Author: /u/Disastrous-Bonus3293

Hi fellow Houstonians,

Currently I have been living in Houston for over 4 years, but I have been living in an apartment renting this whole time. I am a single person with no kids working a corporate job. Since rent prices are going up across town, I was thinking about buying a house. I am a “numbers guy”, so I have to sit down and crunch out the numbers before making any hasty decision. And I’ve never owned a house before, so I basically know zero about this process.

Who can I speak to who is able to give me accurate numbers (ex. cost of mortgage, utilities, insurance, taxes, etc.)?

Is it a specific type of financial advisor or real estate agent who I can sit down with and work out the numbers, without them trying to sell a house down my throat? Or is it even a good idea to even buy a home now? With rising rents and housing costs, I do feel like I’m wedged in between two boulders.

Personally I am content with my living arrangement. I live in a one bed/one bath apartment and pay less than $1100 a month in rent. I am able to max out my 401k, HSA, and Roth IRA, and still have left over to spend. The only reason why I have considered buying a house is just purely money, and rent is going up like crazy, so my “less than $1100 rent” days might be coming to an end.

In my area alone, apartments like mine are already $1500/month minimum, which is why I haven’t left my current apartment. I am always looking for more ways to be efficient with my money. I can always rent out rooms if I were to own a home, although that is not my ideal situation, as I do value my privacy. Thanks in advanced!