Can you actually buy a house on your own in your 20s in this market? My guest Sarena Tseng did it at 26, buying in the Austin area in 2025 as a solo first-time homebuyer. She's sharing the real numbers with us: how much she had saved, why she put just 3% down and happily pays PMI, how house hacking with roommates makes her mortgage work, and the $12,000 kitchen refresh that turned an outdated house into one she loves. We also get into the costs nobody warned her about and what owning a home alone looks like once you have the keys.
➞ Buying in the next 12 months? Get matched with a first-time homebuyer friendly FAME agent in your area. It's free and takes about 2 minutes.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN TODAY:
- How much a solo first-time homebuyer actually had saved before buying, and why you want liquid cash instead of pulling from investments
- Why she chose a 3% down conventional loan through a Fannie Mae first-time homebuyer program, and what her PMI really costs each month
- The closing costs and ongoing expenses that caught her off guard, including lender's title insurance, prepaid HOA dues, and homeowners insurance
- How house hacking with roommates made a mortgage affordable on a single income
- Why mortgage calculators on Zillow tend to underestimate your real monthly payment
- How she turned an older, "technically turnkey" home into her dream space with a $12,000 kitchen update
- Why the house she bought wasn't her favorite online, and how a must-have list kept her open-minded
- What life looks like after closing as a solo homeowner, from furnishing on a budget to window treatments
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