How many of you are still living in your "starter" home?

meghans30 · September 2011

Raises hand! I bought this 1200 sq ft ranch before I met my DH and way before kids. It's small, but comfortable, has a huge land, and is close to everything. We always talk about moving, but don't see it happening any time soon.

I never pictured living in this house for more than 5 years, but here we are and I like my small mortgage payment, reasonable utility bills; principle, taxes, and insurance all for under $1000.

Maybe some day.....

crazynervous · September 2011

No we up graded a bit when we moved a few years ago but this isn't the house we want to live in forever either. I am guessing we will build our dream home eventually.

firefightersgal · September 2011

We live in our first non-rental house and will probably always live here. I'm cool with it. I moved a LOT until this point in my life, so I'm happy to stay put.

meghans30 · September 2011

firefightersgal:
We live in our first non-rental house and will probably always live here. I'm cool with it. I moved a LOT until this point in my life, so I'm happy to stay put.

That's part of it too. I just don't feel like moving. We could def. use more room. but the market stinks. The thought of looking and packing packing up the kids and animals while people look at our home, and then finally packing just sounds exhausting. Some day

amiamish · September 2011

We are still in ours. We want to move ASAP, so we're slowly working on it. Our current house works ok for us, but not ideal. I'd like the boys to have their own rooms, but I don't want one kid down in the basement alone yet. Also, it's a split foyer- which I'm HATING. I have a small entry way with immediate stairs, I hate that. We want a house with some acreage and out in the country a bit.

Emiliana7 · September 2011

We are too! We didn't plan on being in this house for maybe 3-5 years, but then, of course, the economy tanked. We couldn't sell our house for what we owe so we have to stay here for a while longer. We bought at $148,500 and maybe could get $110,000 for it!

We want more kids and I feel that each kid should get their own room or at least have an oversized room to share- not a 'regular' sized one.

I do 'browse' houses on the MLS and do wishful thinking.

Someday I'd like to build a dream house that has everything I could ever want in a house. Just simple things really, but rooms and doors where I want them and plenty of storage.

summerbrideDC · September 2011

Someone else is living in our starter home (we rent it out) and we're renting here in CA for now. I had hoped we'd be in our "forever" home by now, but I guess its not meant to be at this point. I certainly hope that the next time we move, its to the house we live in for the next 20-30 years.

I think the idea of "starter home --->forever home" is sort of lost on our generation. My parents had a starter home & then a house they lived in for 30 years. I only know one family in my generation who has done that thus far. Most of us have moved more than our parents did.

shopgirl78 · September 2011

We are too. Our goal has been to move before DD gets in middle school as we don't want her to go to the one in this district. By then our biggest expense (daycare) should be minimal compared to now.

HotDish! · September 2011

We still rent....boo. A starter home where we live is around $400,000 and DH started his own business 2 years ago so the bank requires 40% down. We're hoping to buy next year though.

L D · September 2011

<-----Has not made it to a starter home yet. Im not sure we will ever have a "starter home". Once dh graduates and finds a job we will rent to see if we like the area, scope out the better neighborhoods, schools etc and then look into buying. I would like to be one and done when it comes to buying a house. Right now my dream home would be a 5-6bdrm (so all 3 kids could have their own room, then a guest room and heck a nursery for baby #4. Hey, I am dreaming anyways) 2.5 maybe 3 bath house with a playroom, office, garage, tons of closets and wonderful open floor plan for the family room/kitchen. Separate dr and a finished basement for dh to have a man cave. lol

Probably will never happen but Im going to keep on dreaming.

littlemermaid · September 2011

We are in our first home we bought together after we got married. We will not move, this is our forever home. When we were shopping for houses we looked for a home that we could raise future children in. So now we are a family of 4 and we haven't outgrown it and have no plans on ever moving.

r9stedt · September 2011

The exH and I bought our started (and what we thought would be forever) home...

That worked out well...

So, the peen and I are buying. I'm not sure what it will be for us. Forever? Starter?

Susie2005 · September 2011

Our "starter" home has been on the market for close to six months with no takers. So, we'd like to move to our "forever" home, but the market sucks. Truly though, we are luckier than most, so as much as I would like a slightly larger home with a different layout, I am greatful for what we have.

meghans30 · September 2011

Susie2005:
Our "starter" home has been on the market for close to six months with no takers. So, we'd like to move to our "forever" home, but the market sucks. Truly though, we are luckier than most, so as much as I would like a slightly larger home with a different layout, I am greatful for what we have.

Very true. I do remind myself that we have been very lucky.

veloelle · September 2011

If you have a lot of land, can you expand instead of move? This is our forever home w/ room to expand if needed. We'll move if we have to for a job.

edit: I grew up in an 1100 sq ft house w/ one sister until I was 18, we never had space issues. I think needing a giant house is a curse of our generation.

PinkPiano · September 2011

We're still in our "starter." We planned 3-5 years and it's been 7. We'll probably be here 3 more because I'm in school and it makes more sense to wait until I'm done than to buy beforehand.

I love the location of our house because we can walk downtown, to the library, school, two parks, farmer's market...but we have a few neighbors that really bring the neighborhood down. We're fortunate that the ecomony hasn't had any impact on the value at least.

meghans30 · September 2011

veloelle:
If you have a lot of land, can you expand instead of move? This is our forever home w/ room to expand if needed. We'll move if we have to for a job.
edit: I grew up in an 1100 sq ft house w/ one sister until I was 18, we never had space issues. I think needing a giant house is a curse of our generation.

Another great point. It's the one bathroom situation that is a problem once and a while and the middle school situation is not the best. Already have him on a waiting list for a charter school. We shall see.

Angela814 · September 2011

We bought our first house together and bought something we knew would fit a family. We were lucky that it was a foreclosure so we got a great deal. It's 3 bed/2.5 bath and 2100 sq ft. I do sometimes wish we had nicer features. The house was built in '92 so the bathrooms, kitchen, and woodwork are very 90s in style. Realistically, we won't be able to afford anything nicer for a long time, and I'm not even sure we need anything nicer.

Carol*Brady2 · September 2011

Nope, we moved out of our starter home in 2006. I would have lived there forever but I hated the city it was in--I was sad to leave it, I loved that house. Now we are in house #3 (2nd in same city). I'm staying here "forever" & we rent out house #2.

penguingrrl · September 2011

We're in a 900 square foot city apartment that we rent, so not even a "starter" home yet. We'll likely not buy any property until it's our "forever" home, although the size we're planning for a forever home is likely what most people consider "starter." We both grew up in families of 5 in 1200 square foot cape cod houses and we don't plan to go much larger than that.

lollitots · September 2011

We are in our starter home, but it may become our forever home. Sigh. The market tanked and we are like $100K backward, so we are stuck. Love the area, just want an extra bedroom so the kids don't have to share and more closets. Lots more closets. Some day....