There are a lot of numbers that tell us how important homes are to our economy. If we aren’t careful we can forget what ‘home’ really is. Home ownership is more than just interest rates, equity and a portfolio…it is about memories, family, time and relationships. Here are a few of mine…

1) The smell of holidays!     If it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas I am hit with the smell of holiday dinners being cooked, apple and cinnamon candles, the smell of the cool air from outside moving through the house after coming in the front door. Maybe it’s the 4th of July…you can smell the watermelon being cut, burgers on the grill, sunscreen or maybe even the chlorine after being in the pool all day. Nothing like the smell of the holidays.

2) Noise!     As a father of 3 I never thought I would say that ‘noise’ would be a favorite memory, but it is. Little voices in the other room, laughing about silly things, cartoons as background noise, little girls practicing their cheerleading, little boys wanting to be rock stars, screams of approval when your team scores, boos when they don’t, the joyous ‘hellos’ when guest arrive at the front door, the tears as people say goodbye. The noises of a home!

3) “How tall you’ve gotten” wall!     I have a door jam at the house with a lot of marks and dates on it. It will not be featured in any interior designer magazines, but to me it is one of the best looking places in the world. I keep track of how tall each of our kids are getting. The dates are starting to overlap and some of the marks are fading. I love that wall!

4) The kitchen!   The kitchen is the therapy couch of our house. If you have problems or things you need to talk over…it usually happens while working, standing or snacking in the kitchen. This is where our family catches up on things…hangs out…where we make announcements…gossip after church. I have great memories of just sitting at the counter in the kitchen and talking about life. Some conversations are happy; some are not…but it’s ok…cause we are in the kitchen!

5) The driveway!     The driveway of home can evoke a lot of feelings! Don’t believe me? Consider the following…
• Ever been on a long trip and been driving for hours and hours…you pull up in the driveway and the sudden feeling of ‘We’re Home!’
• Had a rough day…pulled in the driveway and seen the smiling faces of the kids.
• Been away from home for a while…haven’t seen the family for some time. Just seeing the house from the driveway starts all kinds of emotions.
• Left for college…moved out to your own place…gone into the military…leaving home…whatever the reason, backing out of the driveway is not always an easy thing.
• Do you remember pulling into the driveway of your ‘new home’ for the 1st time…after closing and when the keys are in your hands; excited about the new chapter ahead.
• Simply pulling into the driveway of your parents house can make you feel safe…or seeing your family pull in your driveway can make you smile.

See…driveways are a great place!

Now those are some pretty good memories…I bet you have your own! What is the purpose of this? It is about the importance of ‘home’! It represents more than just a monthly payment or economic indicator.

If you need a local mortgage professional that can help you get into your new home or help you refinance and save money on your current one…call Peoples Home Equity at 423-591-9801 or check them out at www.chattmortgage.com. If you are on facebook…finds us Peoples Home Equity Chattanooga… ‘like’ us and keep up with what is going.