How to Have Free Housing

The average renter in Provo, UT is paying $685/mo to live in a 2 bedroom apartment. That means that over the next 12 months this renter will spend over $8,200 just for housing. But what if there was a way to save that $8,200, would that make a difference in your life. What could you do with an extra $8,000?

Right now there is an opportunity for this renter to qualify for a special program that is currently being offered by the government. In order to help stimulate the economy the Obama administration has passed what is commonly known as the Obama Tax Credit for first time home owners. The tax credit is available to people who have not owned a home in the past 3 years and buy (and close) on their home before December 1, 2009.*

Imagine that you are currently looking to rent a 2 bedroom duplex apartment for $685/mo but instead you buy that same duplex for $200,000. Using the current FHA loan program you could buy the duplex with 3.5% down payment ($7,000; which is a little more than first and last month's rent and a security deposit). You would then have a loan at 5.5% interest for 30 years (fixed rate) which would give you a principle and interest payment of $1,095.83. Now here is how you live here for free for the 1st year...

A duplex will have a renter in the other unit which is paying the same $685/mo that you were willing to pay. So after you receive your rent payment your $1095.83 payment becomes $410.83! Right there is you save about $275/mo just by buying the duplex you were going to rent. But there are more benefits!

Next, as a first time home owner you receive the Obama $8,000 tax credit which is money that is refunded back to you as soon as you file you 2009 taxes. $8,000 averaged over 12 months is like getting $666.67/mo. So your $410.83/mo is effectively reduced to -$256.84/mo (which means that you are being paid $256.84 a month to live in the duplex apartment that you were originally going to rent). But wait, there's more...

As a home owner you also receive a tax deduction for the mortgage interest that you are paying on the duplex. Over the next 12 months you would expect to pay about $10,500 in mortgage interest. This $10,500 is subtracted from your income before you pay taxes which could eliminate up to an additional $3,000 from your taxes! That $3,000 tax saving is effectively another $250/mo paid to you. Now you are effectively receiving $256.84 + $250 = $506.84/mo because you are buying the duplex instead of renting it.

So the average renter could effectively be paid $506.84/mo to live in their duplex OR the can pay $685/mo simply to rent it. Not only does the renter become a home owner, they receive the monetary benefit of home ownership AND they will also receive the equity from the property appreciation. The best part is that this renter now owns a cash flowing property that will continue to pay them as long as they want the income!

*Some restrictions apply.