I saved for years before I bought my second house (was living in my ‘starter home’ for wayyy longer than expected) and I didn’t think I’d be able to afford a much better house than I already had - prices were exploding, houses didn’t stay on the market for more than a few days at the most, and I just couldn’t see paying so much more than I could reasonably afford for a house that wasn’t much better than I already owned.
Then 2008 happened, and suddenly I was the only buyer and I watched homes prices plumment in their listings. I bought a house that I’d seen listed at $360,000 just six months prior for $219,000 and scooped it up.
It’s one of the few times in my life I actually was able to take advantage of ‘the dip’, but it took 10 years of saving while living in a house that was way too small for my family.
I saved for years before I bought my second house (was living in my ‘starter home’ for wayyy longer than expected) and I didn’t think I’d be able to afford a much better house than I already had - prices were exploding, houses didn’t stay on the market for more than a few days at the most, and I just couldn’t see paying so much more than I could reasonably afford for a house that wasn’t much better than I already owned.
Then 2008 happened, and suddenly I was the only buyer and I watched homes prices plumment in their listings. I bought a house that I’d seen listed at $360,000 just six months prior for $219,000 and scooped it up.
It’s one of the few times in my life I actually was able to take advantage of ‘the dip’, but it took 10 years of saving while living in a house that was way too small for my family.