your pocket, rather than turning it over for a down payment. We’ll
call this Loss of Investment Value: How you might invest your down
payment if not in a house and what return you'd see.
Dream of
peace of mind, the kind you get when you diversify your wealth and know
your assets aren’t tied up in a single investment. Real estate carries
risks just like any other investment. If prices stay flat instead of
going up 2% a year, it could take nine years for buying to pay off.
Dream
to spend your free time as you wish while maintenance teams take care
of home repairs. Every calculation of home ownership should include a
Quality Of Life Cost: Does enjoying yourself at home include mowing the
lawn on a sweaty summer day?
Dream to keep your options open and
your opportunities fluid. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Buying only starts to make sense after committing to stay put for a
while when you factor in mortgage closing costs, property-tax rates and
homeowner's insurance.
Beyond Wine & Cheese Marketing recently created a
campaign for our members to help do our part in
moving the new American dream forward. With the headline,
Suite Dreams; Wake Up Happy When You Choose A Lease
Over A Deed, community marketers can fill in their own custom
message to prospects. Won’t you join us and dare to dream?