By What Age Should Someone Own/Have Bought a House?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Also dont forget how the GFC was caused.,.well according to most media it was all thanks to sub prime home buyers in the US and banks. In the UK they called it the 'credit crunch'
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
GFC-- Global Financial Crisis

not KFC lol.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
the rich live in their own little bubble...called gated communities. But if they venture outside to the 'real world' they would see that they can be part of the problem too, but many just ignore it. I think theres only so much you can do though everyone wants to protect their own patch of land if they can, though not everyone is given one. I think in an ideal world every one of us would be given an inheritance. However reality is most people dont value or squander this. results being. like Israel, they will be exiled from their homeland and have to stay in someone elses.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,219
2,523
113
the rich live in their own little bubble...called gated communities. But if they venture outside to the 'real world' they would see that they can be part of the problem too, but many just ignore it. I think theres only so much you can do though everyone wants to protect their own patch of land if they can, though not everyone is given one. I think in an ideal world every one of us would be given an inheritance. However reality is most people dont value or squander this. results being. like Israel, they will be exiled from their homeland and have to stay in someone elses.
WOW
After reading your tirade and actually knowing more about the topics you raised than you do....
I do find your perception of the USA as rather funny.

Especially the "Dust Bowl" era. It was a time period....not a location so much.

The dust bowl happened because Farmers cleared their land in the plains states. They left no trees because steering a tractor and its implements around a tree is annoying and if there are too many you will usually break something.

But ecologically it was a disaster. Dust was everywhere. This was when Farmers started growing tree lines around their fields. To stop the wind from blowing the soil when it's dry. Most properties here in South Georgia have tree lines....and it's nowhere near as dry here as the plains states get sometimes. It wasn't from absentee land owners....they turned their plates upside down to keep the dust off of them. Now things are just fine. Yes, contract crops are the norm for Farmers. The big corporations don't own the farms....regular people do.

It is big business because of the amount of Dollars at stake and small margins for profits. But America produces a LOT of groceries for the entire planet. Somewhere to the tune of 60% of all processed food globally comes from America. From corn syrup to corn, wheat, rice, and soybeans. All turned into feed or products for human consumption. Our meats are some of the expensive high quality products in YOUR grocery markets.
American farmers are usually super efficient operations involving thousands of acres of land and only one or two maybe three people working the farms.

And credit crunches came because the regulators did not do their jobs...as per orders from politicians.

Most of the truly successful people in the USA do invest in people in their communities. The homeless are usually mentally unstable and addicted to drugs. But there's enough free stuff (food, clothing, shelter) that they don't try to do better. They could get jobs but they would rather do drugs than work. Everyone has a tough go of it financially from time to time...but normal people keep trying until they can get back on their feet again.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Nz actually doesnt buy american meat or their junkfoods. We have our own.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Unfortunately drugs have got in (now P and meth from the US) and are the scourge of the population. Its not just homeless on drugs, people that do have homes are also on drugs.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Im just saying theres a bigger picture to the US and a side that maybe you dont see.
No doubt there are thriving communitires as well, depends on where you look. A lot of people ignore the good and see whats wrong and vice versa. Not everything will be a picture postcard.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
The KFC and mcDonalds here are actually very vocal about saying their meat is 100 percent nz grown.

A lot of people here dont trust imported processed food especially from the US. What is popular thougn is clothing with the words US or california or New York on them lol
Im like why is the branded clothing always got american towns and cities on it. Why cant it say 'Christchurch' or 'Rotorua' instead.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Then you look at the clothing label (for washing instructions) and it says...'made in China'
The US and China are in kahoots. lol
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,219
2,523
113
The KFC and mcDonalds here are actually very vocal about saying their meat is 100 percent nz grown.

A lot of people here dont trust imported processed food especially from the US. What is popular thougn is clothing with the words US or california or New York on them lol
Im like why is the branded clothing always got american towns and cities on it. Why cant it say 'Christchurch' or 'Rotorua' instead.
Because the USDA are almost as militant as nazis with food quality inspections. USDA certified or inspected meats are the finest you can get in the world. Same with dairy products. And when you live in a place that has processing plants that have made many people sick time after time....you stop trusting them.

You personally may not have experienced this but there are many more countries other than yours that don't even have safe tap water to drink....people only drink bottled water or water delivered to your own tank.

New Zealand lamb used to be the best in the world....but American lamb producers got their feelings hurt and have started to do better. Currently NZ lamb is 2nd best....not that it's bad by any stretch of the imagination....far from it. But in side by side taste test comparisons American lamb is just a tiny bit better. (But it ain't much) Fast food like McDonald's, Taco Bell or KFC use low quality meat products. Here it's always institutional grade meats. They charge top dollar for the food too. I don't eat that stuff unless I have to.

There aren't many clothes made in America....certainly nothing branded. American made clothes are bespoke. Super high dollar pieces that have no labels....most American clothes are made in the Phillipines or South America somewhere....a few from China but not much.

Your drug problem is not coming from America....we don't make those drugs. South and Central America do....so does PRC....and since your clothes come from China your illegal drugs are likely coming from there too. (They have no morals about selling them to you). Some are originating out of Afghanistan and Moldova. Usually it's poppy/narcotics.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
27,364
9,376
113
Odd that this thread is still going... I know people who would have moved twice by now. :giggle:


Just this morning I saw something in the newspaper about FEMA assistance for people who have been inconvenienced by tornadoes. It reminded me of one strong upside to renting as opposed to owning a house. If a tornado trashes a house you are renting you can pack your remaining belongings, bid the house owner a regretful farewell and best wishes for a speedy recovery, and move on to another house.
 

HealthAndHappiness

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2022
10,286
4,331
113
Almost Heaven West Virginia
I think the initial question could be reworded, "How long do you think you will be in debt?"
Debt is servitude. People get married, have children buy a car and pay outrageous medical bills and taxes. The powers that should Not be have figured out how to basically enslave even the wealthiest nations. I used to know a nurse once who made a lot of money, yet she was planning on being in debt for 30 years. That is one of tens of millions of examples that speaks volumes of how houses alone have put an inordinate amount of labor upon modern people. Add to that thousands per year in property taxes depending on the value of the property.

When children approach adulthood, few are taught how the world works and options. I just opened a letter last night from someone who wants to buy land. I'm not interested in selling right now. If I had children, they would be provided a place to build upon. The way the world is going, a great depression will not improve matters. It will drive most to the big cities to live as 100% slaves living in ghetto coffin apartments. Those are the plans of the world dictators at least. Of course God can intervene, and I believe He will when He returns.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
The tower of Babel returns

Remember when humans all lived in one big tower? They all spoke in one language and there was nothing they couldnt do. But now we speak many languages and tend to all live in tiny homes spread out across the length and breadth of the earth....people call it urban sprawl....

What would you prefer? God had made it that way, and scattered everyone, and appointed the times and places where we were to be born.. We dont get to choose this.

Jesus was not born in a home of his own...he actually had no home of his own , it was a manger in a stable he shared with the animals. There was no room for him at the inn, he was exiled and had to take refuge in egypt while King Herod sought to kill him, then went back to Nazareth which was Marys home town, Josepths was Bethlehem. He helped build homes for other people...he was a carpenter. He likely never had a mortgage.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Jesus 'house' was actually his Fathers house (the temple) in Jerusalem but the Pharisees wouldnt let him in there, and said he didnt belong..it was meant to be a house of prayer but it was made into a den of theives...at the time King Herod had expanded it and it was like the biggest mall you ever saw. But Jesus hated what it had become and kicked out the moneylenders.

The moneylenders werent very happy cos they had been making a profit from Gods house.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
america...south america...same diff. Why do US people think they own america. America is actually two huge continents only split by the Panama canal. When thats blocked and nobody can get through it causes huge problems all over the world.

NZ main trading partner is Asia as its closer... but the biggest export apart from dairy is probbaly education. Foreign students pay top dollar to get a nz education. However, because of covid that market is closing down, a lot of international schools are feeling the crunch.

anyway what would I know I just live in the tiny country
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Its bigger than Israel though. Which is the apple of Gods eye apparently - Jerusalem being the centre.

Jesus went to 'take over' his Fathers house when he was 30 but found a lot of maintainence and property issues and the tenants werent the greatest.
 

ChristsChild

Active member
Apr 28, 2023
213
109
43
Hey Everyone,

After talking with a Christian friend about two people we know who are feeling the double whammy of getting older (approaching 35/40,) and not yet owning a house, I was wondering by what age people are expected to accomplish this nowadays.

I realize this will vary widely depending on location, country, age, culture, and perhaps gender -- which is another reason why I'm interested in what others have to say about it. The two people who inspired this thread are male, so I'm wondering if there is more pressure on men to buy or own a home because they are seen as providers. The guys I've asked about this worry about being seen as losers (specifically to potential dates) if they don't have a house.

For my own self, I've always thought it really depends on the person's circumstance, especially in modern economic times. I live in the USA and am seen as part of the "Sandwich Generation" -- not only do many people my age have their own families to care for and kids to put through school, but at the same time, their aging parents are in the stages of needing part or full-time care, both physically and financially.

I personally couldn't expect a man to own his own home if, let's say for example, he's gone through an unwanted divorce, is paying for his children, and is also facing the responsibility of housing/caring for his parents on top of that. The most sensible thing would most likely be for shared living quarters (such as staying at home with them,) so to me, that's completely understandable. It makes me feel a little sad for men who feel this kind of pressure because everyone these days have so much on their plates.

I'm curious as to how the modern Christian community feels about this.

* By what age would you expect a grown adult to have bought or own a home by now?

* Parents -- by what age would you expect your child to live completely financially and spacially independently from you? Do you expect them to live in an apartment or house? Would you want them to have roommates, or be able to afford their own place?

* Do you think the expectations have anything to do with gender? Would you expect a man and a woman to have bought or own a home by the same benchmark age?

* Parents -- do you have different expectations for your sons and daughters? (i.e., Would you expect your son or daughter to buy or own a home by different ages according to gender?)

* Do you even think it's possible to own a home these days?


I'm really looking forward to a discussion about this -- and am even hoping that maybe some of the answers will help calm the anxiety of anyone who might be feeling this type of pressure, but have completely justified reasons for not yet owning a home.

God bless you and thanks for taking the time to answer! :)
A home is an investment of our money. When to own one? I'd say as soon as your credit and finances permit.

Big money can be had by flipping properties. But you need to know what you're doing.
 

JohnDB

Well-known member
Jan 16, 2021
6,219
2,523
113
Jesus 'house' was actually his Fathers house (the temple) in Jerusalem but the Pharisees wouldnt let him in there, and said he didnt belong..it was meant to be a house of prayer but it was made into a den of theives...at the time King Herod had expanded it and it was like the biggest mall you ever saw. But Jesus hated what it had become and kicked out the moneylenders.

The moneylenders werent very happy cos they had been making a profit from Gods house.
Nope....a thousand times "nope".
The Temple in Jerusalem is nothing but a shadow of Jesus's/God's real house which is in Heaven.
 

presidente

Senior Member
May 29, 2013
9,163
1,792
113
I'm not single. I happened to see the title of the thread and decided to drop in.

My wife and I have moved every few years for most of our marriage. We lived in Asia, the Pacific region, and the US. A few years ago, the government was doling out free money with no GPD/work to back it up. Based on economic theory I had read about, I knew that was a recipe for inflation. We'd saved money, and with the money we got because we had kids, we had enough for a down payment on house. A lease was coming due in the summer. I knew there was slim pickings for houses the size we needed for our family size for rentals, and rents would go up, probably, along with the prices of homes. Then my wife said God told her we should buy a house.

I was getting close to 50 before I ever bought a house. Not long after, my wife's father passed away and we were able to settle up with relatives for her to own it. A relative who cared for her father lives there, though, and we aren't getting anything for it.

I heard a finance professor say that if you were going to just rent, you could take excess money that it would cost you to buy and invest that in the stock market which makes 5% on average annual returns and come out on average about as well. But there is also utility gained from being able to change stuff in the house without restriction, satisfaction of home ownership. etc. That is assuming you know how to buy, etc. as well as the market. If you are better than the market in general, then you might make more from owning a house. A lot of people will pay a mortgage who would not save their money in the stock market, etc.

Home ownership may seem cheaper than renting when you compare a mortgage locked in ten years ago to rent. But when you buy, you have to pay for repairs. We had to replace an A/C. The previous owner hadn't registered something, so we could have had a 10-year guarantee instead of three, and just got that A/C part replaced before the deadline and still had to pay for labor. My wife buys a lot of gardening stuff for the yard she wouldn't have done for a rental. I had to replace outdoor stairs and rotten fence posts.

Housing had been going up before we purchased, but still went up after we bought a house. Since money is losing value due to inflation, and will likely never go back down to 2021 levels, our purchase was probably a good hedge against inflation, and a leveraged hedge against inflation. If we sold, we'd might get four times our down payment back. Of course, we have paid a lot of interest for two years. We locked in a low mortgage rate before those went up. It's good if you can buy at dips and sell at peaks. A single friend bought an old '50's house with his inheritance after his mom died around 2008 or 2009ish. He sold the house around the peak of the market last year. I think he made $150K, used the money to travel to Asia, marry his girlfriend he met online. If the prices dip maybe he will buy again.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
Nope....a thousand times "nope".
The Temple in Jerusalem is nothing but a shadow of Jesus's/God's real house which is in Heaven.
at the time Jesus called it his Fathers house

It was then destroyed in 70AD. It sucked up too much in taxes.