One of my goals is to eventually be able to purchase a house. Many of my nursing colleagues are purchasing homes that are worth $450,000, $500,000 or even more. Sadly, my budget is about half of that or even less, which means the houses I have to choose from are not appealing. Most of them are small, old, or both.
I am just curious how other nurses manage to purchase decent houses? I've been looking through my income, and I just can't find a way to make it possible to incorporate such a house into my budget. I am salary, so there are no opportunities for overtime.
What are other nurses' experience with buying houses? How did you make it work? Did it require switching jobs? Inquiring minds want to know!
This is frustrating. If it is not time for a house (or a wedding, marriage, babies, etc), then what is it time for? I'm running out of options
Now is the time for self reflection and therapy. Now is the time to look for a better job. Then you will have the time and energy to work on improving your circumstances and your social life!
Instead you are so focused on comparing yourself to others, keeping up with the Jones and FOMO fear of missing out. In essence you are running in circles going nowhere, being worked to death at a crappy job.
Please stop and work on yourself with the guidance of a counselor. Otherwise you are heading toward disaster. If you buy a house you can't afford and on top of it work ridiculous amounts of OT that pays nothing more than your salary how will you make the house payments. If you stay at this job how will you have time to have a social life.
Also you don't need to buy a house to have a pet. There are apartments that do allow pets or you could rent a house as well. Of course you need a normal 36-40 hour job so you will have be able to take care of the pet and spend time with them.
The thing about condos or even homes in "planned communities" is that you cannot have a garden or even plant a flower. I just wanted to plant some wildflowers (since this is something I often advise my patients to do for depression). I recall from my travel to Swiss and France a few years ago how even many of the stop signs had flowers planted around them and how it made for a somewhat "better" happier feeling. I have been watering them for the past month and feeling pretty good. Today they were mercilessly cut down and I must admit I thought about murder for a good long time. The feeling has passed. However, I realize we need to get out of this addition and to someplace where I at least have a small plot where I can garden.
I too have been to Europe and love all the flowers, window boxes of them and cobblestone streets. Switzerland and Germany had so many cute old fashioned houses with window boxes of flowers and dogs walking the street and even allowed in stores and restaurants.
I could never live in a condo because of the ruthless nitpicking micromanagement of condo board members who go out of their way to harass anyone that wants something different whether it be flowers or even the American Flag!
Everything aside it is an almost indisputable fact that owning a home takes a relatively larger percentage of one's paycheck today than it did say in 1950. Homes are becoming relatively less affordable. The best one can do is to buy in a more affordable area. Also states like Wyoming, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Tenn. with no income tax may help somewhat. Consider that a family earning 100K living in California would pay an extra 10K in state income taxes. That same 100K in Tenn could be used towards the mortgage payment and $800.00 per month is not an insignificant amount to aid in that endeavor.
So true, taxes and cost of living make a big difference in what someone can afford. Some urban places in CA are so unaffordable they were offering 40 year mortgages and of course ARMS, betting on appreciation to refi later. As we all know from the crash in 08-09 home appreciation is not guaranteed!
This has been an amazing thread. The sheer number of responses this thread has generated is awe inspiring. SilverBells does get a lot of us talking that is for sure.
But between all the hype and personal talk, I think there has been a lot of useful info put out there for people looking to buy their first home.
We may all have biases as to which houses we like, but that is what makes America great. We don't all have to wear the same things or buy the same cookie cutter house. There is a house out there for everyone that appeals to their own personal tastes.
I have always loved older homes, Victorian two-stories, Tudors, brick and lannon stone. Basically I'm in love with the houses and artwork of Thomas Kinkade. It would be heaven to be able to walk into one of his pictures and go back in time! LOL
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
12 hours ago, SilverBells said:
Ehh...I figure if people in their twenties are buying brand new houses, it must be possible. There's more than one example I can think of, too, so it's obviously possible and not rocket science. I just haven't figured it out.
One example I can think of is a colleague who is actually 3 years younger than me. Has two daughters, just recently built own house for over $400k. Another colleague of mine just had a son; bought a house for $450k. I know of another colleague who has two children; I don't know how much her house is worth but it is very new, and based on its appearance, I'm pretty sure I would have trouble affording it, if able to at all. My ex's new girlfriend/fiance/wife/whoever she is just bought a new house, too--single family home simply by working as a postpartum nurse, so they're not living in a townhome either.
So, theoretically, I should be able to figure out a way, too.
Sorry, my wording probably isn't coming out right. By no means do I wish to insult anyone else. For some people, living in a townhome or a small house might be fine. For me, I wouldn't feel good about myself if I did those things.
A very wise person once said "Where ever you go, there you are!" Meaning when you find happiness and balance these other things will happen for you.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
13 hours ago, myoglobin said:
Everything aside it is an almost indisputable fact that owning a home takes a relatively larger percentage of one's paycheck today than it did say in 1950. Homes are becoming relatively less affordable. The best one can do is to buy in a more affordable area. Also states like Wyoming, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Tenn. with no income tax may help somewhat. Consider that a family earning 100K living in California would pay an extra 10K in state income taxes. That same 100K in Tenn could be used towards the mortgage payment and $800.00 per month is not an insignificant amount to aid in that endeavor.
Our basic post WW2 tract home in good condistion which it is cost $600,000.00 in California. My husband has been in it since he was little. What costs $400,000.00 elsware goes for a Million plus in parts of CA.
My ex's new girlfriend/fiance/wife/whoever she is just bought a new house, too--single family home simply by working as a postpartum nurse, so they're not living in a townhome either.
Ummm, I think we see now where this (desire for buying a home now) is coming from.
Just curious...has anyone else found it more increasingly difficult to look up addresses/property records? It used to be you could Google the property you were looking for and the answer would generally pop up. Now, even White Pages requires you to pay to look up anything online...what is this about? It used to be free.
There used to be a good way you could look up properties that had recently sold just to get a gauge as to how much you may spend for a similar home. Address books aren't nearly as accessible as they once were either.
brandy1017, ASN, RN
2,910 Posts
Now is the time for self reflection and therapy. Now is the time to look for a better job. Then you will have the time and energy to work on improving your circumstances and your social life!
Instead you are so focused on comparing yourself to others, keeping up with the Jones and FOMO fear of missing out. In essence you are running in circles going nowhere, being worked to death at a crappy job.
Please stop and work on yourself with the guidance of a counselor. Otherwise you are heading toward disaster. If you buy a house you can't afford and on top of it work ridiculous amounts of OT that pays nothing more than your salary how will you make the house payments. If you stay at this job how will you have time to have a social life.
Also you don't need to buy a house to have a pet. There are apartments that do allow pets or you could rent a house as well. Of course you need a normal 36-40 hour job so you will have be able to take care of the pet and spend time with them.