This year has flown by quick. We are already finishing half of the year. As I adjust and settle into my new life here in Vegas, I haven't been as active on social media but I do post whenever I can on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. Please follow me to get updates when I post. 😊
As I adjust, I realize that I do like the city. I love the Strip. I don't gamble nor drink (more a social drinker) but I do enjoy the shows, entertainment and the "city" life the Strip offers. At the same time, I appreciate the quietness and the other activities Vegas offers outside of the strip. So I get the best of both worlds and I love that. Plus, most people or friends I know will eventually visit the Strip sooner or later. I mean who doesn't want to see the gigantic casinos that the Strip offers at least once in their life, right? So I will see my friends or acquaintances when they visit.
With this decision to stay, I have decided early this year to go ahead and purchase a home. I went around with my realtor to look at resale homes but the market has been very competitive that several of my offers were not accepted. I had one that was accepted but the inspection report came back with major issues that could potentially cost me a lot of money.
After the frustration from this experience, I decided to just go with a brand new home. I have always wanted a brand new home but I was targeting a certain budget. After the disappointing experience above, I decided to increase my budget so I can go for a house that I want - with the specs I want, a big enough size with enough rooms for my hobbies and passions. The house is 1966 square feet with a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, and a loft that I am converting into a dance room, plus a backyard mainly for my dogs (super important for me and I'm sure for them too! 😄)
I have owned a condo before (read about my experience regarding that) and jointly owned a condo-style townhouse with no backyard in the Bay Area with a former partner. This would be my first time to ever own a single-family house with a backyard under just my own name so it is a proud accomplishment for me. I have always wanted to live in a lower cost of living area so I don't have to work as hard and continue my semi-retired lifestyle. I also put down a large enough downpayment so my monthly housing cost will be very low. After I settle in, my housing expenses will actually be lower than my current rental (I am living in a one-bedroom apartment at the moment for only $1250 - this would have been closer to $3000 had I stayed in the Silicon Valley area). You can start counting the reasons why I've moved here right? 😉
The equivalent house I bought would also have been four times the price in the Bay Area. For reference I bought my home for around $400K and two almost equivalent houses currently on market as of today in Milpitas where I was from is being offered for almost $1.6M (house 1, house 2). I could essentially afford it since I have been down that road before owning a home in the Silicon Valley area so I know how to work around my budget for that but I want to take it easy and enjoy not working as hard anymore. Hence, here I am. Everything I did was intentional to get to a place where I am semi-retired with a schedule I can always change to fit my needs and still continue doing what I love - helping people with their finances plus enjoy my hobbies and what the city has to offer.
How are your financial goals going? Do you feel confident about where you are headed? If you need help or just want to chat, feel free to set up a complimentary chat. I also have a Fourth of July sale going on right now for all my services. If you set up a complimentary and officially sign up as my client from now till midnight PST on July 4th, you will get 20% off any services or packages you pay upfront (discount does not apply to installment plans).
As I adjust, I realize that I do like the city. I love the Strip. I don't gamble nor drink (more a social drinker) but I do enjoy the shows, entertainment and the "city" life the Strip offers. At the same time, I appreciate the quietness and the other activities Vegas offers outside of the strip. So I get the best of both worlds and I love that. Plus, most people or friends I know will eventually visit the Strip sooner or later. I mean who doesn't want to see the gigantic casinos that the Strip offers at least once in their life, right? So I will see my friends or acquaintances when they visit.
With this decision to stay, I have decided early this year to go ahead and purchase a home. I went around with my realtor to look at resale homes but the market has been very competitive that several of my offers were not accepted. I had one that was accepted but the inspection report came back with major issues that could potentially cost me a lot of money.
After the frustration from this experience, I decided to just go with a brand new home. I have always wanted a brand new home but I was targeting a certain budget. After the disappointing experience above, I decided to increase my budget so I can go for a house that I want - with the specs I want, a big enough size with enough rooms for my hobbies and passions. The house is 1966 square feet with a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, and a loft that I am converting into a dance room, plus a backyard mainly for my dogs (super important for me and I'm sure for them too! 😄)
I have owned a condo before (read about my experience regarding that) and jointly owned a condo-style townhouse with no backyard in the Bay Area with a former partner. This would be my first time to ever own a single-family house with a backyard under just my own name so it is a proud accomplishment for me. I have always wanted to live in a lower cost of living area so I don't have to work as hard and continue my semi-retired lifestyle. I also put down a large enough downpayment so my monthly housing cost will be very low. After I settle in, my housing expenses will actually be lower than my current rental (I am living in a one-bedroom apartment at the moment for only $1250 - this would have been closer to $3000 had I stayed in the Silicon Valley area). You can start counting the reasons why I've moved here right? 😉
The equivalent house I bought would also have been four times the price in the Bay Area. For reference I bought my home for around $400K and two almost equivalent houses currently on market as of today in Milpitas where I was from is being offered for almost $1.6M (house 1, house 2). I could essentially afford it since I have been down that road before owning a home in the Silicon Valley area so I know how to work around my budget for that but I want to take it easy and enjoy not working as hard anymore. Hence, here I am. Everything I did was intentional to get to a place where I am semi-retired with a schedule I can always change to fit my needs and still continue doing what I love - helping people with their finances plus enjoy my hobbies and what the city has to offer.
How are your financial goals going? Do you feel confident about where you are headed? If you need help or just want to chat, feel free to set up a complimentary chat. I also have a Fourth of July sale going on right now for all my services. If you set up a complimentary and officially sign up as my client from now till midnight PST on July 4th, you will get 20% off any services or packages you pay upfront (discount does not apply to installment plans).
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