just bought a house and I am freaking out

[haltz]

Yeah, you can always sell your house, but if you sell your kid it's straight profit.

[MrCrowesGarden]

Yeah, you can always sell your house, but if you sell your kid it's straight profit.

What's your commission on a deal like that?

[Socnorb11]

I own, and right now it's a PitA, but hear me out... We bought a modest house on the fringes of St. Louis. We stayed well within our means. Like, we were pre-approved for a $300,000 house, but bought one roughly half that cost. When the market tanked and rates went down, we refinanced from a 30 year at roughly 4.5% to a 15 year at 4.125. We kept our house payment the same, and managed to shave 15 years off our loan. We also over-pay every month, to bring down the principal amount. We aren't even 40 yet, and if we push it hard, we could own our house outright in another 7 or 8 years. At that point, we'd only have the cost of taxes and home owners insurance. The burden up front is high, and it has taken a good deal of restraint. But it will be [expletive] liberating as hell to know no mother [expletive] can come take our house away from us. And everything we earn from age 48 forward -- every dime we don't spend -- goes right into my early retirement fund. So, yeah, I am glad we own.

This is pretty much our story. We ended up re-financing 2 years ago, at 2.75% (15 years)........... we got an exceptional rate, because my wife works at the bank. Anybody who hasn't re-financed in the last few years has missed the boat, in my opinion. We're going to save tens of thousands of dollars by doing so.

AW - I'd relax if I were you. It's hard to find someone who has made the commitment to buy a home, and actually regrets it long-term. I do agree with Popeye......... the day-to-day upkeep is a bigger pain than the actual mortgage, but that's life.

Also, I'm intrigued by the condo option, once my currrent mortgage is paid off.

[ghostrunner]

I'd do it again, just wouldn't have bitten so much off (in terms of work, not cost)

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I'd do it again, just wouldn't have bitten so much off (in terms of work, not cost)

I think there's a balance there, no? Obviously a fixer upper is cheaper than a pristine condition house.

[ghostrunner]

Sure. I just mean the cost, including maintenance and repairs, hasn't been a back breaker by any means. Day care on the other hand...

The problem with the amount of work is stuff like having a 1970s kitchen that is unnecessarily cramped for the past ten years. Our driveway has needed repaving for the same length of time, but it's such a low priority it's never been done. The kind of stuff that just annoys you day to day.

If I had to do it again I'd have stretched about 20-30k more to get something in better shape. Though we also may not have been approved for it.

[Arthur Dent]

Have kitchens changed much since the 70s?

[lukethedrifter]

Have kitchens changed much since the 70s?

Yes and no.

They still contain sinks and fridges and stoves and counters, if that's what you mean.

[IMADreamer]

Have kitchens changed much since the 70s?

No, but people gotta have those shiny stainless appliances don't you know.


I hate owning a home. Right now my yard has needed mowed for three days. My neighbors mow every other day. [expletive] them.

In the last three years I've spent almost half of what my house cost me repairing my house. New roof, new front porch, new retaining walls on the driveway, new sewer line to the outside, plus redoing the basement from when the sewer backed up in it. My living room needs painted. Again. I don't know what we did wrong the first time but the freaking trim is peeling.

I want to build a three car garage/shop and just put a cot in and live in it. Then I started dating again and I guess that's not a socially acceptable way to live so I can't. I hate owning a home.

[Socnorb11]

Yeah, I don't think there's much to enjoy about the actual "owning" part (other than being able to model it the way you want to,I guess). I don't think most people buy a house for status, or because there's enjoyment in having all of the responsibility. The "investment" part can be beneficial, however.