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Congrats to those who are patient

The Times did a great story this weekend regarding people who saved in order to buy their first homes.

save verb, saved, sav·ing, noun / verb (used with object)

1. to rescue from danger or possible harm, injury, or loss: to save someone from drowning.
2. to keep safe, intact, or unhurt; safeguard; preserve: God save the king.
3. to keep from being lost: to save the game.
4. to avoid the spending, consumption, or waste of: to save fuel.
5. to keep, as for reuse: to save leftovers for tomorrow’s dinner.
6. to set aside, reserve, or lay by: to save money.

Instead of being fortunate enough to have trust funds or getting married and depending on dowries, these people put aside a little money every week, until they had enough to put down on the purchase of their first home.

I know, scandalous, huh?

Truthfully, I’m sure a lot of people still do this.

I admire them.

In my case, I needed to wait until I received my inheritance** before I could buy. I just wasn’t good about saving, and, really, buying wasn’t a big goal of my life (this was before I got into real estate).

If you need a bit of a pat on the back because you’ve been saving for years in order to buy, or want to see how others were able to do it, even in these times of extraordinary housing costs, read on.

More: Every Penny Counts - By Christine Haughney, The New York Times

( ** Although it was a significant amount of money, using the word “inheritance” implies a multi-million dollar gift. It was in the five figures, actually. Now you know everything about me.)

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7 Responses to “Congrats to those who are patient” »»

  1. Comment by Mike | 07/31/07 at 12:52 pm

    Five figures is all you really need. I bet 1/4 of

    all first time homebuyers these days (whose parents are baby-boomers) get 5-figure gifts to use as

    a down payment.

  2. Comment by Staten Island Real Estate - Chris Burdzy | 08/01/07 at 11:52 am

    If more people were having a significant downpayment, when

    buying a property, we probably would not be facing the mortgage meltdown we’re in these days.

  3. Jim
    Comment by Jim | 08/01/07 at 5:40 pm

    We

    had 5% down but the interest rates were marginally different (about .25%) for 100% financing or

    95%. With excellent credit, it made little difference. We decided to use the 5% to pay off both

    cars, fix windows and other small repairs around the house and fund an emergency fund.

  4. Jim
    Comment by Jim | 08/01/07 at 5:44 pm

    the 5% down-payment was saved using an ING savings

    account over 15 months.

  5. Comment by Sach | 08/01/07 at 7:55 pm

    HSBC and Emigrant offer 5.05%. ING’s is only 4.50%.

  6. Jim
    Comment by Jim | 08/02/07 at 9:04 am

    Sach
    Comment by Sach
    | 08/01/07 at 7:55 pm
    HSBC and Emigrant offer 5.05%. ING’s is only

    4.50%

    at the time ING was more interesting than both.

  7. Comment by Denise Catalano | 08/02/07 at 5:21 pm

    I think using an inheritance for a down payment is

    in the same category as saving up money over time. In both cases you are not overextending yourself

    and are waiting until you can afford to buy with a fiscally responsible down payment.

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