Good Morning and it is a good morning for real estate...phones are ringing, more first time homebuyers calling and needing help and it reminds me of my first purchase when I was 19 and newly married.
We saw a two-family on Mill Street in Manchester. My dad was with us and he asked a neighbor, "what kind of neighborhood is this?" And the neighbor said "Lots of families and children" and that was good enough for me because we planned on having a family and the school was close.
We borrowed the 20% (had to have that much money then) and we were OKed for a mortgage!! (hoorah! hoorah!)
Today – different. You do not need any money down, would you believe! Programs like CHFA, FHA, Hope Program, etc. etc. no money down needed, lots of help from town of Manchester and interest rates 3% or lower versus 6% in those days.
Harder to get a mortgage then, but we did it! And now, who says it is harder to buy today?...Not me!
The real reason for the change from one-income to two-income (or two-income plus) family economics is evident if you look around you - and I mean that in the simplest terms. Look around you. How many "must haves" can you count in your house that our parents managed to live without in 1955? Add it all up, now and over time... and you can see how one income couldn't possibly pay for it.
(can't fit anymore clothes in my closet today though!) We are use to spending more and having more and enjoying more!