“I didn’t want to ‘wait’ until I had a partner.”
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Howd You Get That House?speaks to people across the country who are navigating a complicated housing market.
“I never planned on leaving New York, but after the pandemic it was really different for me.
I was ready to rent if that was going to be the best option.”
I only spent one real day lookingthough I had been driving around and planning finances for weeks.
We went and looked at it and it was definitely my style and the size I wanted.
I saw another one on Zillow in the same neighborhood having an open house which I also saw."
“I put in an offer on both of the homes I sawand both offers were actually accepted.
That felt wild to me because each house had gotten multiple offers.
But it also couldusesome updates, like new kitchen cabinets and countertops, which meant it cost less.”
“Before I even started looking, I got approved for a mortgage.
That let me know my budget was about $300,000.
I was lucky to be buying in an area and at a time when that was realistic.
Where I bought, you really only need to put five percent down.
I had money for the down payment because (again!)
I am very luckyI want that to be very clear.
When the pandemic hit I went to my parents' house to isolate with my family.
This was the better option for me than working from home alone in NYC.
I didn’t pay rent for an entire year.
I was able to save that money which gave me cash to use for the down payment.”
“I did have a situation with the plumbing after I moved in and had to pay $700.
I love owning my own home.
It’s fun to know that what I do to it is what I will enjoyor profit from.
I started to do renovations at first and got overwhelmed so decided to revisit that in the future.
Yes, rent can be “sunk cost” but so is property tax.
Leave your ballet flats in your checked bag.
Uncle Harry for the gifting win.
Years later, renovations are still going, but the financial freedom has made it all worth it.
A cash gift from family for a down payment helped.
