I was always told that life had certain achievable outcomes. Higher education pays the bills and if you save, you’ll at least be able to buy. Now, I’ve discovered and I feel like most do. Life really only has two outcomes: death and taxes. The age old saying.
I sit looking out of my office window. Large corporate buildings surround me. I help people get prepared for homeownership. These are people with money, with time, and with dreams. Yet, they still need help to get over the finish line. All I can do is give them recommendations and a certificate. The certificate gives them down payment assistance or an FHA loan. The houses in their little town are still out of reach.
Can we consider home ownership a dream when you can never fulfill it entirely? I ask my clients, what are your wants vs. needs? I want land, average residential land: $251,500. I want 3 bedrooms: $483,173. I want a tiny home: $78,400 for 290 sq ft. I want a townhome: $540,700. Average wage: $70,960.
These are the average numbers in my state. If you saved your entire yearly gross income you could buy 290 sq ft. I teach people how to save, I teach how to be good consumers, I teach them to give them a helping hand. I can teach until I’m blue in the face. The issue shouldn’t be on the consumers shoulders to fix.
I dream of someday owning myself. I sit in my office looking at all the buildings, all the infrastructure around me. Knowing I can’t afford any of it unless I had assistance. Even then it wouldn’t be the white picket fence, the large yard or the 3 bedroom. It would be whatever I could afford. My needs become wants, and wants become dreams. I save, I plan, I dream…
Housed and Fed 