[eric strt6]

1979 to 2001 I owned a 1600 sq foot house with a huge redwood hot tub 1 block from the beach 10 miles south of Aptos. I was single, I worked as a manager and instrutor at a dive shop. Travel....went all around the world mountaineering and diving. Partying differnt women over almost every night. Roomates 20 something women attending the local college

got married and moved to a 2200 square foot home in the woods in 2001.
Just me the wife and 3 dogs in our own place. never wanted kids, didn't need them to justify my lot in life.

Life is good in your own house if you have the discipline to stay within your means

or you could end up a breeder like MMike

 

[kazlx]

Owning a house in my late 20s (although it should work out in my favor eventually), has illustrated to me that I am rarely home. And when I am home, it's because I don't feel like doing crap, otherwise, I wouldn't be home. I pay for a gardener because I hate yardwork. I like the idea of owning a house, but when my friends call on a Sat afternoon and say 'let's hit the beach', I say 'ok', instead of 'I need to clean my raingutters'. I retrospect, I probably should have stayed where I was at and just went to Whistler twice a year and kept all my fantastic toys that I had.

BTW, I am also single. My opinion may be different if I was married....

 

[manimal]

investment or not, i'll choose a house....because you can't do this in your backyard if you rent: (friend's house, my jumps aren't nearly as rad)

 

[kazlx]

investment or not, i'll choose a house....because you can't do this in your backyard if you rent: (friend's house, my jumps aren't nearly as rad)

Except no where in So Cal can you get a yard big enough

 

[manimal]

Except no where in So Cal can you get a yard big enough

one of the reasons i moved from there.

the other reason is that i got a 2400 sqft house on an acre in the woods for less than $130k.

i bought my house, not neccesarily as an investment but primarily because i grew tired of apartment living...especially with 3 kids. i bought in 2006 near the peak of the bubble, however, the effects of said bubble weren't as acute here in NC. my home value has stayed the same and as long as i get out of it what i put into it over 20 or so years i'm happy.

 

[ohio]

If your mortgage will be similar to rent, and you aren't stretching your finances, there's not a whole lot of reason to rent. Usually property taxes are a wash with deducting loan interest.

Careful of buying where there are no renters though. Should you decide to travel or spend a few years overseas, you DO want to be able to rent the place out.

 

[MMike]

Acadian should post in this thread.....

 

[Da Peach]

If your mortgage will be similar to rent, and you aren't stretching your finances, there's not a whole lot of reason to rent. Usually property taxes are a wash with deducting loan interest.

Careful of buying where there are no renters though. Should you decide to travel or spend a few years overseas, you DO want to be able to rent the place out.

You'll always be able to find a mortgage that will be cheaper than rent. Problem is, where will that property be?

 

[MMike]

You'll always be able to find a mortgage that will be cheaper than rent. Problem is, where will that property be?

You should post that MLS you sent me the other day...

I think you are APPROACHING house buying time....But right now you've got it pretty good.


And for whatever it's worth....most americans don't realize that mortgage interest is NOT tax deductible in Canada.....neither are home improvements od any sort...(well until this year). So housing is 100% out of pocket. It makes it a much less attractive investment.

 

[Da Peach]

You should post that MLS you sent me the other day...

I think you are APPROACHING house buying time....But right now you've got it pretty good.


And for whatever it's worth....most americans don't realize that mortgage interest is NOT tax deductible in Canada.....neither are home improvements od any sort...(well until this year). So housing is 100% out of pocket. It makes it a much less attractive investment.

Of course everyone will have examples...

and bear in mind, it's just part of the building...

edit: oh puke. sold for over asking. This town is retarded.

 

[kazlx]

one of the reasons i moved from there.

the other reason is that i got a 2400 sqft house on an acre in the woods for less than $130k.

i bought my house, not neccesarily as an investment but primarily because i grew tired of apartment living...especially with 3 kids. i bought in 2006 near the peak of the bubble, however, the effects of said bubble weren't as acute here in NC. my home value has stayed the same and as long as i get out of it what i put into it over 20 or so years i'm happy.

Yea my place was $430K for a 3br on a 7500 sq ft lot in Old Town Orange. Part of the reason I bought here was I have a constant supply of renters since I live next to Chapman University. I rent the two exta rooms out that I have and will probably do that until I find a woman that can put up with me . I love life in So Cal, but there are definitely benefits to living elsewhere. The hardest part for me would be leaving my family and friends.

 

[SkaredShtles]

If you have the means in your 20's, you can always buy a place, then lease it out for 2-4 years and travel. That way you're mortgage is getting covered while you're out seeing the world. Then you have a place to go back to when you're done.

Oh yeah - THAT'S something someone in their 20's should do.

 

[SkaredShtles]

investment or not, i'll choose a house....because you can't do this in your backyard if you rent: (friend's house, my jumps aren't nearly as rad)

Apparently all you have to do is get your FRIEND to buy a house and do that.

 

[Ciaran]

Talk to someone old that traveled a lot in their youth. I can almost GUARANTEE they won't say "Gee, I wish I had worked all that time when I was young and waited until I was old and infirm to travel and have fun."

I'm not talking about "partying" your 20's away. That's a waste of any decade. I'm talking about doing some LIVING when you're in your 20's. 'Cause that age won't ever come back to you.

Traveling in your 30's is more fun than traveling in your 20's. It is for me anyway. And I still have my 40's 50's and 60's to travel with a strong healthy body (barring any accidents or disease) Maybe you're old and decrepit in your middle age, but I am not, nor will I be.

Just because you're having a mid life crisis, hippy.

Youth is for work. middle age is for partying.

Edit: You know, I actually did party in my 20's instead of working hard, saving and investing. And now that I am looking at 40 I regret wasting my 20's. There is NOTHING I did or could have done in my 20's that I can't do now or in the next 10 - 20 years. (Well, except join the military)

Sacrificing your 20's to work hard is the best investment you can make in your future. Despite what some people think, the 20's are not some magical decade where you will "find yourself", and discover the wisdom of the world. That the 20's are somehow more special than any other decade is a crock of shiit. Any time period in your life is only as special as you make it.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Acadian should post in this thread.....

Perfect!

 

[binary visions]

Whatever dude....Apparently if people have chosen to spend their youth doing stuff differntly than you, they are dumb.

Exactly, genius. EXACTLY.

How can you, on one hand, say NOBODY NEEDS A HOUSE WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG WITH NO KIDS, and on the other hand get all indignant about people lumping everyone into one generic category?

Not everyone should buy a house. Not everyone should rent. Some people should do a combination of both. But blanket statements like "Yes, buy a home" or "If you don't have kids, you shouldn't buy a home" are dumb. Buy intelligently with some consideration and home ownership can be great.

 

[MMike]

Exactly, genius. EXACTLY.

Would you please read all of your retarded comments and then reiterate, after every one, the sentiment carried in your post: not everyone has the same needs/wants/life?

Each person needs to evaluate their own needs and make their own decision. Gosh, guess what Jenn and I just did? We bought a house, lived in it for a couple years, sold it - and even in a bad market we got out from under it in little time and for a profit, and learned a whole lot in the process including a lot of good handyman skills. I've been to 40+ states, Newfoundland, Bermuda, Costa Rica and Ecuador, with plans to visit Machu Picchu in the spring and a host of other places in the next 10 years. Guess home ownership isn't so limiting, huh?

Not everyone should buy a house. Not everyone should rent. Some people should do a combination of both. But blanket statements like "Yes, buy a home" or "If you don't have kids, you shouldn't buy a home" are dumb. Buy intelligently with some consideration and home ownership can be great.

Are you guys just clinically obtuse???

The beginning of this thread has a mess of people saying it it would just be CRAZY to not buy a home. OBVIOUSLY buying or renting...it's good for some, and not for others. I personally was (mostly) perfectly happy renting while I didn't have kids.....because I wasn't mowing, raking, fretting about replacing my roof, painting windows, spending hundreds of dollars on shrubs and grass seed, and paint.....At 28 I'd have been WAY happier spending $11k+ on a roof instead of....a car. Cars are not good investments either. But they are usually way more fun than a new roof.....

I am thrilled to be in a house NOW.

And yeah sure. You traveled for a handful of weeks at a time. Ummm...congratulations? OBVIOUSLY traveling when you own a home is not impossible. Who said it was? But to pick up and **** off for months/years at a time at a moments notice...IF you wanted to...that is way easier to do without a house.

If you WANT a house when you're 19...go for it. I don't understand the mentality. But there a lots of weirdos out there I don't understand.

I am pretty sure I qualified all of my statements as my own opinion. And even if I didn't, it should be pretty obvious to anyone who isn't a retard.

 

[binary visions]

I am pretty sure I qualified all of my statements as my own opinion. And even if I didn't, it should be pretty obvious to anyone who isn't a retard.

You've been arguing the whole time that no 20-something should buy a house. This implies that all 20-somethings fit into the categories you've constructed in your head. You all but call people buying houses dumb. Then you pitch a fit about someone thinking your choices are dumb

Your opinion is that no 20-something is fit to buy a house. My comment is that your opinion is pigheaded and inappropriate. People want their lives to be lived in vastly different ways and sometimes, just sometimes, people make reasoned decisions that don't necessarily correlate to any of the blanket statements you're making about home ownership.

Guess nobody should go to grad school either, just another commitment tying you down in your 20s...

 

[SkaredShtles]

Traveling in your 30's is more fun than traveling in your 20's. It is for me anyway. And I still have my 40's 50's and 60's to travel with a strong healthy body (barring any accidents or disease) Maybe you're old and decrepit in your middle age, but I am not, nor will I be.

Just because you're having a mid life crisis, hippy.

Youth is for work. middle age is for partying.

Edit: You know, I actually did party in my 20's instead of working hard, saving and investing. And now that I am looking at 40 I regret wasting my 20's. There is NOTHING I did or could have done in my 20's that I can't do now or in the next 10 - 20 years. (Well, except join the military)

Sacrificing your 20's to work hard is the best investment you can make in your future. Despite what some people think, the 20's are not some magical decade where you will "find yourself", and discover the wisdom of the world. That the 20's are somehow more special than any other decade is a crock of shiit. Any time period in your life is only as special as you make it.

It's a pity you wasted your 20s. I didn't.

 

[Da Peach]

All you young bucks should save up and buy ME a house. I'm old enough and would really enjoy it.

If it's big enough, I might even let you come to visit. The Shore is 20 minutes away!

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>

Guess nobody should go to grad school either, just another commitment tying you down in your 20s...

Grad school's no commitment. You can quit any time you want and nobody will give two $hits.

 

[Pesqueeb]

If your looking to buy, I'd wait 6 more months. Gonna be some great deals.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

It's a pity you wasted your 20s. I didn't.

It got you OH so far....

 

[SkaredShtles]

It got you OH so far....

I spent two winters skiing (and not working), a spring in Flagstaff, Arizona, an entire summer thru-hiking the Colorado Trail, a 4 month summer-long holiday in Europe...

I sure wish I hadn't done any of that and had bought a house.

 

[Ciaran]

I spent two winters skiing (and not working), a spring in Flagstaff, Arizona, an entire summer thru-hiking the Colorado Trail, a 4 month summer-long holiday in Europe...

I sure wish I hadn't done any of that and had bought a house.

With thee exception of 4 months in Europe, I did far more than that.

Wasted is a relative term.

The point is that while your advice may work for a select few, far more people will benefit from making sacrifices and working hard in their 20's.

 

[SkaredShtles]

With thee exception of 4 months in Europe, I did far more than that.

So why all the regret?

 

[Ciaran]

So why all the regret?

Because I now see how these things were ephermal indulgences. While the memories stay with me, I would have benefitted more in the long run from saving some of that money.

Don't get me wrong, I had a blast in my 20's. I probably had more fun than most. But I would gladly trade some of those good times for retiring a few years earlier.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

I spent two winters skiing (and not working), a spring in Flagstaff, Arizona, an entire summer thru-hiking the Colorado Trail, a 4 month summer-long holiday in Europe...

I sure wish I hadn't done any of that and had bought a house.

Yet you're unemployed. Life fail.

 

[loco-gringo]

It's a pity you wasted your 20s. I didn't.

How hard is the old lady kicking her own ass about her 30s right now, hippy???

 

[loco-gringo]

Yet you're unemployed. Life fail.

He's not failed. He's just a quitter that's ok letting the wife buy all the maple syrup.

 

[valve bouncer]

I've probably taken the road less travelled more than most of you blokes posting here. In my 20's when I first came to Japan I thought I was living the dream and all those poor saps living back in my hometown were losers for wanting to stay there. Now 13 years on I realise they weren't losers and I wasn't doing anything special. I was just doing what I wanted to do and felt comfortable with and they were doing the same. As far as we're talking here there are no wrong or right decisions. Do what you're comfortable with.

 

[Ciaran]

Yet you're unemployed. Life fail.

There is a difference between being unemployed and not having to work.

I have been both and the latter is far better than the former.

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

There is a difference between being unemployed and not having to work.

I have been both and the latter is far better than the former.

Well if you're cool with letting your spouse bear the burdens of having a career while you sit at home and preach to others how to be successful .......then by all means live it up.

 

[Ciaran]

Well if you're cool with letting your spouse bear the burdens of having a career while you sit at home and preach to others how to be successful .......then by all means live it up.

What if your wife not only loves her career but also makes a ton of money? Not every career is a burden.

Success is also relative. (This should be obvious) What makes you successful? Making lot's of money? Having a happy family? Doing lot's of drugs? One mans success is another mans failure and all that.

 

[eric strt6]

Well if you're cool with letting your spouse bear the burdens of having a career while you sit at home and preach to others how to be successful .......then by all means live it up.

Ward Cleaver lives

I have zero problem being married to a woman that makes 5 times my salary. It's just how our lives turned out. We have a very good lifestyle and partnership.

Until your post I had forgotten that there were still 50's era mentality macho dinosaurs out there woking themselves to an early grave

 

[CrabJoe StretchPants]

.............sarcasm, guys............


I just like giving SS crap whenever/however I can. If my future wife made $$$$$$, you can sure as hell be certain I'd be a stay at home dad. I have a good friend that does just that.

 

[loco-gringo]

Ward Cleaver lives

I have zero problem being married to a woman that makes 5 times my salary. It's just how our lives turned out. We have a very good lifestyle and partnership.

Until your post I had forgotten that there were still 50's era mentality macho dinosaurs out there woking themselves to an early grave

We're baggin' on the hippie here. Cut the chauvinist some slack.

 

[loco-gringo]

.............sarcasm, guys............


I just like giving SS crap whenever/however I can. If my future wife made $$$$$$, you can sure as hell be certain I'd be a stay at home dad. I have a good friend that does just that.

Me too. His name is Wumpus.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

yet you're unemployed. Life fail.

ouch!!!!!!!!!

 

[antimony]

You traveled for a handful of weeks at a time. Ummm...congratulations?

Wow. I never realized what a loser I was. Someone should just euthanize me, so the valuable oxygen I consume is preserved for a better-fit human being.


Oh well. Until then... I shall never relinquish my dreams of becoming a bitter, condescending, old man. Vive Antimony la douche!