when did you decide to buy a house?

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
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ever since I bought grown-up furniture last month and really started to fix up my apartment beyond being just a regular ol' bachelor pad, I've had the itching to be a land owner.

even though it's not likely to happen for me any time soon (I've got 9 months left on my lease and I still really want to push for a transfer to either the UK, China, or San Jose at work), when/how did you home owners decide to buy your house?
 

Kelemvor

Lifer
May 23, 2002
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After we got married, we bought a house like 3 months later. Rented a duplex before that.
 

Dirigible

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2006
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I was 29, had the urge to get a house, was a few years out of school and making good money, and felt stable enough that I wouldn't be moving again for quite a while. I've enjoyed it.

I'd never fixed up my apartment, and it wasn't until I got married years later that I switched from the "free on craigslist" school of home furnishings. :p So you may enjoy having your own place even more than I did.
 

Capt Caveman

Lifer
Jan 30, 2005
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I was 27 and was tired of having roommates. Got a great deal on a house and sold it for twice the price I paid several years later.

I didn't start buying nice house stuff til I was a home owner. As a renter, I never felt I was going to be sticking around long and didn't know if I were to buy something if it would fit or look right in the place I would live long-term.
 

BarneyFife

Diamond Member
Aug 12, 2001
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Just got a good job about 6 months ago so when I hit the 2 year mark I will buy one and have 20% for a downpayment.
 

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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I bought one when I was 22 because I had a great job and was planning on being in the area for a while. I sold that and bought another this year (27) because I got married and decided to settle in this area.

So, for me it's more an issue of knowing where I'll be than it is about wanting to fix something up, invest, etc. If you're establishing a career in some area, then it makes sense to at least consider a purchase. The next question is whether the financials work of course, but I think many people jump too quickly into a home because they think they're simply supposed to have one. It doesn't always make financial sense, especially if you think you might move in a few years.
 

SpunkyJones

Diamond Member
Apr 1, 2004
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Bought it shortly after I knocked up the wife. We didn't want to raise a family in an apartment.
 

lokiju

Lifer
May 29, 2003
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A little over a year after the wife and I got married.

We found a great deal on a house we love and can now get it how we want it before we decide to have kids.
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
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When I had saved quite a bit of £££ up so I could put a decent down payment.

I can't wait to kit the house out and funish it :)

Koing
 

KB

Diamond Member
Nov 8, 1999
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I wanted to get a pool table, so I needed the house as an accessory.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
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Was planning on buying one next year. A new annoying ass neighbor moved in next to us at our apartment so we started casually looking. Ended up buying a couple months later.
 

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
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As soon as I finished college. We rented for a year while learning the area and looking at houses. We moved into a house right about when the apartment lease was up.
 

SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
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Really we just came across a deal we couldn't pass up. My wife and I of a year at the time were living in her grandparents' house (alone) and a realtor friend said there was a house up the street that was selling for $145K. It was a smallish brick house, 1500sf, but had 1.5 acres on Lake Lanier. He said if we weren't interested he would buy it and sell it for $175K the next day (already had a buyer lined up). So we took a very quick tour and our offer of $135K was accepted the next day.

It was appraised for $210K a year later. Since then we've doubled the square footage and made some other improvements so it fits our family much better now.
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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The house market here is in the shitter and it was cheaper for my to buy then rent and by a lot.
 

Special K

Diamond Member
Jun 18, 2000
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I probably won't buy one anytime soon because I highly doubt the cost of a mortgage + homeowner's insurance + maintenance + property taxes will ever be less than the $700/month I pay for rent in my area. Living in an apartment has it's disadvantages, but right now it makes much more sense for me to rent rather than buy. I also like not having to deal with the hassle of maintenance and repairs. I suspect my opinion will change in several years, however.