Anonymous
02/07/2026 15:27
Subject: Re:Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
This is us but SFH. We bought for 1.2 last year and put about 150k into renovations before moving in. Same gross income but no inheritance. House was a mess and now amazing post-Reno. Initial monthly payment was $7k, we just refinanced now $6500. We are fine. Bought a solid SFH in a hugely popular neighborhood where houses are going for $3m (bigger ones of course). The housing market is crazy here. We don’t want to hate where we live. Worth it to us to be in a fantastic neighborhood very close in with great schools, etc. Finances feel tight at the moment just because we are buying furniture (that stuff is expensive!). Otherwise fine.
Anonymous
02/06/2026 22:11
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
I would not spend that much on a TH. I just bought one for $1 million. Also my take-home is much less. I make 200k. I put 24% down and still have 180k in savings/investments for an emergency. I am only keeping it for 7 years until my kids go to college and will then downsize and move. I needed a certain location and that’s the only reason I did it. Divorced with two kids. I don’t get child support or alimony. I am late 40s, college is basically covered and retirement is good.
There’s no way I would buy something for 1.3 especially if it wasn’t a single-family home if I planned to live in it forever. I’m only doing it because I need to be in a certain location and I know that it’s finite period of time and that I will save money on housing later.
There’s no way I would buy something for 1.3 especially if it wasn’t a single-family home if I planned to live in it forever. I’m only doing it because I need to be in a certain location and I know that it’s finite period of time and that I will save money on housing later.
Anonymous
02/06/2026 20:01
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
Why? You can’t spend a bit less?
Anonymous
02/06/2026 19:57
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
Anonymous wrote:[img]Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:$325,000 after Fed, State, and Payroll Taxes is likely around $250,000 take home. Assuming you are contributing fully to 401(k) and Roth IRAs, that's $64,000 a year to savings, which is a good target at just about 20%. That leaves $186,000 for spending, or $15,500 a month.
I don't know what kind of loan you are looking at or the home insurance/HOA/Property Tax fees, but using your number of $6,500, you'd be putting 42% of your take-home pay to your PITI. Using a general metric that fixed costs should not be more than 60% of your take-home pay, that would leave only $2,800 for other fixed costs like car payments, gas, daycare, groceries, out of pocket medical, pets, insurance, home maintenance, and all utilities - electric, gas, phone, water, sewer. That's very tight, probably impossible. So your fixed costs would be high compared to your take home pay.
That would put stress on your ability to do other savings like college and brokerage accounts, plus limit vacation fund, entertainment, eating out, clothing, gifts, and other discretionary purchasing.
It just depends what kind of life you want to live. If you think you will love this house and it's worth putting a huge chunk of your earnings to it every month, I think you will manage. If your income grows, even better, and things will loosen up. But I do think it will feel tight. You'll probably have to save less than 20% to retirement and take smaller vacations.
Run some numbers yourself. See if that's the life you want.
The metric I have heard is that PITI should not be more than 25% of net.
I would not do this deal in a million years but I also have no desire to live in a TH and be house poor.
Granted sounds like OP is counting on inheritance money and doesn’t need the appreciation she would see from a SFH.
If townhouses are going for 1.3M in that area, OP definitely can't definitely afford a SFH anywhere close. They're likely priced at more than twice that amount.
We bought a 2800 sqft TH for 1.1M back in 2016 in a really sought-after school district. Now, it's valued at 1.7M.
We're really pleased with that appreciation. Our friends who bought SFHs in the same price range but in less desirable locations aren't seeing the same appreciation.
You’re comparing apples and oranges. Good school districts will always have better resale value than mediocre ones regardless of housing type.
You are making exactly the same point as the PP. School districts are always more important than housing type. That’s why they bought a TH in a top school district.
Anonymous
02/06/2026 10:45
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP this is a great house for $1.1M in N Arlington in Westover - fully renovated. I’d buy this if we didn’t just buy in another neighborhood over last year!
Westover is not in a good school district. You can buy townhomes at OP’s price points in much better school districts like Langley, Whitman, etc.
Cardinal / Swanson / Yorktown not being a good pyramid is a hot take
Anonymous
02/06/2026 08:24
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
We have a similar income, and our PITI is $3700 so at first, I thought $6500 was crazy. But then I remembered how much we’ve spent on takeout this year (thanks RTO), a spring break vacation, new hardwood upstairs, new washer and dryer. And I had to buy a new car when RTO happened. We are also saving for retirement and about to send a kid to college. So if you don’t eat out or vacation, and have a few years before kid goes to college, you are probably fine. New house helps but I would still make sure you have money put aside because there is still a good chance you will need it. A lot of new houses these days are garbage.
Anonymous
02/06/2026 08:17
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
I wouldn't. But I'm conservative and want to retire by 55. We have the same HHI and $3K PITI and it's so freeing. I don't have to worry what camps to choose for kids and have some $ for an extra vacation like a ski trip etc. And we sock a lot away so I can be done by 55 and we would only have one income then when kids are in college.
Anonymous
02/06/2026 08:07
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
If your jobs are stable, yes.
We had a similar income and thought 900k house was a stretch back then. It ended up being fine. We still had student loans and nanny costs.
We had a similar income and thought 900k house was a stretch back then. It ended up being fine. We still had student loans and nanny costs.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 19:38
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
Anonymous wrote:Sounds insane to me but go for it.
ok b 00mer, have you seen average rent for a 5br sfh
Anonymous
02/05/2026 18:27
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
Anonymous wrote:OP this is a great house for $1.1M in N Arlington in Westover - fully renovated. I’d buy this if we didn’t just buy in another neighborhood over last year!
Westover is not in a good school district. You can buy townhomes at OP’s price points in much better school districts like Langley, Whitman, etc.
Anonymous
02/05/2026 18:00
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
Anonymous
02/05/2026 18:00
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
OP this is a great house for $1.1M in N Arlington in Westover - fully renovated. I’d buy this if we didn’t just buy in another neighborhood over last year!
Anonymous
02/04/2026 15:39
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
Anonymous wrote:[img]Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I know we can but risk averse spouse is nervous so curious what others think.
HHI $325k split evenly
2 working parents, 1 child
House price $1.3M, down payment $450k, PITI ~$6500
No other debt
Plans for any more kids?
Emergency fund / additional savings or investments?
Retirement on track?
College savings handled?
Expecting any inheritance?
Basically I agree with your risk averse spouse that this is a big mortgage payment on your income and pretty anxiety-inducing, but I could imagine a world where I'm wrong and your personal cushion makes it fine.
No more kids. Ahead on retirement and college. Expecting a lot in inheritance, hopefully not for a while though. To the other PP above, house won’t require any maintenance for a while as it’s new.
DP. You’re probably fine then. Especially because presumably if there was a job loss or another financial issue you have a safety net in the same source from which you’ll eventually inherit a lot of money.
This is it. Our friends who overshare so we know all their #s purchased around the same HHI and price as OP. Hit large unexpected expenses and got a “loan” from the bank of parents to save their a$$
Anonymous
02/04/2026 15:38
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
I would do it!! DCUM is overly conservative.
Anonymous
02/04/2026 15:37
Subject: Another can we afford this post, HHI $325k
[img]
You’re comparing apples and oranges. Good school districts will always have better resale value than mediocre ones regardless of housing type.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:$325,000 after Fed, State, and Payroll Taxes is likely around $250,000 take home. Assuming you are contributing fully to 401(k) and Roth IRAs, that's $64,000 a year to savings, which is a good target at just about 20%. That leaves $186,000 for spending, or $15,500 a month.
I don't know what kind of loan you are looking at or the home insurance/HOA/Property Tax fees, but using your number of $6,500, you'd be putting 42% of your take-home pay to your PITI. Using a general metric that fixed costs should not be more than 60% of your take-home pay, that would leave only $2,800 for other fixed costs like car payments, gas, daycare, groceries, out of pocket medical, pets, insurance, home maintenance, and all utilities - electric, gas, phone, water, sewer. That's very tight, probably impossible. So your fixed costs would be high compared to your take home pay.
That would put stress on your ability to do other savings like college and brokerage accounts, plus limit vacation fund, entertainment, eating out, clothing, gifts, and other discretionary purchasing.
It just depends what kind of life you want to live. If you think you will love this house and it's worth putting a huge chunk of your earnings to it every month, I think you will manage. If your income grows, even better, and things will loosen up. But I do think it will feel tight. You'll probably have to save less than 20% to retirement and take smaller vacations.
Run some numbers yourself. See if that's the life you want.
The metric I have heard is that PITI should not be more than 25% of net.
I would not do this deal in a million years but I also have no desire to live in a TH and be house poor.
Granted sounds like OP is counting on inheritance money and doesn’t need the appreciation she would see from a SFH.
If townhouses are going for 1.3M in that area, OP definitely can't definitely afford a SFH anywhere close. They're likely priced at more than twice that amount.
We bought a 2800 sqft TH for 1.1M back in 2016 in a really sought-after school district. Now, it's valued at 1.7M.
We're really pleased with that appreciation. Our friends who bought SFHs in the same price range but in less desirable locations aren't seeing the same appreciation.
You’re comparing apples and oranges. Good school districts will always have better resale value than mediocre ones regardless of housing type.