The House versus Home Conversation

House vs Home PPT image (00000002)One of our favorite discussions to have with new clients is what we call “House versus Home”.

It goes like this: When you hear the word ‘home’, what words comes to mind?”

Clients typically pause for a minute before beginning to list things like ‘family’, ‘neighbors’, ‘holidays’, ‘freedom’, ‘security’, etc. They begin to realize that the word ‘home’ tends to represent the emotional aspects of owning real estate. Put another way, they are the experiences you will have in a house.

Next we ask, “When you hear the word ‘house’, what words come to mind?”

Words like ‘appreciation’, ‘mortgage’, ‘leverage’, and ‘tax benefits’ begin to describe the logical aspect of owning a house as a physical shelter.

Part of our unique lending process is helping clients learn that your residence is more than just a place to call home. A home provides a place to raise a family, enjoy hobbies, socialize, sleep, relax, and more. Your sense of home comes from the experience you have living in your house, not necessarily from the house itself.

A house is the physical shelter made of concrete, wood, shingle, windows, and doors. Many of us equate the personal experience of ‘home’ with the physical ‘house’. The ability to separate the house (the physical asset) from the home (the personal experiences) makes it possible for our clients to begin viewing their house as a tool for developing and managing wealth.

Homeowners and new home buyers who can learn to separate in their minds the home (emotional) from the house (logical) are the ones we are able to help the most as we help them integrate their real estate into their overall short and long-term financial goals. With this new understanding, we can work together to show them how to better build wealth and financial safety moving forward!

About Trevor Hammond

As a veteran of the mortgage industry, Trevor Hammond is the co-author of "Borrow Smart, Retire Rich," a Certified Mortgage Adviser and a founding Faculty Member and Contributor to the National Institute of Financial Education (www.niofe.org). And he has provided thousands of homeowners with the clarity and confidence to make smarter decisions when it comes to their mortgages and money. In 2013 he launched an entirely new kind of mortgage company: Aspire Mortgage Group, which is committed to educating and empowering homeowners to increase savings, eliminate bad debt, and safely increase net worth. The specialized group of mortgage professionals at Aspire Mortgage Group have redefined what homeowners should expect from a mortgage company. To learn more about Trevor Hammond and our team of mortgage advisors please visit our website at www.aspiremortgagegroup.com or email Trevor directly: trevor.hammond@sierrapacificmortgage.com. Aspire Mortgage is a Sierra Pacific Mortgage Partner.
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