What Does it REALLY Cost to Own that Home? [VIDEO]

Consumers Want Data

Consumers have been flocking to public sites like Realtor.com and Trulia for loads of data for some time now. The accuracy of that data is often disputable and the one thing they haven't really offered is a way to calculate the true cost own own a home and there was no real "tool" for agents to use with their clients either. Until now.

 Local REALTORS®, such as myself, can now show buyers the "true costs" of homeownership, using powerful new technology provided by NorthstarMLS (the MLS). NorthstarMLS® (NOT TO BE CONFUSED with MLSOnline, a real estate brokerage) is the "database" that agents in the Twin Cities area use to distribute their listings to other agents. Public websites then get "feeds" of this information.

 By working with me to find your new home, will be able to search and compare the TLC or "True Lifestyle Cost" to own a home among more than 35,000 single-family homes listed for sale today on NorthstarMLS®. This new information resource shows that sometimes homes priced the same, but located in different towns, can have significantly different total costs of ownership. Moreover, sometimes more expensive home options yield lower total costs of homeownership.

What is the TRUE Cost of Home Ownership?

The cost of homeownership is much more than just the mortgage. Commuting expenses, different auto insurance rates, utility bills, daycare costs, family size and so much more factor in to your monthly expenses. With the new integration of TLCengine into NorthstarMLS, I can help consumers factor over 31 unique variables and show all the 'hidden costs' of homeownership including local property taxes, commute costs, utility costs, and much more using data from a mix of public and private sources including national, state, and local level data. Many of the data fields are in real-time such as the cost of fuel and Annual Percentage Rates (APR) feeds.

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TLC in the News:
 http://www.cnbc.com/id/102352707

See more at: http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2014/11/17/683749/10108554/en/REALTORS-R-Can-Now-Show-Consumers-the-True-Cost-of-Homeownership.html#sthash.B8grQdzc.dpuf