- Joined
- Feb 17, 2002
- Messages
- 14,663
- Reaction score
- 105
My roommate joined the National Guard, and I hate my place, so I am moving out. The question now is to rent or to buy. Doing some computations, the only places I'd like to buy around here are around the $250K+ range. Ideally, it would be a 2bdr condo where I could rent one of the rooms to recoup some of the mortgage. I think I could afford the payment (still haven't gotten prequalified for a loan, I am going to do that this week regardless).
Here's the thing: after condo dues (~$150-200+ depending), interest on the loan (half or more of the monthly payment) and taxes and homeowner's insurance (another... $100 or something a month) I have a feeling I'm throwing away enough per month that I could instead throw it away by renting a place and not really be losing out - especially if I budget out the money "saved" by this (not spent on mortgage) and put it into some investment to make a huge down payment on a place later, or for whatever purpose.
Another thing to consider, though, is the way the market, especially certain markets around here are going to boom in the next ~5 years. We have a light rail project that is going to connect one area of North Seattle (Ballard) through the city and down to the airport area, and with oil prices increasing, yada yada, the prices are gonig to shoot up as people move closer to the urban centers.
Where is the break even point here? Is there anything I'm not considering?
BTW, I am seriously considering busting out of this place (Seattle) entirely and taking a long break in some other city or a third- or second-world country to just mess around and do whatever while I am still not tied down to anything. I do somewhat value the freedom to leave, but that's not too much of a consideration as I could arrange to rent my place and e.g. sell my car or whatever to help make the payments on it. In short, I am pretty sure I could keep paying no problem if I decided to bail for a while.
Here's the thing: after condo dues (~$150-200+ depending), interest on the loan (half or more of the monthly payment) and taxes and homeowner's insurance (another... $100 or something a month) I have a feeling I'm throwing away enough per month that I could instead throw it away by renting a place and not really be losing out - especially if I budget out the money "saved" by this (not spent on mortgage) and put it into some investment to make a huge down payment on a place later, or for whatever purpose.
Another thing to consider, though, is the way the market, especially certain markets around here are going to boom in the next ~5 years. We have a light rail project that is going to connect one area of North Seattle (Ballard) through the city and down to the airport area, and with oil prices increasing, yada yada, the prices are gonig to shoot up as people move closer to the urban centers.
Where is the break even point here? Is there anything I'm not considering?
BTW, I am seriously considering busting out of this place (Seattle) entirely and taking a long break in some other city or a third- or second-world country to just mess around and do whatever while I am still not tied down to anything. I do somewhat value the freedom to leave, but that's not too much of a consideration as I could arrange to rent my place and e.g. sell my car or whatever to help make the payments on it. In short, I am pretty sure I could keep paying no problem if I decided to bail for a while.