How long you’ve been in this house and how many years do you intend to stay? (mortgage, buyers)

[Ishad]

Current: 4 years
Earliest we would look at moving is in 3 years.

[lpepping]

1.5 years in the current house. Planning to stay 10+ years.

[stephwin]

8 years and planning on staying at least another 18ish (or until the kids are gone). We bought when prices were low and we have a ton of equity now, and the house fits our needs. We'll reevaluate once both kids have moved out.

[jdallas]

4 years and looking to sell next year.

[posattitude]

20 years ... and now looking to move

[adjusterjack]

Retired, 71, in my house 19 years now. It's paid for. Occasionally think about downsizing but no reason to do so yet.

Que Sera, Sera.

[TurtleCreek80]

Current house - 5 years. Depending on schools, we'll either be here another 6 years or forever (well, until we're so old that our 1/2 acre lot gets to be too much to maintain). As long as the kiddos get into private school and our financial situation allows for tuition, we have no plans to move anytime soon.

[Aggielina]

3 years in our house. I have no plans to move. My littles will start elementary next year and I've put a lot of effort into making social connections in our neighborhood to ease this transition for my oldest. A lot of people in my neighborhood sell and move into nicer houses nearby and still remain in the same schools. I could imagine us doing that if our financial situation were to improve a lot. Prices have gone up so much since we bought that at this time we wouldn't be able to afford an equivalent house in the same area, much less move up.

I doubt this is our forever home, though. But for now we're happy with it.

[UnfairPark]

Obviously there is no harm in moving if needed for some reason or if financial circumstances improve significantly but doubling up debt for fluff because income can handle bigger payment is a sure fire way to stay stuck in debt cycle for long.

[BigDGeek]

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Well, different folks take different strokes but whatever happened to the pilosophy of paying it off and living debt free. Life is unpredictable, why enter into new debt for superficial reasons? If house is too small or neighborhood is horrible or schools suck or commute kills or you found a fortune to buy with cash then sure but adding more debt just for fluff? It doesn’t make sense to me but may be i’m too old fashioned.

I would put "new build" and "media room" in the fluff category.

Originally Posted by UnfairPark

Obviously there is no harm in moving if needed for some reason or if financial circumstances improve significantly but doubling up debt for fluff because income can handle bigger payment is a sure fire way to stay stuck in debt cycle for long.

Well, you've highlighted a very common problem with people in the middle & upper-middle class and that is they live at the top of (if not beyond) their means. Some people do genuinely feel pressured to keep up with the Joneses, even if that means following the Jones to the exurbs and building a brand-new house right next door to them.


We feel no such pressure but I think we're possibly in the minority.