u/AMP5288

I moved into my first condo and I wanted to paint the walls White Dove by Benjamin Moore, however the walls are currently Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams. When I put the sample swab of White Dove on my wall, I do notice a difference in the tone of white, but two of my friends said that both colors look so similar that I would be wasting my time. Would I notice a huge difference in my walls after they are painted with White Dove? Or would I be wasting my time?

I’m a 38-year-old woman and I’m struggling with a lot of regret around homeownership.

Back in 2020, I was under contract to buy a 3-bedroom, 2-bath single-family home for $250,000 at around a 2.5% interest rate. The house had a lot of updates, but the HVAC system was near the end of its life, the roof was older, and there was radon in the basement.

My family strongly discouraged me from buying it. They kept telling me I was overpaying, that the house needed too much work, and that another housing crash like 2008 was coming. They warned me that the house wouldn’t hold its value and that I could end up owing more than it was worth.

I got scared and backed out of the contract.

Instead, I rented a one-bedroom apartment. Looking back, renting felt like quicksand financially. It was much harder to save than I expected. Fast forward to today: that same house recently sold again for nearly $400,000.

I’ve regretted backing out of that purchase for years.

I spent a long time trying to find a single-family home that I could afford, but with prices and interest rates where they are now, I finally decided to buy a condo. I closed on it yesterday.

Part of me is happy because it’s a step up from renting and I’m finally building equity. But another part of me feels disappointed because I always pictured myself owning a single-family home. Even though I own the condo, I still feel like I’m living in an apartment since I have neighbors around me and above me.

I know that sounds irrational, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’m behind compared to other people my age. Many of my friends bought homes years ago, built a lot of equity, and refinanced during the pandemic when rates were incredibly low. Some also had financial help from their parents.

I didn’t have that kind of support. My parents never encouraged me to buy when I was younger and weren’t able to help financially. Sometimes I feel resentful because it seems like I have had to do everything on my own while others got a head start.

I’m already thinking about living in the condo for a year, renting it out, and eventually trying to buy a single-family home.

For those who bought a condo when you really wanted a house, did the feeling of disappointment eventually go away? Is buyer’s remorse normal right after purchasing a home? And for anyone who feels like they got into the housing market later than everyone else, how did you stop comparing yourself to other people?