The Single-Family Home Tax Shelter Myth

Does it pay to purchase a house for a tax shelter?

  • Yes, thanks uncle sam

    Votes: 18 35.3%
  • No, better off investing

    Votes: 33 64.7%

  • Total voters
    51
Quote from winter:

Oh really? If, as you say, "your goal is strictly to maximize the return on your investment, regardless of lifestyle" then I'm sure I can come up with a much cheaper way to live then either of your two choices.

An honest financial analysis would pick the lifestyle you want and then determine whether renting or owning is better.

Comparing owning a condo to renting an apt or compare owning a house to renting the same house.

You have not provided any valid reason why your refuse to do an apples to apples comparison.

At least reading that "Painting the house every 10 years at $10k = $30k" was amusing.
 
Quote from Covertibility:

At least reading that "Painting the house every 10 years at $10k = $30k" was amusing.

$30k for 3 $10k paint jobs in 30 years. Too low or too high?
 
Quote from Martin Gale:

$30k for 3 $10k paint jobs in 30 years. Too low or too high?

$10k is way too high for the average homeowner. It may cost that much to paint Space Mountain and all the adjacent rides but not the average house in the US.
 
Quote from Covertibility:

$10k is way too high for the average homeowner. It may cost that much to paint Space Mountain and all the adjacent rides but not the average house in the US.

Fair enough.

Still looking for reliable data for average overall upkeep costs. This link says that over 30 years it's 3.7 times the original purchase price, which seems enormous, so I'm trying to find a realistic figure.

http://www.realestatejournal.com/buildimprove/20001003-fletcher.html
 
Quote from Martin Gale:

$30k for 3 $10k paint jobs in 30 years. Too low or too high?

I started painting houses in high school, then did a few for my dad over the years. I good sprayer, and my time, and I am out only a few hundred bucks for paint.

You have gotten to the point where your being silly here....you only see things through rose colored glasses. You are assuming aggresive returns on your money, the best case scenario for a renter, and you are assuming the worst case scenarios for home owners. Be sure to get back on here in 10 or 15 years and give us a status update.
 
Quote from Martin Gale:

Fair enough.

Still looking for reliable data for average overall upkeep costs. This link says that over 30 years it's 3.7 times the original purchase price, which seems enormous, so I'm trying to find a realistic figure.

http://www.realestatejournal.com/buildimprove/20001003-fletcher.html


That is just it....ultimately there is no reliable data. The costs will vary greatly by region, type of construction, your willingness to do some work on your own, or pay top dollar to get it done, etc.
 
GUYS! this is a "chicken...egg" discussion...you can never win.

there is only one thing i can say is a constant in owning your own home...WOMEN. Wives to be more exact. they want to get married, have babies, and have their own home...right?
I think probably plenty of guys are content living in a simple place with a big garage for your toys...and a putting green for a back yard... But If we want to get laid more than once a year...we honor some of the little ladies wishes.

I am married, but luckily have convinced my wife that i never want to stay in one place for more than 5 years...so i will NEVER buy another house (i have owned 2...hated them both).

It all boils down to emotion...NEW CARS are another terrible investment...but people buy them all the time.

I think it all goes back to INSTINCT personally. Men and women have an innate need to do different things...one of those things is to have a home...some people need to actually own it and put up with all the crap, before it really feels like a home.
 
Quote from mschey:

I started painting houses in high school, then did a few for my dad over the years. I good sprayer, and my time, and I am out only a few hundred bucks for paint.

You have gotten to the point where your being silly here....you only see things through rose colored glasses. You are assuming aggresive returns on your money, the best case scenario for a renter, and you are assuming the worst case scenarios for home owners. Be sure to get back on here in 10 or 15 years and give us a status update.

mschey,

I'm glad to admit my paint job estimate is too high if you and Convertibility say it is. What about carpets, kitchens and bathrooms?

The key figure in the analysis is amortized annual upkeep costs. I've used $5k/yr. People here say I'm too high. Can anyone provide some reliable data for this parameter besides the article that I cited which says it's 3.7 times the original purchase price?
 
Quote from mschey:

That is just it....ultimately there is no reliable data. The costs will vary greatly by region, type of construction, your willingness to do some work on your own, or pay top dollar to get it done, etc.

I think you're right. Maybe the BLS has statistics on contractors. If we knew their income, etc...
 
Quote from dac8555:

GUYS! this is a "chicken...egg" discussion...you can never win.

there is only one thing i can say is a constant in owning your own home...WOMEN. Wives to be more exact. they want to get married, have babies, and have their own home...right?
I think probably plenty of guys are content living in a simple place with a big garage for your toys...and a putting green for a back yard... But If we want to get laid more than once a year...we honor some of the little ladies wishes.

I am married, but luckily have convinced my wife that i never want to stay in one place for more than 5 years...so i will NEVER buy another house (i have owned 2...hated them both).

It all boils down to emotion...NEW CARS are another terrible investment...but people buy them all the time.

I think it all goes back to INSTINCT personally. Men and women have an innate need to do different things...one of those things is to have a home...some people need to actually own it and put up with all the crap, before it really feels like a home.

Ah, the pussy-whipped argument. I have tried to keep emotion out of the discussion, but that's it in a nutshell.
 
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