Stop giving your landlord thousands of dollars per year. If the average monthly rent is $800, base that on a full year and you've thrown away almost $10,000. Base that on the past 5 years and you've lost almost $50,000 of equity that you could have gained in the ownership of a new home.

We believe Real Estate is one of the best investments you will ever make. Think about it. Real Estate has had the tenancy to appreciate for as long as we've known it to exist. For example, if you buy home for $200,000 and it appreciates 5% per year, you will have built up approximately $50,000 in equity in 5 years.

Also, you need to consider your monetary return on the money you actually invest in the property. Let's say you put zero money down and closing costs are approximately $3,000, you would have made $47,000 on a $3,000 investment, what a return! Or consider upgrading in 5 years and leasing your house out to cover the cost of your mortgage and let a tenant pay your mortgage off for you. Then you could sell your home for full market value or continue to lease it out for x amount of $ free and clear.

Another benefit of owning your own home is that your property taxes and interest on the mortgage are tax deductible. In many instances you can own your home for less than you pay in rent because of this tax deduction. You can also give yourself a raise when you buy a home by claiming more exemptions on your employers form W-4 and bring home more money each month to make your payments. If you choose not to increase your monthly earnings you will receive the entire right off at the end of the year.