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Looking at houses now versus when I bought my first place in 2008
I keep seeing folks my son's age get so hung up on finding a perfect, move-in ready home. It's like they expect a brand new build with zero work needed. I bought a little 900 square foot fixer in Akron back then for $82,000, and it needed a new roof and had pink tile in the bathroom. The point was to get in the door and build some equity. I think people forget that a house is something you can improve over time, not a finished product you just buy. They get scared off by a dated kitchen or an old furnace, but those are things you can plan for and fix. It worries me that this mindset might keep good people renting for years longer than they need to. Did anyone else start with a house that needed real work?
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the_lily6mo ago
But what if you can't afford the fixes?
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susan3506mo ago
My buddy bought a place in 2012 that had shag carpet and a kitchen straight out of the 70s. He lived with it for five years, saving up bit by bit, and just finished a full reno last fall. Tbh it took real patience, but now he's got a ton of equity and a home he truly loves. Ngl, watching him go through that really changed how I see what a "starter home" can be.
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