Advice for single women home owners.
Calista writes:
I’m happy I did it. It has had its ups and downs, but there’s a lot of satisfaction in making such a big decision alone and taking full responsibility for it.
The only time I really think twice is when there is a lot of snow to shovel 🙂
I’ve been lucky and haven’t had too many things to repair. I call my dad and ask him a lot of questions.
He renovates houses for a living, so he’s a great asset. It’s difficult working with vendors and repair people. It’s similar to auto repairs; it’s easy as a woman to think that you’re not getting as good of a deal or that you’re not being treated the same as a man in a similar situation. It’s all new too, so you don’t know what things should cost.
I think one of the biggest challenges is just keeping up with yardwork. But I have a house with a big yard, so that was my choice. It’s fun, but I’m surrounded by retired people who keep their yards perfect, so I have a complex.
I can think of some advice.
1. Be careful not to buy a house alone just to prove that you can. That’s not enough.
2. Look carefully at your situation. I do not believe a house is the best investment under any circumstances, as some people seem to believe. But it is generally a good investment.
3. Regarding old houses: if the house is solid and doesn’t need major repairs and you like to do superficial/cosmetic repairs, go for it. Old houses are not necessarily scary. Mine is from 1901 and is great. But don’t take on more than you can handle.
4. I would also advise that you be careful to buy in a neighborhood that you feel safe in. On a single person’s budget, you might not have a lot of options, so it’s tempting to buy in a not-so-great neighborhood. But you want to be as comfortable as possible in your own home, so I would advise compromising in other ways. I have a very small house but a nice neighborhood.
The writer owns a small home in West St. Paul, which she purchased two years ago from another single woman. She will be getting married this year.
