Honestly, I never knew housing counselors existed until recently. They seriously helped me figure out budgeting for my first home purchase. Um, anyone got other handy tips or hacks they learned along the way?
Haha, housing counselors are like the hidden gems of adulthood—I only discovered them after fumbling through my first home purchase solo. Ever tried the "pretend mortgage" trick? Basically, months before buying, I set aside the difference between my current rent and estimated mortgage payments into savings. It showed me exactly what I could comfortably afford... and gave me a nice little emergency fund to boot. Anyone else accidentally stumble into financial hacks like this?
"Basically, months before buying, I set aside the difference between my current rent and estimated mortgage payments into savings."
That's actually pretty clever—I usually tell clients to do something similar, but you'd be surprised how many people underestimate those extra homeowner costs like repairs or property taxes. Did you factor those in too? Curious if anyone else found themselves blindsided by unexpected expenses after moving in... I know I did when my "move-in ready" place suddenly needed a new water heater two months later.
