Single moms - is it better to rent or buy? sm
Posted By: AnonMT on 2009-01-22
In Reply to:
I am separating, about to become a single mother of two children. I am wondering if I should buy a home or rent one. While buying seems like a good idea, I would also be giving a chunk of money for a down payment (which if I rented I could keep as emergency savings) plus I would be responsible to repair anything that might break. I would appreciate any advice on this.
thanks :-)
Complete Discussion Below:  marks the location of current message within thread
The messages you are viewing
are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select
the boards given in left menu
Other related messages found in our database
Thank you. Single moms on welfare are not all bad ones.
Women on here who say they have SOOOOO much saved for retirement and then talk about drawing social security burn my behind. It wasn't intended for the well-off to draw in the first place and probably will be gone by the time most of us get old enough to draw it.
This person is obviously overwhelmed with greed, wouldn't you say? In this day and age, with the greedy falling left and right, this one apparently doesn't understand that greedy behavior is no longer PC.
Not sure who look like their moms, but maybe have some
character traits of their mothers.
I do know, some men look at the girl's mother to see what the girl will look like when she is older. If her mother is attractive, that certainly helps.
Question for you moms out there...sm
1. Did you have a lot of morning sickness?
2. How many weeks did it last, i.e. from 4 to 12 weeks pregnant or what?
Strippers can be moms too.
nm
Not so much our moms as we just try to teach
xx
Question for moms
 I have a question for mothers out there, I am 29 years old. My husband and I have been married for over 8 years almost 9 we are just now trying to have a baby. While we are excited about this we are also very nervous. I really love my husband and we have good marriage, I am so nervous about how a baby will change our marriage. I know it sounds selfish but I want to be a good wife when we have a child. Are these normal feelings? TIA!!
any moms out there with kids
How did you know they were "model material?" My 9-year old Corbin Blue look- alike wants to go for an open call at our local talent agency. He has the personality for it and i think he's gorgeous, but of course I'm biased!!!
Any tips for going to a call?
Moms are in charge of the fun!
What are your summer fun plans?
Free days at local attractions, or something bigger?
At my house we will be taking a week to explore our own state, which is pretty big!
Mean moms/childhood
I often questioned God why after 14 years of trying to get pregnant, I never did, then my uterus prolapsed and I had to have a hysterectomy.
I look at my childhood and it had a lot of faults. My mom was so devastated by her own bad childhood, that she really didn't know how to be a parent. My dad, who knew how to be a good parent, was often too busy having to take care of her after psychiatrists had her so drugged she often didn't get out of bed for days.
My mom is about to turn 65 and over the last 8 months or so, both my sister and I have gotten hate E-mail from her for no apparent reason other than she needs to pick a fight, so she starts pointing out our character defects. I originally refuted the points and it just escalated. I didn't even respond to her last hate E-mail. I'm wondering if something is going wrong with her brain (other than the mental illness she already has) from years of drinking or all of the prescription meds she's been hooked on (pain meds, amphetamines, sleeping pills, benzos.
Anyway, don't get me wrong, we did some crazy stuff when I was a kid. She even took my sister and me to a motel with a pool and we checked in overnight. I knew she didn't tell my dad where she was going and when she told us it was bedtime, I tried in vain to stay awake so she'd fall asleep and I could call my dad and let him know where we were. I was probably around 8 or 9 at the time. I felt guilt over that for years because I did fall asleep and never called him (and I wonder why I have insomnia now). He was crying when she brought us home late the next day.
Mom wasn't all bad times. When she was spiritually fit, we had a lot of fun. And I can recognize, as an adult, that she has a personality disorder and I just don't feed it. I love her and always will. I just have to hope I catch her on better days.
I guess what I'm saying is I hope that kid doesn't grow up with memories like mine. I hope the mother was just having a really bad day with a kid who had been acting up all day. And I hope she told him she was sorry and hugged him.
Anyway, I've come to realize that I never really had a good, consistent example of a parent. What kind of parent would I have made? My husband was gone a lot early on. He could be gone 6 months, come back for 10 days and then leave again for another 2 months. Many military wives have dealt with this and had children. Looking back (hindsight is always 20/20), I'm not sure I had what it took to be a good parent so it's best that I never did get pregnant. At least thinking about it that way helps take away some of the emptiness.
My faith is now in God, that He has some other purpose for me than being a parent to human children. I work with a pug rescue and maybe that's what I was meant to do. I believe He has not revealed his full purpose for me, but gives me a little more each time.
Anyway, sorry for rambling so much. If you've stuck with me this long, thanks. It's been a rough, emotional week. Hope yours is going better. :-)
((((((Hugs)))))) to everyone who needs one.
God bless.
Divorced Moms - How did you know it was time? (sm)
I am in an unhappy marriage, but I am scared to leave. I have insurance through my husband because I am an IC and I have all these fears - what if my job phases out? what if I injure my hands, what if I get sick, how will I take care of my kids. How did you know it was time?? Is it better now>
any cheerleader moms out there? i need some suggestions. sm
i have a varsity cheerleader. her turn is coming up to make the candy bag thingies, but she wants to do something different. she wanted to use paper towel rolls cut in half (they aren't allowed to use toilet paper rolls due to sanitary reasons), stuffed with candy and rolled up. however, i have not been able to collect 150 paper towel rolls or 75 even for that matter to cut in half. she has two weeks to get 150 candy bags ready. any suggestions on something different to use for candy bags rather than the standard norm of goodie bags?
Boys wrap their moms around their fingers too
Apparently you, for example......I know moms of boys and sometimes I think some of them are delusional about their *boys/men*.....I don't know - I surely just don't get it.....as much as I try to get it.....
Questions for moms with daughters in puberty.. sm
My daughter will be 13 in December. Back in early August she had what I thought was the starting of her menses. She had some blood for about one week and then done. She has not had anything for the month of September. Is this normal? When I started I never remember stopping after the first one. She does play a lot of soccer and takes dance, so that might be part of it to. Any other mom's experiencing this?? She knows all about sex and pregnancy, so I know that is not an issue, especially since she goes nowhere without me or her dad. Thanks for any input.
I totally agree...no one can understand this job but us MT Moms...
no breaks from anything...but I love working at home and wouldn't change it for the world...even if my kids do drive me crazy on a daily basis---LOL...part of the job...
Can you rent yourself out to me for a few
I would LOVE to pay you to come stay a week at my home and set my neighbors straight. I've started hybernating in my home because of the rude people who live around me. I wasn't raised to violate other people's home space or behave badly, but obviously that isn't the case with any of my neighbors.
Seriously, give it some thought and name your price :) :) :)
Only my rent. - nm
rent
We used to own a double house and we rented to this old lady who was just a wonderful tenant, so we never raised her rent from, I think it was, $375 per month, or some sort of ridiculously low rate. We lived in the other side with 2 children, so it was really important to us who lived next door. Unfortunately, she went to a nursing home, so we had to find other tenants, but we charged quite a bit more. If you are a really good tenant, I would discuss it with your landlord. It might be worth it for him to keep you and take the cut. If Helen had asked, we would have lowered her rent to keep her. If you are dealing with some sort of big rental company with hundreds of units, you might be out of luck, as they don't care that much who they rent to, as long as they get paid. Good luck. By the way, if there was any way you could possibly do it, look into buying a house. You are not going to get a cheaper housing market than now and it is not going to stay this way forever. Sometimes a mortgage can be cheaper than rent, but there are other expenses involved with owning, as well as responsibilities.
I,. first of all, would pay her rent until she
gets out of the 'hole'. I sure would not like to be your daughter.
Moms - how long did you wait to tell people you were pregnant?
Right away or waited a while?
To all you married moms with kids and hubby at home,
do you ever dream about living by yourself? Not just with no kids, but with no hubby either? I love my family, but when I feel overwhelmed, when life gets too stressful, I can't help but think how peaceful that kind of life would be, with just myself to take care of. Of course I know in my heart that if I was by myself I would be bored and lonely, but right now it sounds really good! It has been one of those days...
would it be possible for you to take the rent money to her? nm
Can you rent a houseboat? Might
xx
It would almost pay my rent for a year.
Tell him you want $100 a month of that $180 he gets for rent. nm
x
You're just a Scrooge, that's all. Read Jewish Moms post above.
g
Unfortunately, we're not rent-controlled here. - sm
A very few places downtown are rent-controlled, left over from the 70's, I think, but NO ONE moves out of a rent-controlled apt. there unless they DIE!
The recent prime-mortgage fiasco is compounding the problem. A LOT of people here lost their homes this past year, and now they're driving up demand for rentals. I just looked on Craigslist at an area nearby that was affordable, in the 700's-900's just last year, and now I notice that most of the rents are above $1600. That's my entire month's salary!
For that kind of rent, she should become a transcriptionist!
Sorry for the joke. I just had to throw this one in, just a bit of "sarcasm..."
BTW: Sometimes I feel like a call girl with the production work we do. "work it girl, go go go, get those lines!" LOL.
I didn't know you could rent generators.
That is a great idea. I'm sure they are probably all gone by now. We have been planning to get one but never have the extra money.
Thanks for the heads up on Sunday. I had no idea about that. We are in Southeast MI. I think it will be less here than most of the state but we don't live in a populated area and our roads are the last to be plowed and power lines are the last to be fixed. The toilet was a big concern, otherwise I think we will survive. :) Just might give the 10yo a run for his money with boredom. lol
If you can handle the rent payment,
then let him move on and do not give him any money. Let him figure it out for himself.
That's right! If you rent it is NOT your 'own' home.
Would you charge 18yo rent?
Son is turning 18 in a couple of weeks. Has a part time job (going full time when turns 18 due to labor laws), no plans for college, not really sure what he wants to do, oh - and he has to go to summer school to finish a course and get credit for school.
So - would you charge rent when he turns 18 and if so, how much? What about groceries (he's skinny as a rail and eats ALL day long! ha).
I rent also and live in a huge complex
They hired someone to do the vinyl and afterwards they were installing the new doorbells. Well, they could not figure them out and while I was working the doorbell was ringing constantly! I went down there and started to explain to them and they could not understand me, not a word. I then called the company myself (got the name off the truck) and threatened to call immigration and explained that if these people passed the citizenship test surely they'd know a couple of words of English. Within an hour they were gone and have not been back. It was funny watching them hightail it out of here from my window :) LOL
If you rent movies by mail, which service are you using and
s
If you rent, it may not be allowed. Rotties, pits,
dobermans, chows, and german shepards are often on landlords 'not allowed' lists, for liability reasons.
I'm a dog-person, and have known quite a few rotts, and none of them were friendly to anyone but their master.
I think one of the best choices for a 'first big dog' would be a labrador retriever. Laid-back, not as barky, usually love everyone, great family dogs, yet big enough to possibly deter a burglar.
I have an 18-year-old daughter and we charge her rent...
I think it teaches them responsibility and what the "real" world is like, there is not a free ride and to be accountable. The rent we charge does include groceries, cell phone, etc. She just pays my husband and I a lump sum at the beginning of the month and it covers all expenses at home. She buys her own clothes, make-up, personal items and even helps with her college expenses at the local community college. I think it's a great idea!
Eviction. Foreclosure. Are you still in the trailer? Do you rent the land?
x
In some locations, you can rent an exerciser instructor to lead
s
Donnie and shower. Go to movies or rent a movie?
x
I live in the south and my landlord told me NO SMOKING before she would rent to me...
x
As a landlord with rental property, tenants seem to "pay partial rent" or not pay at all sm
beginning around Nov or December (the holidays). Were they both laid off? Is there no income coming in? Even though I don't know the situation, I can guarantee you that the money was spent elsewhere and now they are paying the price. I'm sorry to have to say this.
My husband and I worked with a family on getting caught up and they were 2 months behind plus late fees (about 1,800) and it was right about this time last year. They had a great Christmas though!
I don't have an answer for you. I don't know if there is anyone who can help someone like your friend or my ex-tenants. Rent should be people's #1 priority and sadly, a lot of the times it just isn't.
I'm with you 50 and single..
I too have sworn off relationships and very happy being on my own. I cannot and will not go through it again. Both my ex's were two peas in a pod. Unfortunately, I seem to attract the same type of people. At 52, I am quite happy being alone but also having a great circle of friends. It far outweighs being unhappy, angry, always hoping things would get better when they never did.
I am not a single mom but...
I was a single woman when I bought my house. It is one of the things I regret the most right now.
BUT ONLY cause I wasn't settled down, no family, things came up and i wanted to move. I also bought it right before the market crashed 2.5 years ago, and now I am in an interest-only ARM on an upside down mortgage.
Now, considering this probably wont happen to you because the market has already crashed, there still might be room to wonder if it could fall more, depending on where you are looking to buy. My advice is if you are going to stay there and that is your home, your job, etc. etc. then buying is a great idea and when you mention you are responsible for anything that happens to the house... well that is the chance you take. Depends on what kind of home you buy, how old, and if there are HOA dues. I still dont know how I feel about homeowner's associations, even though I belong to one. However, they will be responsible for anything exteriorly wrong with my house, but for $80.00 a month. you know? so you definitely have to weigh your options.
My main advice would be DO NOT RUSH. that is what I did as I was young and excited to be a home owner at a young age, but now all that money i worked so hard for since the age of 15 is gone. I no longer have the 50K I put down on the house. That is something REALLY tough to deal with.
I love being a homeowner, but I hate that I bought when I did. you know? I know I am not the only one in that boat of course but it is still very very tough.
Good luck!!
well, I'm a single mom....
I've been divorced for nearly 8 years. I have taken care of my son completely on my own. I do not have a huge social circle, but I know what I like to do, and I concentrate on my son, but one day that child will (hopefully) grow up and be on his own and so it will be just me. I know what I like, do what I like, but sometimes, having that special someone would just, for me, make things better. But, now this is the odd part, having been married to the wrong man, I would be perfectly content to have a "significant other" without ever going to the "married" stage. I am fine and have been fine on my own the last 7 years, learned a lot about myself. Now at 35, I feel like I want someone in my life, but I dont necessarily have to be married. Sounds odd, and most of my friends are the opposite. But, I'm also one of those people that never had a lot of boyfriends, etc. I was not the girl in high school who had crushes on a lot of guys, I chose to date and not have a serious relationship in high school because I thought I was too young for that, haha. I've seen both ends of the spectrum, I've seen completely happy couples, my own mom and step-dad for example, if I was to ever get married again, I want a relationship like theirs. They are each other's best friends, and still so in love, but they also make a point of doing things separately because they are, after all, 2 separate people; and I've seen people in my life who are in their 60s and still perfectly content to be single.
I'm in the middle of that spectrum, haha, I would like someone to share in parts of my life, but I don't have to marry him if that never happens either. :)
I do know that I'm picky on friends, and I'm shy, and I don't date much, its just hard to date. I'm a single mom, I work from home, I live in a small town and have only been here 6 years, but only made 2 friends, well, people I would consider friends, I work midnights, sleep during the day, and spend time with my son in the evenings and with our family on the weekends, so I really don't even have time to date, so its a darn good thing I am happy in my life, haha, or I'd be a lonely mess. Sometimes it does get lonely, but in an affection way, not so much in a socializing way for me, I don't know how else to word that.
A single woman
What you're feeling is perfectly normal. Please do not rush into a relationship with any man at this point. Enjoy this time and spend it getting to know your children better and just spending time with them. Also get to know yourself and feel comfortable with who you are - develop some hobbies and interests. If you've spent the last 2 decades in this kind of relationship, you haven't had much time to spend on yourself. Soak in a hot tub every night if you want to.
In a sense, you've just cut a huge wart off your foot and of course it's going to feel strange and unfamiliar. It was the wart that was strange, now things are normal. It just feels strange because you aren't used to it.
Hope some of this makes sense. If you think about it, I bet you are actually less lonely now than when he was there. Some of the loneliest people I know are in marriages and relationships. Some of the happiest and most joy-filled people I know are on their own.
So happy to be single.
Sounds like he has a huge stick stuck somewhere uncomfortable. Big hugs for you!
were you a single parent
x
It was not my attempt to single anyone out
is simply curiosity about some of the posts I've read. Has nothing to do with Huckabee, constitution, declaration of independence, etc.
As far as the nice day goes... right back at ya! :)
Question for single MTs
I am divorced now for awhile. I am finding that I have absolutely no interest in dating! I look at the online dating sights occasionally but no one attracts me. There seem to be slim pickens if you know what I mean. Anyway, I seem to be very happy on my own. My question is, do any of you feel the same? I guess I'm just at a point in my life where I'd rather stay single.
not one single fear
zero, zip, zilch, nada...
we are born with two fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. the rest we create or obtain on our own later in life. me: none, other than the two i was born with.
Single Mom Survivor here ... have
Looking back over my experience as an owner and as a renter, raising my children alone with limited resources:
Renting is easier and more cost effective for you than buying.
Pro's of renting:
1. Low deposit to get in the door.
2. Rent is usually reasonable and oftentimes contract won't go up if you are a good renter.
3. MAINTENANCE is the responsibility of the management -- you are not out for those costs.
4. You can leave with a 30-day notice.
Pro's of ownership:
1. You are building equity.
2. Tax breaks.
3. If financial crisis, it takes about 6 to 9 months to get to foreclosure so you do have some time to find another place.
Con's of renting:
1. May require a background and/or credit check.
2. Although evictions are subject to some jurisdiction (they must give you a 10-day notice), it can be quicker to evict you from a rental than from your own property.
Con's of ownership:
1. ALL maintenance and repairs are up to you. Can be very costly.
2. You cannot get out of this very easily - especially in this market.
Hope this helps.
She's not a single person
The cnn article is worded a little confusingly, but the woman is married and her husband is the one who is scheduled to return to Iraq, not her father.
I have no idea why she was taking fertility drugs when she already has 6 at home - unless they are not biologically hers. The doctors should be sued for malpractice for implanting that many embryos. The ethics guidelines these days state that they should not implant any more than two at a time to avoid situations exactly like this.
|
