I've signed a lease on a sensible little rental house, the place with the big deck that costs $650 a month. My roommate will be handling all of the annoying little details of getting the utilities turned on since I'm back in Houston for round two of TFA boot camp, a seminar on long term planning for math and science teachers. I'm happy to rent that house. I am. Really.
But during the past week I kept driving by a charming historic two story brick house with a fantastic porch. From the outside, at least, it has tremendous appeal, and there's a sign in the front yard that reads, "For Sale By Owner: $60,000". I managed not to give in to the urge to knock on the door and present myself as a possible buyer, but it took a bit of willpower.
There are a million good reasons not to even think of buying a house right now. I could well decide to go off to grad school or move to a school district closer to my family at the end of my two year commitment. The housing market in this town isn't booming so finding a buyer or renter later could become a huge hassle. Technically, I'm unemployed until next week when I sign my contract for the year. The house might need a lot of work, and I don't have time, energy, and money to devote to a fixer upper at this point in my life. A 20% down payment would leave me with an uncomfortably small emergency fund. I'm also just not mature enough for that kind of a commitment.
Besides, you simply don't buy your dream house two months after graduating from university. Life just doesn't work that way, and if it somehow did, I'd probably worry myself to death wondering what tragedy would befall me to balance out my good fortune. There will still be great houses a few years from now when I'll likely have more money and a better sense of where I'm going in life, right?
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4 comments:
RIGHT. This is not the time or place for that kind of investment. Wait until you have that tenure-track job or whatever you discover will be your long-term career/location, and then find the dream house in the place where you find yourself.
There are lots of houses that you could fall in love with. One of those will be available when you are ready to buy. :)
Having said that, I think I'd be tempted by a $60k house, as such low price tags simply do not exist in the UK as far as I know. But I too do not need to buy a house in the Mississippi Delta right now. ;)
Right.
Over the next two years you're going to be consumed with teaching, so home repairs would likely be a pain. Life will work itself out.
Houses are not going anywhere, there will be plenty when you are ready. You are young and have so much more exciting places to spend your free time than Home Depot.
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