Buying & Selling Real Estate
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies

Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal



Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback
Updated about 8 years ago on . Most recent reply

First time buyer, 50k in hand...what to do?
Hello! This is my first post. Impressive site and community. Hoping someone can help me, the newbie. I mean, really new lol
So i have been working on my credit score, now over 680. I actually have saved $65k total (vs 50k) and am facing a buying decision. I would love to get experienced feedback as to what I should do.
Firstly I value my time more than anything else, incuding money. I do want to be financially free, and using rental properties seems like a good plan. I also want to have low stress, with not a ton of debt (i come from the dave ramsey school, so my credit was nill just three years ago). I am self employed, have produced video freelance for over 15 yrs, and have been pre approved for a 150k loan...but my issue is this: i live in a nice SFH, been renting far too long, and my landlord is considering selling it to me for around $140k. 3705 Ives Way Norman, OK 73072 is the address. There is another property on the other side of town, a townhouse for $55k total - address is 219 Justin DR Norman OK 73071. So, the delimma is what is the wisest choice to make...buy this $140k house and make payments on a 15yr mortgage, or have the townhouse paid off within a couple years and start saving for a SFH to move into while either selling the townhouse or getting into being a LL and renting it out. the townhouse seems like the best decision, but it is small and cramped compared to my current place. I am a very good saver and dont consume much, so either way I can save money.
Feel free to ask me anymore questions about my unique situation and I will reply asap.
Most Popular Reply
Hey Dallas, I don't know if you remember me, but we went to high school together. I'm still here in Norman, supporting myself as a real estate investor with single family homes.
It looks to me like you're considering two ends of the personal housing spectrum here: a nice house at the top of your price range, and a cheaper, smaller property that would leave you more money to invest with. There are pluses and minuses to both options and it really comes down to what you want/value.
I'd encourage you to remember that it's not really a choice between the specific house you're currently renting and the specific townhouse you're looking at for sale. There are a ton of nice properties in Norman under 150k. You could certainly find a place with the space you want at a price that would let you pay it off quickly and/or get into investment properties quickly.
I'd be happy to meet up in person if you want some more specific advice about your situation or the Norman housing/real estate investment market in general. Hit me up via PM here at BP or at the email address in my profile if you want to get together or just want to ask any questions. I have a lot of free time since I quit my day job. :)