How Many Primary Homes Have You Bought?

[Teacher Terry]

Looks like I am the outlier at 10. We made money on 8 of the 9 we sold. Never paid cap gains because we always met the exemption. We built 4 of the 10. The oldest was from 1926. The newest is our current having just been built. We’ve had really bad construction and really good construction. About half have been in HOA’s which we still prefer. 3 of the homes were the result of moves to different states. 2 were the result of moves to different towns within our current state. The last being our retirement town.

This thread makes you think about all these moves, but over the time they took place, they all just made sense for us.

I just realized that I missed one of my homes and that I’ve actually owned 10. Three of those have been condos that I have lived in when I’ve been by myself. I don’t like to live in a house when I’m alone. So I guess you and I are tied. .

 

[Teacher Terry]

To those who have moved four or five or more times, did you do the moving work yourself or hire a mover? I have only moved house a couple of times. One was through a professional mover, and even that was stressful. The recent move three years ago was all on DW and me. Rented a U-Haul, got a couple of guys to move the heaviest stuff, but otherwise packed and moved it all ourselves.. And then there is the unpacking at the new house. I think we finally dug into the last unopened box just recently. I never want to go through that again.

For all those 30 moves, I have always packed myself. In 1994 the state of Kansas paid to move us since they were transferring me when they did that. They also paid the movers to pack my kitchen, which was really nice.

The last move that we physically loaded and unloaded the truck ourselves was in 1994, but we also had three teenage boys to help. The other six moves although we packed ourselves, we hired someone to load the truck on one end and unload at the other end. We had just gotten too old for that.

I’ve been married three times so all those moves were not just with one husband. My first husband was in the Air Force and they moved us a few times, but because he was just a lowly air man, we had to pack and move ourselves.

The times we removed to other states were for jobs for one of us. We ended up first in Kansas and then in Nevada for my career.

 

[38Chevy454]

Did you view your homes as investments?

Not as investment, just a house to live in. While building equity and appreciation of course, from a personal finance perspective.

 

[COcheesehead]

A house is an asset.

 

[Buckeye]

I checked 6 but I just remembered another one so it should have been 7! That's over 40 years.

We've been here 11 years and intend to be here for the foreseeable future. Between the current costs of homes and mortgages (our current rate is 2.3%), it would be hard to improve our situation. Luckily, we like our home and our neighborhood.

 

[aaronc879]

I bought a condo in 2008 for $39k, sold in 2016 for $35K
I bought a single family house in 2016 for $110K, still living there and now worth $220K.

I'll probably live here as long as I can take care of it. I may sell to buy my Brothers half of our parents house at some point down the road. Either way, likely only 3 homes or less in my life.

 

[NW-Bound]

Two for me.

Bought the 1st one when I got married right out of grad school. Lived in it for 8 years, till I changed job and had to commute 80 miles RT every day through the center of town. Couldn't hack it no more, so moved closer to work to cut the commute down to 45 miles RT, and avoid the congested part. Still live in it after almost 40 years.

 

[ncbill]

Only one, rented previously...been in our place over 30 years now.

 

[old medic]

Does my motorhome count? Just kidding.
We did live in it for 5 years after we sold our primary home.

We counted ours... but owned the property and permanently set for 7 years.

 

[DrRoy]

5, due to corporate transfers.. Been in this one 28 years though, a record.

 

[APP01]

4 Total.

#1 was a starter fixer upper
#2 new builder type home
#3 fully custom dream home. We GC'ed this on our own.
#4 is where we are now..A smaller version of #3 more suited to aging in place . We GC'ed this as well during Covid.

 

[timbervest]

Just 1 but have done two major rehabs over 40 years so I feel like I've lived in three different houses!

 

[Teacher Terry]

We bought a home in a subdivision where all the homes were 21 years old. It was a fairly large subdivision and the builder had the model home turned into offices and a meeting room for the HOA meetings.

Overtime they became horrible and would drive around in a golf court looking hard for things to send you a letter for and a fine. Once I had a letter saying I had weeds in my yard and when I did find them, there were exactly 4 of them.

My stepson bought a house in the same subdivision and was active military. They would wait for him to go out of town and then fine him for things which they aren’t allowed to do. We would have to go into the office and show paperwork that he was deployed and then try and resolve whatever the issue was.

People got sick of it and 300 people showed up for a HOA meeting. Obviously that was more people than the house could hold and the Board became afraid since so many people showed up and they called the police.

The residents were able to remove the entire board and the new board was more reasonable. By that time we had sold and bought a house in town in an older neighborhood. Most of the houses were very well kept except for our next-door neighbor that loved to throw his old appliances and mattresses in his side and backyard.

There was a metal fence between us that they had built, and we put up a tall wooden fence, so we did not have to look at their garbage. So obviously there are good and bad things about having an HOA.

 

[Buckeye]

Only one. Lots of different apartment and house rentals, then bought a house in 1983 and have stayed there ever since. Likely keep it until we move to a CCRC or apartment when we tire of house maintenance.

Although we do spend half our year in France in a flat connected to our daughter's place.

Does she rent it out the other half of the year? Asking for a friend!

 

[reneeh63]

Just two - built both of them.

 

[G-Money]

4... The second one could have been my forever home but #3 came about from a corporate relocation and #4 came about from undoing that move.

#5 will likely be our first home in retirement, maybe not our last. Still figuring out the strategy there.

 

[like2]

Only one in May 1987, coming up on 39 years!
Where does the time go?

 

[shortstop14]

Does she rent it out the other half of the year? Asking for a friend!

She's considering setting it up as a short term rental. But when we leave, it always seems to be filled with her friends, or with guys on the construction crews that her partner employs. But that lets us come and go at our convenience, which is useful.

 

[lemming]

I put 4. Two with my ex and two of my own. Like cars and men I now question my choices in real estate but I sold the last one to have enough money to fund my retirement rental for several years. I feel like I made a soft landing.

 

[Rustward]

Three

I bought a little starter 3BR 1 & 1/2 bath house when I was 22 and sold it when I was 22 due to a voluntary job change and relocation in 1978. Was in that house about 6 months.
Bought 2BR 1 & 1/2 bath condo in about 1980 -- at age 24. Sold in 1991. Moved to an apartment.
Built the one we are in now -- completed in 1992 and we are still here -- 34 years.

 

[AudiDudi]

3. 14 yrs in the 1st, 2.5 yrs in the 2nd and 27 yrs in this one - thinking seriously about selling. Too much maintenance and too many steps. A nice comfortable 1200sqft manufactured home in an active 55 resort could be the next one.