Is home ownership the epitome of the American Dream for you?

Not at all. I asked a question about this last year, or maybe even 2008. I really have little interest in owning a home. To me, it’s just more stuff that I can’t take with me when I die. Plus, it seems like a big hassle with the mortgage, insurance, repairs and all. And real estate is not the great investment that it used to be.

I don’t believe in the American dream. My dreams have little to do with mainstream, American values.

No,owning an art studio on the beach in North Carolina is my version…hmmm…maybe I’ll live there ;)

My husband and I agonized over this very topic just a few short months ago. We bought our fixer upper 16 years ago. It’s the longest I have ever lived in one place, and it is the only home our children have known. We got it for next to nothing, and the value of the home has tripled since 1994.

We came very close to losing our house this past fall, so we decided to file for chapter 13. Our mortgage is less expensive than any rental that we could find, so it was the smartest thing for us to do. Yes, it would be nice to not pay property taxes or have to fix major problems, but we can do whatever we want to the place. We also don’t have to worry about being told that we’ll need to move out in a month because the owner wants to sell the place. (<—-this happened to us when we rented our first home)

It certainly seems to be a goal in life that I would like to accomplish. That may change at some point, though.

@jonsblond California has laws to protect renters from that situation.

@tinyfaery ice cream trucks and laws. lucky!

At this point in my life, it isn’t that big of a dream to me anymore. I have lost my job and now will probably have to sell my house. It just really seems like a big hassle to own one right now.

no. i think i’d like to own a house at some point but i dont want to live in the same spot for long enough so i dont know how that would work out. hopefully at some point i’ll have saved enough money to own a house i can sell in the future but not have to be there all the time. hmmm. i dont know what my american dream is..

Our house payment on a four bedroom with attached garage is less than a two bedroom rental, and apartments only have carports in a huge parking lot. The rental on a comparable house would be 50% more than we now pay. I don’t think I would trade that for the hassles, plus nobody is going to send me notice of default on my lease because my dog digs holes in the yard, or limit the number of cats I can have (other than the municipal limit of 7).

I won’t get kicked out because the landlord wants to rent to his sister and her family, and due to my insurance coverage, when I die, my heirs will own a house free and clear. If I don’t want to wash my windows, I don’t have to be afraid of an owner sending me a letter to clean up or else. If I don’t like my rugs, I’ll get new ones, and I can put whatever I want on my walls.

I don’t have to have a heart attack when someone moving furniture accidentally gouges the walls. My curtains can be open or closed, it’s up to me, and not ‘written into the lease’. If my lawn goes without being cut too long, nobody is going to threaten to evict me.

@YARNLADY it sounds like you are sitting in butter where you live. Congratulations to you. I certainly wish I had it so good.

It’s part of it. The home needs a family to go with it.

For me, it’s having a home you can WELL AFFORD with a nice car or two you can afford filled with happy , healthy people. Not just HOUSE.

No. Living debt free and being able to healthily support and care for myself is. I think of these things as my American Dream:

Affording health insurance

Affording a reliable car

Affording a clean kept home

Being able to pay for a vacation once a year

Being able to live without credit cards