Single homeowners............

Old Dec 13, 2011 | 11:33 PM
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Default Single homeowners............

Just wondering how many people on this board are currently paying their mortgage and maintaining their home by themselves without a spouse? Do you find it difficult being single and maintaining a home?
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Old Dec 13, 2011 | 11:47 PM
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I am not a single homeowner but make sure your debt to credit ratio is not high. My woman and I split everything 50/50 and been a homeowner for a complete 2 years now. If u are expecting to pay schl loans within 6 mths u shld expect to bal the future mthly pymt in ur expenses now and make sure u put mortgage pymt, home insurance along with ur property taxes all in one pymt. So much easier and less of a headache end of year.

Owning is def worth it!!!
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 12:15 AM
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Dont mattter if your married or not... Get what u can afford.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 06:05 AM
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Im married but my wife is a stay at home mom. Its all about budgeting.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 06:16 AM
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Originally Posted by derrickman05
Im married but my wife is a stay at home mom. Its all about budgeting.
Yea, same here. It would be way cheaper if I was single.

Whatever you do, don't think you mortgage payment is all it will cost to own a home. Better tack on a few hundred on top at minimum. My payment with taxes and insurance was right at $1270, but at the end of the month, I am paying out around $2000 after all the little ****.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 07:24 AM
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Me and the ex bought our house together, when we got divorced, I bought her 1/2 out and owned it for about 9 more years before I got remarried and sold it. My wife basically did the same thing.

Single and maintaning a home is easy when you don't have to clean up or fix anything that some one else messed up or broke.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 07:56 AM
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Same here- married, 2kids but wife stays at home. It can be done and deals are out there- just be realistic about your budget.

Also- look at insurance, HOA, etc. Try not to get emotional about it and look at it as a business decision... But that is hard to do. At least it was for me
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 07:58 AM
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Make sure you're saving enough to cover house repairs (broken AC, new roof, etc) also.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 08:36 AM
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You also need to realize that what your payment is for your first year is not what it will be the next year. Don't buy something were the monthly payment is at the top of you budget range. Taxes will go up and things to that nature so every year you are going to have a slightly higher monthly note.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 08:41 AM
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the bills i can handle ok, i did my homework on that before i bought it... its the maintenance that gets me. i got a 30 year old house, so there is always something to fix or upgrade. and just simple things like keeping up on cleaning and yard work really wears on me.

of course, i do almost everything myself to save money. i got an older house cuz you get more for your money and i like having mature trees and whatnot... but of course this means increased maintenance. if you're not good at stuff like that, i'd suggest one of those newer houses.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 09:13 AM
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Originally Posted by sleepersilverado
You also need to realize that what your payment is for your first year is not what it will be the next year. Don't buy something were the monthly payment is at the top of you budget range. Taxes will go up and things to that nature so every year you are going to have a slightly higher monthly note.
Man, as a first time home owner I am currently learning this the hard way. Sometimes the fluctuations in taxes can be high, especially if you go negative in your Escrow account...

Man i cant wait to finish college
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 11:15 AM
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Originally Posted by slayer_taunu
the bills i can handle ok, i did my homework on that before i bought it... its the maintenance that gets me. i got a 30 year old house, so there is always something to fix or upgrade. and just simple things like keeping up on cleaning and yard work really wears on me.

of course, i do almost everything myself to save money. i got an older house cuz you get more for your money and i like having mature trees and whatnot... but of course this means increased maintenance. if you're not good at stuff like that, i'd suggest one of those newer houses.
you think a 30 y.o house is bad....

My wife and i just bought our first home. Built in 1880! lol it is in need of some updating but the bones are soild as a rock (funny, the foundation IS made of rock..lol)

i could go wither way with the question is it easier with a spouse of by your self..
It is nice to have two incomes to help pay for everything that a house needs, but with that you have two people, with different wants trying to compete with which one gets to do what they want to the house..I finally gave in and told her that she can have the inside, but i get my garage..lol..it will all work out..
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 11:30 AM
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I am looking to buy my first house with in the next year and half, I plan to put a 20% down payment, way I budget, taxes, hoa, insurance, mortgage are coming out to what I would pay for a nice 1 bed room apartment with garage inside the 610 loop. That's on a 175Kish nice "starter" home in a place like Cinco Ranch in Katy. Given what I make, I could afford a home twice that price, but I would be house poor and really wouldn't need that much house.

Optiplex,

Your house haunted?
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 01:38 PM
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Originally Posted by BizZzatch350
I am looking to buy my first house with in the next year and half, I plan to put a 20% down payment, way I budget, taxes, hoa, insurance, mortgage are coming out to what I would pay for a nice 1 bed room apartment with garage inside the 610 loop. That's on a 175Kish nice "starter" home in a place like Cinco Ranch in Katy. Given what I make, I could afford a home twice that price, but I would be house poor and really wouldn't need that much house.

Optiplex,

Your house haunted?
BALLER ALERT!!
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 01:56 PM
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Originally Posted by BizZzatch350
I am looking to buy my first house with in the next year and half, I plan to put a 20% down payment, way I budget, taxes, hoa, insurance, mortgage are coming out to what I would pay for a nice 1 bed room apartment with garage inside the 610 loop. That's on a 175Kish nice "starter" home in a place like Cinco Ranch in Katy. Given what I make, I could afford a home twice that price, but I would be house poor and really wouldn't need that much house.

Optiplex,

Your house haunted?
lol...we've only been there for 3 1/2 months...to soon to tell..lol...but there have been some unexplained noises at night..

the house we cam from had something going on. It was a rental, the previous owner died of a heartattack, and we all (my wife and three kids) swear that he was still there...you would see shadows down the hall, he would open doors, the scariest thing is he "liked" my youngest son. There were plenty of times he would come into our bed room sayin he saw someone standing at the foot of his bed just watching him....it was a little freaky, never harmed, just startled....
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 05:12 PM
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I agree with opti- let her make all of the decisions inside (but I picked hardwood and granite cause it was a surprise).

But the garage is all me- just finished building an extension so the garage is officially a few feet wider than my house...that did not go over too well.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 09:22 PM
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Having bought a house with an ex-fiance who was no susie home maker, now that she is gone, the note at 1200$ is no problem, but a 2300 sq ft house for a single person is just way more than needed.
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Old Dec 14, 2011 | 09:39 PM
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I am a single homeowner.. have been womanless for a bit over 3 years ago.
It was nice to throw extra money at the principal when I had one here but the BS at the time outweighed the benefit so I got rid of her.

It does help to have a good job and once you get one make sure to take care of your business!
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Old Dec 15, 2011 | 12:18 PM
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I'm a single home owner. I pay all my bills plus truck payment and 1000 a month child support. I don't depend on overtime. But when I get some I try and save for vacations or car stuff.
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Old Dec 15, 2011 | 02:02 PM
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Also here as a single homeowner without a spouse. For me things are tight but certainly not living outside of what I can/could afford at the time I bought this place. I am about to pay off my truck next year which will be quite nice. As others have said it's all about how you budget your money. My house was a fixer upper and was a HUD house so we got a pretty good deal on it.
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