If you do not already know why you would be much better off purchasing a home than renting an apartment, town house or any other type of dwelling, you are about to find out. Here is the scoop, plain and simple: When you pay rent every single month to a landlord, no matter how good a deal you think you may have got, you may as well be throwing that money out the window. For all intents and purposes, it is no different than paying to stay in a hotel, since you gain absolutely nothing and do not own a thing.

On the other hand, buying and owning a home of your own gives you something tangible, that is truly yours to either keep or sell down the line as you see fit. It is really an investment, one from which you can stand to profit greatly should you decide to sell. As for me, I wish I had realized this sooner because I could have saved (and perhaps made) myself a bundle over the years. So before you toss another dime out the window, my advice to you is to look into some of the 15-year fixed mortgage rates. They are quite decent and very easy to research as well.

Unless you are very rich and can purchase a home outright, a 15-year fixed rate mortgage is probably your best choice. When you sit down and do the math, you will see that 15-year fixed mortgage rates are not all that bad. Besides, you do not want to see your mortgage rate increase and with a 15-year fixed rate mortgage you can get your home paid off within that time frame and may even feel inclined to pay it off sooner.

If you are ready to begin your search for decent 15-year fixed mortgage rates, the best place to start is on the internet, using the tried and true Google search engine. Just type in the keywords "15-year fixed mortgage rates", and prepare to be overwhelmed with the amount of information that pops up. You will find this an invaluable exercise in laying out the groundwork for the purchase of your first home. And do not forget the old real estate adage, "location, location, location", because even if it does not matter to you now, it certainly will when it comes time to sell that home a few years from now. So, what are you waiting for?