How Much Was the Home You Bought?

I bought a condo that was 720 sq.ft for $50,000. Sold that for $90,000 and bought a house out of the want ad. Yup...the want ad. What was I thinking. It's 2200 sq ft on almost 3 acres of land. We paid $142,000 and put about $80,000 into it. I'm ready for an addition now though. We've out grown it.
:)
But to think my first morgage was $427 a month. If only we had that now.
:)

This will vary so much by where you live. We are south of DC, and built a 3100 square foot house for $330k. That was a GREAT price 3 years ago, but the same house goes for under $300k now...that's the housing market for you!

We built this in 1992 for 142,000, it is 2,200 sq ft and a ranch.

I never wanted a ranch because my parents had a ranch. Then looking at homes and going up and down those stairs with my knees, we bought a ranch and I love it!

Oh we were 23

My husband and I designed the house we still live in nearly 30 years ago and built it for around $65,000. A couple of years later, we gave a big "gratitude bonus" to the builder, and also paid off my mother's mortgage because she made it possible to live on the cheap while we were building. So, in total, maybe $75,000.

It's a tiny cottage (a bit under 1200 sq ft), but beautiful and unique, with very usable space. We hired a talented young free-lance builder who was just starting out, paid him a generous hourly wage, and saved up and paid for one load of lumber at a time over a 2.5 year period, while we lived in my mother's garage for very low rent. We helped with the construction whenever possible. Insulated it perfectly, so we seldom suffer in the summer, and winter heating is very economical.

Because we live on a tiny income from the non-profit publishing house we run, there's probably no other way we could have afforded our little piece of paradise. But all the puzzle pieces came together so well, and we are grateful every day.

i was a single mom, not receiving any child support, and had absolutely not one penny from anyone to *gift* me money to build my first home on my 22nd birthday........

paid $135,000 saved (all by myself) $17,000 for a down payment....it was a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 3 car garage, 2100 sq ft....brand spankin' new home...in a very very nice area in the burbs, that has boomed.....it was my first home (grew up in apartments) for me & my 6 yr old daughter who is now 21

ETA: OneAndDone, jealous much, lol (although I really didn't think you were funny) .....not sure why you constantly feel the need to belittle me
.........i didn't see you answer the question

I find what you pay for a place depends so heavily on where you live.

Uggh, you don't even want to know! Hell, I don't even want to remember!

$18,500 for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage in Garland, TX. (Now you know how old I am!) Sold it four years later for $36K. Boy, those were the days!

My first home was $180K and sold for $255K. Wow! What luck! My second home was 280K with the whole downstairs being an apartment (which paid for most of our mortgage!). This house sold for $350K. Also awesome! My third home we bought for $350K and sold for $355K (right at the time when things were really bad so we felt super lucky). My fourth home which we live in now was $380K. This area we live in is expensive but lucky for us we had very good luck with real estate in the past and could afford a nice home here. No family members gave us any money when we bought our first home...we were 30 yrs old and had spent the last 8 years before that saving aggressively for a down payment. We basically lived in poverty in order to save which was just fine at that time. Lucky for us we lived in Alaska and through my job with Fish and Game in the summers I caught tons of salmon for us to eat! We loved it that we were so "poor" but had all the salmon we wanted!

We've got a SFH 3,300 square feet, 6 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms nice yard, fenced in, huge front porch, deck, jacuzzi tub, walk-out finished basement... Bought it three years ago in Northern VA of all places (homes are NOT cheap, here!) for only $195,000 (AND a very nice neighborhood, on a cul-de-sac!). It was certainly a buyer's market... and, it was a foreclosure.

I'm kinda bragging... sorry, just proud of our purchase. we don't have much money at all, so it's nice to know we've got equity:)

These answers are killing me LOL. We bought our first house in 2003 - 868 square feet, 100+ years old, no basement, attic or garage - for $240K.

Then 3 years later we sold that for $250 (netting a loss after realtor fees and the money we spent renovating) and bought our current gem, an 1100 sq ft ranch for $340. Compared to our last house it's paradise - cabinets and a sink in the kitchen (yeah I bought a house with no kitchen cabinets and the sink in a separate pantry...who does that?), the walls are straight and plumb, there is a usable basement and attic, we have pool and a garage - but still way too small. It's worth about $250 now minus another $20 for the failing septic system.

$330,000 for a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom 1200sq. ft. home in Buena Park, California. It was a fixer upper too. We bought it 3 years ago, and we got it for a great price. Orange County is expensive, but you can't beat our weather!

First home we bought we were 23 and 27. The house had 1850 sq ft, brand new three bedroom/ 2/12 bath... $59,000 in 1986 in Houston. We were eligible for first time home owner credit. It made big financial sense to purchase at that time. So glad we did.

We paid $165k for a 2000 sq ft 2 story, 3 bed, 2.5 bath in 2005. We were both 27. This year, we sold it for $135k :( That was painful..... The good news, we purchased a different home waaayyy under market value!

* OMG Katie!

We were both 30 and our first house was a 3-flat in the city for $625,000. Short selling it as we speak. Disaster. Bought a single family this year, LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! $325,000.

in the near western suburbs of Chicago, we bought a 4 bd, 3.5 ba home at the peak of the housing market bubble--for $422k. Current appraisals are down to about $320-350. Makes me really sick to think about it. I was 25 & hubby was 29--young fools, and we were under pressure from his parents to buy a big house that could accomodate them too--only to have them move to sunny California 2 yrs later.

Remind me to never move to Boston - yikes JB

The house we live in now is our 1st. We bought it when we were 33 and 37 (2.5 years ago). We paid 135,000. It's 900 sq feet and only one bathroom. 2 bedrooms that are very small.

We need a larger house with 3 kids. The market sucked when we bought and with no down payment and high property taxes this was all we could afford.

I was 34 and bought it after my divorce. I did a 20 year mortgage so I'm more than half way done and pay more per month than a 30 year obviously. I can't even print it, it's bad but I wouldn't change where I live. I can afford it alone so all is well.

2200 sq foot house in 1990 for $95,000. 4 bedrooms, 2 fireplaces, 2 car garage and full basement on a corner lot. We were 28 years old.

We got a 5 bedroom house built in the 1850's for 20,000. It has been a headache ever since. I guess the price tag should have been a clue, lol

We bought our first condo in Charlotte, NC (2 br/2 bath), golf course, just under $60,000 back in 1987. I was mid 20's he was early 30's.

Moved to TX in 1989, could not part with the condo because at the time we hated TX. Bought a 2000 SF home for just under $100,000. HATED this house. Actually, I had not seen it until the day we closed, signed papers and I moved in. DON"T DO THAT.

Sold the house in TX in 1992 and condo in 1992 and built a house on a golf course (2500 SF) closed in 1992 for $235,000.

Sold that house in 1999, built current house in Plano/Allen ( within 3 miles of the other 2 homes we had) ... 4000+SF, HUGE lot, for $425,000 in 12/1999 when "the world was going to end". Figured, if the world ends, we are out of the contract, LOL

As soon as 1/2000 passed, all the properites skyrocketed. We stayed at $425,000 and other homes on the park area and basement homes went for $450,000 to $600,000+.

Still here and loving it.

1990, 1400 sq ft, in the city of Albany NY, 82k, sold it in 2003 for 130k, I was 24 when we bought it

2003, 2800 sq ft, new construction, Malta NY, 285k, sold it in 2006 for 350k

2006, 1700 sq ft townshouse, Malta NY, 180k, still here, but I'm 45 now, sigh

:)

My first: 28

800 square foot 2b/1ba 450k (in my neighborhood/area, that's a screaming deal... because all the other houses just like it are 600k, if we put 100k into it, it'll be 'just like' the houses that sell for 800k....SeaTown, SF, & NYC have the 3 most overpriced housing markets in the country. In the other two cities, my house would be two to three times what it costs here, and it's STILL ungodly... imho... that a 2b/1ba should run half a million)

Rather ironically... our MORTGAGE is LESS expensive than our subsidized 'family student housing'. Ony by $100 (and we only had 600 sqft in the family dorms -aka apts for married students with kids, or single parents w kids), but still. Talk about gouging!

Here's a fun one though:

Grandparents LAST home, 30k to build about 4,000sqft in the 50's... sold last year (in the declined market, and no... we didn't still have it in the family) for 7.4 million.

I was 21 almost 22 and about to get married! Our house was a small house (about 1100 sq ft) and cost 190K.

Our first house, in a small town in Iowa (less than 1500 population).. two story 3 bedroom house with a cinderblock basement.... $18,000 ... we bought it in 1983, and sold it in 1991 for $21,500... after making a BUNCH of improvements. (Hubby was 33, I was 27.)

We then moved to Texas that same year (job transfer), and bought an 1800 sq ft 3 bedroom ranch for $64,500. Tax evaluation is about $130,000 now. We are in a much bigger city, but live just outside city limits. Houses can be pretty cheap if you know where to look!

My first one was 125k(2 story,1984, 2000 s/f, half brick half siding)....my second one i bought off of family for 70k (its worth 110, its a 70s home 1 story brick, 1500 s/f)

Great ? I love reading all these answers!

I answered the other question too: I was 22 & husband was 28. We still live in it now.

Spokane, WA.
Bought it in 1999 for $132,000
3000sqft.
2 story w/2 car attached garage
4bedroom 3 bath
2 fireplaces
GREAT kitchen
Inground pool

At the peak if the housing boom it was appraised at $295k, as of right this minute it ia appraised at $187,500.

Love my house!

We were 23 and it was 90k. A 1600 sq ft house. 3 brm 2 bath in Fort Worth Texas.

I was 21 & my DH was 29. We bought a 925sq' home for $30,000. Updated it thru out...my Dad's custom kitchen cabinets sold the house for $55,000 just 7 years later. Normally homes in that neighborhood would take up to 12 months to sell. Our home sold in 2 weeks. !!

Current home: 1800sq' main floor, another 1200 finished downstairs (3000sq' total). Paid $73,000 for it 21 years ago. In today's market, it's worth about $150,000. Oh, the joys of living in a small town & having lower real estate prices! Makes that tax bill so much easier! (Of course, salaries are lower too....my DH took a pay cut of $9/hour to stay in our small town. )

We were both 26 its a 1401 sq ft 3 bed 2 1/2 bath it appraised at 190k but we got it at 165k (175k after closing cost) since it was one of the two last houses built in the area and they needed them sold. I believe last I heard it was worth 155k or something like that..... Had plans since we had automatic equity to use it as a starter home buuut it looks like we will be here a lot longer.

My first home was $50,000. The home I live in now is $200k. (5bd, 2 1/2 bath, 2500 sqft.)

I was 28, he was 37..1100 sq ft, 3 bd, 1 ba...145,000 in Southern California.
It has room to build which we liked and will be starting in 2012 (yay).
=)

Our first home, 500 square feet bungalow for 40,000 in 1988, 2nd home 4 bedroom home for 57,000, Third home 4 bedroom home in New York for 233,000, 5th home was a manufactured home in California for 119,000, and our 6th home was 132,000 and it has 2 floors, 2 kitchens, 2.5 bathrooms, 3 bedrooms technically and an added room that serves as the 4th and an additional living room. It's on an acre and located in the midwest.

256K..1800sq feet...3 bedroom 2 baths...sunken den...2 fireplaces...double garage with electric doors...finished attic...2 acres with 2 level storage storage shed....and I LOVE IT!!! Quiet short street and not jammed up next to anybody.

SO depends on where you live.
Our first home was $142,000. We had some money saved and borrowed a tiny bit from hubby's TSP for down payment. Sold it for $230k. Then built this one, which cost (including the property which we bought before construction) about $295,000.

First house was 2040 sq ft (4 br, 2 bath). This one is 2340 sq ft (4 br, 3 bath and a screened patio & pool).

166K for a 2400 sq. ft, 3 bedroom, 2 bath home on almost 3 acres (sounds better than it is, most of it is a very steep hill) just outside of Missoula, MT. This was 10 years ago.

My first house about 3 miles outside of downtown LA was $235,000 in 2003. It was 800 sq. ft. and 80 years old. Fixer upper. Sold that one in 2009 for a very small profit. Now, we live in coastal LA.......and we paid a lot more.

my hubby and I built our first home in 1994, it cost us just under 100K. 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath 1600 sq feet. and we just paid it off this year. We were 24 and 29 at the time.

When we bought our first home in 1990 when we got married, it was an 1,100 square foot ranch with 3 bedrooms and one bath. We were 23 and 28 years old. It cost $150,000.

We bought our current home 11 years ago. It is a 2,400 square foot colonial, 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths. We paid $294,000 for it in 2000.

We live about 1 1/2 hours north of NYC, two counties north of Westchester

We were 34 and 32 and it was a small (3 bed, 1 bath, 1100 sq ft) ranch for 118K. We were not sure how the economy was going to shake out at the time, so we wanted to make sure we were not getting in over our heads. We would love a bigger place, but this works well for us now.

I think it would help to state the year that the house was bought since some of our members where in their twenties or thirties decades ago!

$60,000 four bedroom 2 1/2 bath center hall colonial in 1975. Outskirts
of NYC. 25 and 31 years old. Those were the days. Still married to the
same guy and in the same house! 2800 square feet.

Wow! We really need to move. I was 27, husband was 28. We live on the northside of the city and have a 2,000 sq foot condo that we paid $440,000.