November 2023: Buying a home in your 30s

I was able to visit Strega Italiano in Boston’s Back Bay last week and had a feast! Strega is known for their expensive wine lists, beautiful interiors, and patios, while also providing inspired dishes, creative cocktails, and upscale nightlife. I started my meal off with the Burrata, and it was honestly the highlight of the meal. The burrata was very fresh and light, one of those meals that make you want more. I jumped into the oysters and grilled octopus next, they were both good, fresh, but honestly, I was expecting a little more, flavor-wise. Next up, I went with the meatballs, which were delicious. The sauce was great and complimented the meatballs well. For the main course, I went with the Veal Osso Buco, which was tasty, and I would recommend this for an entrée. I was looking forward to the dessert, but unfortunately, the presentation was much better than the taste. Strega Italiano is good in every category, but when you go to a special occasion restaurant, you want it to feel like a special occasion, not a regular dinner. Strega is great if you’re celebrating your friend’s birthday party. The restaurant is very clean and nice, but I would say that the quality of food compared to the price is not where it’s supposed to be. At this price point, you must be a tough grader. Everything is done well here, especially the service. The staff really does care, and you can’t find that everywhere. They have great attitudes, very positive and they really want to give you the best experience possible. But, the food needs to be a little better at these price points and needs a bit more creativity and flavor profile. On the FoodiePhil scale, Strega scores at a 7.5. This is a good restaurant, and with a few changes, we can see the score climb in the 8 categories.

Where should I go next?! Send me your recommendations!

In this week’s newsletter, we would like to discuss everything you need to know if you’re in your 30’s and buying your first home. There are many factors that go into this but would like to highlight three important facts based on an article from Realtor.com:

1. Is it the right time?

2. What kind of home do you need?

3. Go big or go home

1. Is it the right time?

2. What kind of home do you need?

When people jump into the market, often they come in with doing no research on the type of home or area to live in. This makes your search very broad and can lead to a frustrating time when trying to find that dream home. A good way to get things organized is to simply make a list of things that you desire. for instance, if you’re looking for a home with a superb school district, it’s best to filter your search criteria by that. If being close to a grocery store and restaurants is important to you, it would be best to not search for homes that are off the grid. When it comes to the amenities of the home, you can always update these after a home purchase. When looking into modern homes with brand new appliances, this could drive the cost up so much that you could be overpaying. Sometimes, it’s best to purchase a home “as-is” and make the necessary adjustments once you’re comfortable settled in.

3. Go big or go home

According to realtor.com, many people in their 30’s who are in the market to purchase a home, are looking for a large home to accommodate family changes, such as marriage or children. If you can afford it, look into a larger home. If you’re wanting a larger home but would not be able to save money once purchased, this would not be the best investment for you and would make sense to take a step-back and reevaluate. Going back to point one, you must make sure that now is the right time to buy, and that means you shouldn’t be settling on a home if it’s not meant for you. You can either lower your expectations and go with a smaller home that you do not plan on staying in forever, or you can simply jump out and come back into the market once you are comfortable enough financially to get the home you really want. Keeping your mortgage payment at a third (or less) of your income is ideal and will not cause any unneeded stress about making those monthly mortgage payments.

There are many factors to consider when getting into the home-buying process. It’s best to evaluate all options and to really make sure that now is the right time to buy a home. If you’re only focused on the purchase price and interest rate, you’re simply not ready to buy and need to evaluate more to make sure you are not wasting your own time. If you plan on expanding your family, do consider getting a home larger than you originally thought as it will pay dividends in the long run!

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There are many factors to consider when getting into the home-buying process. It’s best to evaluate all options and to really make sure that now is the right time to buy a home. If you’re only focused on the purchase price and interest rate, you’re simply not ready to buy and need to evaluate more to make sure you are not wasting your own time. If you plan on expanding your family, do consider getting a home larger than you originally thought as it will pay dividends in the long run! If you would like to take part in a short interview for our next newsletter/blog please click here.

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