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!
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
18 hours ago, SilverBells said:
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.
Good old American Capitalism. I paid for a service way back when I was dating off the web. But you don't really need it cause youe don't need that level of if you are just looking at homes you might wish to buy.Me thinks though you are trying to look up the address and details on a certain someone and that scares me for you and the other person.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
16 hours ago, SilverBells said:
More so of a general way to look up homes that are similar to what I would want and what sort of payment was involved so I know what to expect. This information was a lot easier to obtain years ago. As for the girlfriend, it's actually very difficult to find out anything about her, and, with the limited information available, there would likely be no benefits to looking up county records or paying one of these websites $20 for the reports they want every time you want to look up something. I figure if I have to pay for something, I probably don't need the information that badly, and I'm doubtful that these records would reveal much anyway. Therefore, I'm looking for an easier way to find out more information about houses that would both be to my liking and relatively within budget as well.
As someone else mentioned you can call and ask what the price range in the area where you are looking. Then you can use a free on-line mortgage calculator to figure out what you can afford on your salary and your estimated payment based on what you put down and length of years on your mortgage,
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
14 hours ago, SilverBells said:
It does make one think when you realize that if you were to lose your job at any moment, you could also lose your house, especially if you couldn't really afford it to begin with.
It's always a good idea to have an emergency fund set up. My husband has steady work now but when he did project management we could go a few months between projects. We keep two years of house payments in the bank just for this purpose.
Another option for saving money is moving in with family to save. Or living in a cheap/minimal space situation while you save. My partner and I are moving in with her mom for a year or two to save since her mom's house is paid off. If you have family who would be willing to let you stay with them or pay a discounted rent that is an option. I've had friends who lived in a studio or a tiny apartment while they saved. Sometimes we have to sacrifice temporarily to achieve future goals. Luckily I don't see living with my mother in law as a sacrifice, she is very nice! Grateful for the opportunity
I live with family right now and for me, it's personally embarrassing
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
4 minutes ago, SilverBells said:
I live with family right now and for me, it's personally embarrassing
You *should* be grateful. I was put out on my ### at 18. Forced to join the military to put a roof over my head. Been on my own ever since. I have a really nice house worth more than you aim for, but it has appreciated over time. And I waited a very long time before that dream came true for me. I worked my butt off for it.
I live with family right now and for me, it's personally embarrassing
You are very lucky. One to have family that loves you and are able to let you stay with them. You should be able to save a lot of money, pay off your student loans and other debt. It's good you have family to talk to and are not alone at this time.
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
Yes, as long as your family is not abusive or terrible, it's great that you can live with them and save money. Try to focus on the positive. Of course we don't know all the details of your living situation, so apologies if it is something toxic. But if your family is nice and you're just embarrassed, no reason to be! Many people in my area have to live with their parents in to their 30s or even 40s!
Sometimes I start to feel frustrated that where I live I need hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash for a down payment since home prices are in the millions. But I am in a beautiful apartment and I can see the Golden Gate Bridge from my window. I have NOTHING to complain about. I hope your therapy sessions start soon so you can work on reframing, gratitude, and perspective. And I hope you will start to feel happier and less insecure.
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
I've only skipped around this thread, but I am uncomfortable with the obsession you are showing for your ex and his new partner. You also appear consumed by material things and outward appearances. You believe objects and a relationship make you worthy, which of course is not true. You see things as black and white and not shades of gray, which most things are. There is a poem that has guided me many times throughout my life; it's called After A While. You may want to check it out:
After a while
You learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul and you learn love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises and you begin to accept your defeats with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong and you really do have worth and you learn and you learn
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
On 3/30/2021 at 3:36 PM, SmilingBluEyes said:
But you refuse to buy "beneath you". That is more than a roof over your head that you want. No townhome, no condo. THOSE ARE having a roof over your head. So is a trailer for that matter.
And I still think your behavior is stalky.
In my 58 years I have been homeless in a tent in a Pacific Northwest Winter, Lived in a decent double-wide, the loft of a barn, several apartments and the house I currently own with my husband. Never felt ashamed to be living in any of them as they were all roofs over my head so to speak, Not sure I would want to do some of those over, but life is a journey.
hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I
4 Articles; 5,212 Posts
Good old American Capitalism. I paid for a service way back when I was dating off the web. But you don't really need it cause youe don't need that level of if you are just looking at homes you might wish to buy.Me thinks though you are trying to look up the address and details on a certain someone and that scares me for you and the other person.
Hppy