Kelly's information was about CTH - Cost To Hold - for residential real estate.
She clarified that delayed maintenence errodes equity, because the repair is going to have to be done, or a discount given, at the time of sale.
I hear a lot of promotion about first time buyers throwing away money on rent - and comparing the cost of renting to a mortgage.
That leaves out Cost To Hold. Not having the money to replace a hot water heater, or get a plumbing issue fixed, is unrealistic.
A friend was comparring three homes. The one his family wanted had an indoor pool (yikes!) and three zones of HVAC.
He said, "I can afford the house, I need to be sure I can afford the expenses." Now I know that's called CTH.
The Kindling Question this will give me, when speaking with a buyer, is "Have you compared the Cost To Hold?"
The problem with this is, if they're already evaluating, who are they a referral for? They already have a real estate agent and a lender . . . I'll do some pondering on this.