take the challenge
rebuild.org finance news:

<< Back to Latest News Headlines

Economy Forces Many To Fill Up Those Spare Bedrooms

[Aug 18, 2008.]

 

With the current financial hardships and a world wide inflation knocking on the door, several home owners are turning towards lodgers to help with household expenses. Home owners and renters with a bedroom to spare are looking to lodgers to help make ends meet.

Australia has recently seen a rise in the amount of renters and homeowners taking in lodgers as the economy continues its downward path. Hoping to meet the bills and the mortgage payment many see lodgers as a necessity.

In the United States the number of households taking in roommates, a close equivalent to lodgers is also expected to rise. There are several benefits to renting out that spare bedroom but the leading reason is to just ease the financial stress that many consumers are now faced with.

With mortgage rates resetting and the availability of loans decreasing many home owners have no other choice then to accept lodgers.

For those that wish to rent out a bedroom be aware of any special laws or rules in your area that pertain to such a situation. In Australia at least there are special laws governing lodgers, renters, and subtenants that homeowners need to be aware of.

Many financial experts believe that the ever collapsing housing market is responsible for the increase in lodgers and roommates. Foreclosures can be found on every block and those families that once owned their home are now forced to move into apartment complexes. Experts theorize that the lack of apartments is causing many who live on their own seeking other places of residence.

Taking in a lodger is no small task. Contracts and defined rules must be set forth before moving any additional residents into the home.  If renters are moving in lodgers or roommates into a spare bedroom, they will no doubt be forced to inform the landlord about the arrangements.

Taking in lodgers is a great way to curtail the rising cost of living but homeowners must be aware of the risks involved as well as the benefits.

 

Recent News:

 

  • Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Limits Raised
    Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) loan limits will be raised to $417,000 nationally. For most parts of the country, this is a substantial increase. Home Equity Conversion Mortgages are Federal Housing Administration-guaranteed reverse mortgages for homeowners 62 and older. They allow seniors [...]
    [November 18th, 2008]
  • Scammers Claim Federal Reserve Program Offers Personal Loans
    When people are facing tough economic times there’s always the potential for fraudsters to take advantage of them. According to the Federal Reserve, scammers are targeting people who need personal loans to try and gain access to their checking accounts. The way the fraud works is consumers are contacted and told that they can borrow personal [...]
    [November 17th, 2008]
  • FDIC Chairwoman Proposes Plan to Reduce Mortgage Payments for Delinquent Borrowers
    Another proposal has been floated for helping homeowners who are delinquent on monthly payments on their mortgages. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairwoman Sheila Bair proposed a plan to reduce mortgage payments for delinquent homeowners to 31% of their monthly income, according to CNN Money. To qualify, people would need to be at least two [...]
    [November 14th, 2008]
  • Mortgage Applications On the Rise Last Week
    The Mortgage Bankers Association just released their Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending November 7, 2008. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, was 425.0, an increase of 11.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from 379.9 one [...]
    [November 13th, 2008]
  • GMAC to Cut Back on Auto Loans
    By Brent Lane Rebuild.org Columnist GMAC has announced they will decrease their Auto Loan exposure in the European markets starting the 1st of November 2008. This cut back is due to the significant credit and capital market disruptions.  The countries affected include Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain.  On top on this cut back GM [...]
    [November 12th, 2008]
news subscription:

Easily subscribe to the rebuild.org news feed.

Read our news without even visiting our site!

Feedburner
Subscribe to our news

 

news archive:

Rebuild.org monthly news archive