How old were you when you bought your first house?

[Cranky]

For me, 23 and a few months out of the military....assume a VA loan for 2500. The house was 19500 in 73 (141600 today's money). Pretty decent place to live until it flooded in 79 and did so 2 more times. Sold it in 84 for around 45k.

 

[MarPar]

25. Owned it out right 16 years later.

 

[Runcharger]

I was 26. My son made me proud though, finished his apprenticeship at 22 and bought his house at 21. He's building a Hellcat powered 68 Charger too, so I did something right I think.

 

[Cranky]

25. Owned it out right 16 years later.

Did my new place in 14.....

 

[MarPar]

Did my new place in 14.....

 

[#41]

25.

All 790 square feet of it.

It was a real gem having been a long term rental, the block's party house, and with a former grow operation in the garage.
When I pulled the carpet out there was so much dirt you could barely see the carpet pad..... just sand and dirt.
Broken windows, every door kicked open at one point, ... the list goes on and on.... It was about the cheapest house in town.

 

[cr8crshr]

Late to the party. Bought in 2015 at age 65, for 234900, and now estimated worth of 445000. Reno, Nevada. VA loan at 2.3% and no equity has been pulled from it. Cheaper than paying rent, which I did for a very long time due to my service and relocations from it. It's OK for what it is, but at times I do long for not having to responsibility to maintain and fix things as opposed to having a landlord and property management concern to do that which is needed. Still, though, I am very satisfied with the long-delayed decision...cr8crshr/Bill

 

[kiwigtx]

Too old. Late starter at 50. Real estate market boomed six months after purchase changing our equity massively.

 

[jimbosride]

23 years old .....1983 35K Tacoma Wa. Had my Road Runner in the Garage. Could not sell it in 1988. Let someone assume the loan. Very high crime rate area.

Still have the RR

 

[prodart440]

I was 20. Just had a kid and hated the apartments we were in. 1300 sq ft on a postage stamp lot.

 

[DeltaV]

27 years old and mortgage interest rates were horrible.

 

[Budnicks]

About a month after I turned 18, Aug. 1977 Antioch Ca. for $33k, over $5k down
1,300 sqft 2 bdr (sort of 3, had a small office space) 2 bath, attached 2 car garage
14% interest (thanks to Jimmy Peanut farmer Carter), they were financing everyone
like a $500+ payment/pmi's & property taxes ($333 a year), on a 15 year loan
paid it off a couple years early too...
I saved up for 3 years, working at a Paul Petterson Shell in HS
(started at $1.65 an hr/+ tips, I made more in tips, $10-$20 a day, all got banked away)
Worked week ends mostly for my Dad, Add on Home Improvements, Construction...
Doing mostly just redwood decks & awnings, on mobile homes, he turned me lose...

After HS, moved back to the Bay Area, where most my family was...
Went to work later for my BIL Taco/Frank (RIP) GC Engineer for PG&E
on a $7.05 an hr job/base pay was $6.15, w/$0.90 cents an hr bump
(I thought I was rich) & lots of overtime, for knowing how to drive backhoe,
loader, tampers, weld or other misc. equipment (raised on a ranch kid)
Misc. Equipment Operator, class B for PG&E
2 years on
Walnut Creek GC Dept., Downtown Beautification Project, Locust & Main St.

But it was about a month before I could move in, no landscaping, no fences etc.
brand new place, I had a Gas station job still too, quit it after a while...
Later worked in the Antioch & Pittsburg Power plants, like $10-$12 an hr, Union IBEW
until 2+ years later...
I went to college in Univ. of Oregon, Engineering...
I rented it out for more than my payment...
Until I came back, sold it 1983-84-ish (after 5-6 years, no capitol gains), made a decent profit
& used that, bought another house in Concord Ca. I was like 24-25ish then
kept getting bigger ones, using profits to upgrade...

 

[69Bee]

I was 23 years old. Moved back to the USA (military) in '88 and purchased a house built in '77 for $42k, all 1050 sq/ft of it on a 1/2-acre lot.

 

[70 sublime]

1986 I was 22 at the time I started building the house I still live in here on the farm
Went to the bank and borrowed $40k and ended up going back to get $10k more so $50k all together
2500 sq ft home

 

[PlymCrazy]

Bought my first one in May 1998, I was 24 years old.

Before I even made my first mortgage payment I lost a good paying job, working for GM - on that same day we found out mama was pregnant with our second child.
Mama picked me up from work on her way home from that doctor's appointment.
The trip home I broke the news to her that I lost my job.
That was a tough ride home I tell ya.

I worked (3) jobs to make ends meet for the next (2) years.
Man, did we learn how to budget during that time.

It was at that point I landed an apprenticeship in the building trades.
By the time I hit 32 years old, I paid that first house off.
And mama got to stay home while we raised our (3) kids.
We used that first house a year later as a down payment for the house we live in now.

I plan on having this house we live in now paid off as well, within the next few years.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I was a late bloomer @ age 28.

2 bedroom ranch with a one car garage underneath (in Mass), a stone's throw away from the RI border. We lived there for 7 years.

 

[BSB67]

28. 1986. 1500 sq.ft brick ranch, full basement, good neighborhood, and wooded lot on a cul da sac. $90K.

When we moved in 2000, I told my wife that when we're in our sixties and the kids are gone, we'll be looking for a house just like this one. And we kinda did.

 

[Kern Dog]

I had a goal of owning before I was 30. I had to get divorced to be able to afford to buy.
The ex wasted money. She spent $5 for every $3 that she earned. Within 2 years after we split, I was able to buy.
I was happy to find the place...1150 sq ft 3 bedroom with a 2 car garage and a built in POOL! Heck yeah....room to work on cars and a pool for parties and the C H I C K S !

 

[Runcharger]

Common theme here. Had to sacrifice and first house was modest. What I see these days is young people moaning they can't afford a home and those that do deserve a palace. That's where I live anyway. I worked lots of weekends, lots of nights, lots of out of town and lots of overtime. There is no easy way unless you let mommy buy it for you I reckon. I had to buy a house as I needed a garage to work on the Mopars.

 

[WileE]

25. First time I ever lived in a home.