s/o How old are you? What kind of house do you live in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:33/35

Purchased our first TH pre bubble when we were 23/25, rented it and then got another SFH pre bubble in far burbs. Made a fortune after selling both and taking the capital gains exception. Have a SFH in burbs and a vacation house all thanks to that first home.

45 and 44. Just bought a $900K house in Arlington, after living in a NW DC condo for 15 years. We love the condo but decided our kids would benefit from more outdoor space and a safer street with less traffic. HHI has never exceed $150K. We are not big consumers and have always had a high savings rate -- so high, in fact, that we could have simply bought the house in cash, with plenty left-over. If you don't consume much, even a modest income can add up to significant savings across time.

Interesting. How much were you making/saving, just out of curiosity?

My wife and I are in our mid-40s and we each went straight into the labor market at age 21, so we have a couple of decades of savings under our belt. I never made much more than $70K in my twenties, but I still managed to stuff maybe 15K a year into the stock market. From age 35 to 45, I probably stuffed 35K a year into the stock market. Before the 2001 crash and the 2008 crash, I had an uneasy feeling and downshifted my equity exposure. So I side-stepped the market crashes. Now, my savings rate is probably a bit lower ... maybe only 15K a year ... but the equity I've built up generates a fair amount of investment income each year.

I save a lot not because I'm cheap, but I simply don't enjoy "stuff" very much. And if it weren't for our kids, I would be completely content to live out the rest of my days in a small condo. The house we just bought is solely for the sake of the kids, and it is only 2000 square feet. For a minimalist like myself, anything larger would seem excessive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:34 and 37. Own a three bedroom rowhouse in dc. Bought for $740k in 2014. HHI is 400k

Wish we had waited to purchase as our income has increased significantly. However it allows us to save around 5,100 a month outside of retirement.

Goal is to purchase for around $1.4ish in around two years. Our goal is to have around 500k to put down.

+1 almost exact same story for us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:34 and 37. Own a three bedroom rowhouse in dc. Bought for $740k in 2014. HHI is 400k

Wish we had waited to purchase as our income has increased significantly. However it allows us to save around 5,100 a month outside of retirement.

Goal is to purchase for around $1.4ish in around two years. Our goal is to have around 500k to put down.

+1 almost exact same story for us

Do you get concerned you missed out? We plan on buying in 2 years and I get worried rates will increase significantly, the tax bill will pass with a $500k mortgage deduction limit, home prices will continue to rise, etc. We do own a home we'd be happy staying in if we had to and I suppose we'd have a massive brokerage account in five years.

[Anonymous]

Sold close in shit shack we bought when we were 30 in 2009
Had kids
Left town
Bought 5 acres and a 5000 sq ft farmhouse/craftsman in a different state - last year

[Anonymous]

Bought around 1.4 in falls church when we were 38 and 45 two years ago, DH had an investment condo bought in 2005, it has been underwater for a while but we managed to always have a renter to almost cover that mortgage.

[Anonymous]

I'm 36. We bought our first "starter" house when we got married when I was 24. DH was 28. It was a little over ~ 500k 12 years ago. DH paid the down payment out of his savings.

We ended up staying and renovating/adding on with an addition so we could grow into it after we started having our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 36. We bought our first "starter" house when we got married when I was 24. DH was 28. It was a little over ~ 500k 12 years ago. DH paid the down payment out of his savings.

We ended up staying and renovating/adding on with an addition so we could grow into it after we started having our kids.

^ we're in Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Sold our 1960's split foyer and moved to another state. Bought a new, almost 4000sqft home on 1.5 acres w/pool.

We're in our 50's with teenagers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:34 and 37. Own a three bedroom rowhouse in dc. Bought for $740k in 2014. HHI is 400k

Wish we had waited to purchase as our income has increased significantly. However it allows us to save around 5,100 a month outside of retirement.

Goal is to purchase for around $1.4ish in around two years. Our goal is to have around 500k to put down.

+1 almost exact same story for us

Do you get concerned you missed out? We plan on buying in 2 years and I get worried rates will increase significantly, the tax bill will pass with a $500k mortgage deduction limit, home prices will continue to rise, etc. We do own a home we'd be happy staying in if we had to and I suppose we'd have a massive brokerage account in five years.

Immediate PP here. Absolutely. However, we can definitely stay where we are if that ends up making the most sense. We love our house and could expand/renovate to make staying more reasonable, love our neighborhood, and have great in bounds schools. We lucked into the house and have a ton of equity already. Ultimately would just like more space and a slightly larger patch of grass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 36. We bought our first "starter" house when we got married when I was 24. DH was 28. It was a little over ~ 500k 12 years ago. DH paid the down payment out of his savings.

We ended up staying and renovating/adding on with an addition so we could grow into it after we started having our kids.

So by today's prices, that house is a 1M house. WHO moves into a 1M house when they're 24? You must have family money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:33/35

Purchased our first TH pre bubble when we were 23/25, rented it and then got another SFH pre bubble in far burbs. Made a fortune after selling both and taking the capital gains exception. Have a SFH in burbs and a vacation house all thanks to that first home.

45 and 44. Just bought a $900K house in Arlington, after living in a NW DC condo for 15 years. We love the condo but decided our kids would benefit from more outdoor space and a safer street with less traffic. HHI has never exceed $150K. We are not big consumers and have always had a high savings rate -- so high, in fact, that we could have simply bought the house in cash, with plenty left-over. If you don't consume much, even a modest income can add up to significant savings across time.

Interesting. How much were you making/saving, just out of curiosity?

My wife and I are in our mid-40s and we each went straight into the labor market at age 21, so we have a couple of decades of savings under our belt. I never made much more than $70K in my twenties, but I still managed to stuff maybe 15K a year into the stock market. From age 35 to 45, I probably stuffed 35K a year into the stock market. Before the 2001 crash and the 2008 crash, I had an uneasy feeling and downshifted my equity exposure. So I side-stepped the market crashes. Now, my savings rate is probably a bit lower ... maybe only 15K a year ... but the equity I've built up generates a fair amount of investment income each year.

I save a lot not because I'm cheap, but I simply don't enjoy "stuff" very much. And if it weren't for our kids, I would be completely content to live out the rest of my days in a small condo. The house we just bought is solely for the sake of the kids, and it is only 2000 square feet. For a minimalist like myself, anything larger would seem excessive.

And how are you feeling right now about equities? When are you planning to downshift this time?

[Anonymous]

37.

Tiny house on expensive piece of land near downtown Bethesda. Selected for walkability, short commute, international community and good schools. Very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:38, spouse 40, 2000 sqft colonial in Friendship Heights. Moved two years ago from the townhouse in Rockville bought when we were 28/30.

We are very similar. 36 and 38, 2000 sf, 4b/2.5ba colonial in AU Park. We bought about 2 years ago after we sold the Rockville townhouse we bought when we were 31 and 33.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TH at age 22
SFH at age 25
SF Vacation home at age 31
2nd SFH at age 33

Met my DH in college, married @26, but combined financial resources prior to marriage to buy our 1st 2 homes.

Wait I had no money for even a car at 22? TF?

[Anonymous]

34, DH is 38. We live in the outer burbs.
Bought a semi-detached in 2012, sold last year with almost $100k equity.
Bought a large SFH in same area with most of the equity as down payment.
I'd rather live in something smaller closer-in, but DH likes it out here, the schools are really good for the kids we now have, and we have a live-in grandma for whom there is not enough space in the world. If we manage to unload grandma we'll be buying a TH somewhat closer in.