I am a reporter for a nationally syndicated real estate section published weekly in newspapers across the country. I’m looking to interview real estate agents, brokers, lenders, property attorneys, rental property professionals, and other housing experts for the following article, with a June 13 deadline:
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH FOR RENT? One out of three Americans now live in a housing market where rent for a three-bedroom home eats up more than 30% of the monthly median income, the traditional threshold for affordability, according to RealtyTrac. This story will explore when it’s more financially sensible to buy vs. rent or to rent vs. buy. Below is a list of questions I’m seeking answers to for this story. Please e-mail me back your interest, availability and phone number. My deadline is noon central time, Friday, June 13.
1. What is a good benchmark/rule of thumb for the maximum percentage of your monthly income that should be going toward housing? Does this % increase or decrease when you’re renting vs. buying? Why?2. What is the debt-to-income ratio that lenders typically prefer for home mortgage loan borrowers today? Why?3. What are good criteria to use when determining if you’re paying too much rent to lease a space?4. When is it more advantageous to buy instead of rent? How about to rent instead of buy? Who are the best candidates for either scenario—please try to provide a hypothetical or real world example for each.5. What are the pros and cons of renting vs. buying? How about buying vs. renting?6. What other factors should renters be considering when they’re at the crossroads as to whether to find a cheaper leased unit or to purchase a home instead?7. Any other thoughts, tips, suggestions on this topic that I failed to ask about?8. What is your full name, title, company, and location where you are based?
Keywords
size, serif, family, cambria, font, 0pt, rent, renting, buying, income, real, housing, home
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