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In the U.S. today, the cost of housing is very high. It is common to pay one fourth to one third of a family's income on a place to live. The price of a house depends on its size and location. Big houses are more expensive than smaller ones. And houses closer to the center of big cities are more expensive than ones in the suburbs or in small towns.

Regardless of the cost, it is usual for people to buy their houses over a period of time.

When a family buys a house, it is necessary to borrow money from a bank to pay for it.

Then they repay the bank in regular payments. This kind of bank loan is called a mortgage. Families can take 30 years to pay-off the mortgage. Without a mortgage it would be impossible for most people to own their houses.

Many Americans don't own their own homes. They pay landlords to live in their homes.

The money they pay for this is called rent. Usually, it is cheaper to rent than it is to buy and to pay a mortgage. Also, when something needs to be repaired, it is easy for the renter to ask the landlord to fix it.

Some people rent houses, but most renters live in apartments. Apartment buildings are located in cities where it is too costly to build houses. Recently it has become common for renters to buy their apartments. When this happens, the cost usually increases but the money goes to pay off the mortgage. Apartments bought this way are called condominiums.

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