# Can I afford to buy a house? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 18, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-afford-to-buy-a-house/777474 "2017-01-18T15:38:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-afford-to-buy-a-house/777474/41 "2017-01-21T19:52:25Z")
**Malden** Lots of points for you to consider were raised in this thread. I’m pretty sure you will give them at least cursory thought. I concur with **Morgenstern** , purchase the home if you can. Just be ready (heh) for the things you didn’t think would happen. Probably be a rough patch here and there, related in one way or another to the purchase of the home, often there is. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-afford-to-buy-a-house/777474/42 "2017-01-21T23:38:10Z")
not meaning to bump, but realized I didn’t say a few hours ago something important. If you think you can swing it, it seems like you are in pretty good position to try it, and it’s never going to be a better time than it is now. ---
**Author:** ![4kad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/7cd45c/32.png) [@4kad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4kad)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-afford-to-buy-a-house/777474/43 "2017-01-22T00:42:38Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > In the US homes are one of the best investment one can make. Sooner or later it will be paid for and you’ll be way ahead of the game. I’d recommend doing so regardless of how scary the move seems, that is, as long as you can afford the payment and you’re secure in your employment. You have to live somewhere. That’s the thing though in order to buy a house you must have a stable job and lots of people don’t have that. It can’t just be a job it has to be a stable job. That’s why I have my fingers crossed for my brother who just bought a house and started a new job 2 months ago:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-afford-to-buy-a-house/777474/44 "2017-01-31T09:29:56Z")
Update! We lost the bid on the particular house in question, sadly. But looking around, we found another house which is cheaper, and slightly run down (potential damp, potential leak in the roof, hopefully from loose felting than anything more serious), which we have won the bid on. I’ve made a decision to take a career break later in the year and be a full-time carer for my daughter while the wife brings home most of the bacon, and I’ll find a part-time weekend job in the town. Even if it’s rake-mucking or stacking shelves in Asda, I don’t care. My aim is to make enough per month so that my responsibility is to pay for all our food and groceries, and my wife can pocket her savings (about £350-400 a month) for rainy days. It’s not got as much potential for structural expansion and the garden is small, but it will do us for a few years until we’re ready to move again. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-afford-to-buy-a-house/777474/45 "2017-01-31T23:33:54Z")
Congrats! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-afford-to-buy-a-house/777474.md?page=2)