I went from a roach filled apartment to owning a (pest-free) house in only 7 years
A few months ago, I managed to buy my own home on one income in one of the most expensive places on Earth. And I did it all on my own starting from nothing. That is probably my biggest achievement to date.
In early 2019 I got my first living wage job, making just enough to live independently. I moved into a shitty, roach-infested, 1 bedroom 1920s apt with no AC. It was awful and nearly broke my sanity until I moved out into a slightly better and non-infested apt after 1 year. I lived in the 2nd apt for about 4 years and saved as much money as I could while learning financial literacy, working hard at my job, and going back to school for my master’s degree. I got promoted based on merit and my new degree into a position that paid much better. Now I’m making more than double what I did in 2019. My new income, plus my savings, and a little luck, allowed me to buy my first home in a market where the average home is north of $1 million.
How did I do it? For some inexplicable reason, when I set my mind to something, I’m relentlessly determined to achieve it. No matter how much pain, stress, and other hurdles I face, I refuse to give up. Then once I was in the right position to buy, the stars aligned for me and it happened.
Determination is a super power. My story is a case study of this. If you truly want something, the only thing holding you back is yourself.