We did it!

We are not a special couple and what we have accomplished, many have done and will also do. It isn't the goal of life, but it was a goal of ours. We are out of house debt. This little beauty is all ours, less the taxes we will owe each year and the endless repairs, upgrades, and changes we will make in the years to come. But let's not focus on all the negative, rather the positive. We no longer will have to pay a house payment.

I know that this goal seems so far off for many people, and honestly it should. A house purchase is a huge investment, usually the biggest that we will make in our lives. So how were we able to do it at such a young age (I am 26)?

Here are some of the key defining factors as to how this was possible. All were a gift from God and without His help and guidance, honestly it wouldn't have become a reality.

1. We sold two homes already in our life time, both of which we walked away with a fair amount of cash from. This was possible because we continually upgrade, and renovate our homes, doing the work ourselves saved a ton of money that we were able to pocket when the house sold.

2. Our current home purchase price was probably less than a 1/3 of what we could afford according to the bank, who doesn't really care if you are stuck with that "affordable" payment for the next 30 years of your life.

3. Cheaper home=cheaper taxes every year. This payment to the local government never goes away and we were well aware of that when choosing this home.

4. I decided to become a stay at home mom, so we decided to cut our costs. The house was the only thing that would actually make a difference if we could reduce that. So we purchased a cheaper home. It would not be paid off however, if that was all that happened, at least not this fast, it would have taken another 2 years or so. But my husband obtained a better paying job. (more on this the next point)

5. My husband has a better paying job now. We still live off of his previous income. That means we don't spend more than we did before. The extra money we put towards savings and debt reduction.

There is more, but I will detail that later and include our monthly budget as well.