Despite what many financial experts (and maybe even your parents) might tell you, homeownership isn't for everyone. Sure, money can be a huge factor in determining whether or not you're ready to take the plunge into buying a home, but often, people's reasons for waiting to become a homeowner are much more nuanced than that.
If you've thought about buying a home — or could — but decided you'd like to wait instead, I want to know all the details about why you made that decision.
For example, maybe you're worried about being locked into one location. Sure, you could always rent your place out if you need to relocate, but dealing with a property manager from across the country sounds like a nightmare that you'd prefer to avoid, especially if you're just going to break even in the end.
Perhaps you don't consider yourself the handiest person around. After watching your new homeowner friends go through the hellish process of fixing up the home they thought was in A+ condition, you'd rather not be directly responsible for all that upkeep.
In your area, maybe rents are half what you'd pay as a mortgage for a comparable home. It's no surprise that mortgage rates are pretty wild right now, and you're just trying to ride things out before you get stuck with a less-than-ideal interest rate.
Maybe you started the house-hunting process but immediately found yourself frustrated by the lack of inventory. Ultimately, it felt like you were forced to make ridiculously competitive offers for homes you didn't even love, so you're calling it quits for the time being until you're truly ready to go into part two of your house hunt.
Or, perhaps you're struggling to scrounge enough money for a down payment. After paying your monthly student loans and rent, you barely have anything to put aside into your "future home" fund, and you're sick and tired of waiting to reach your goal.
Whatever your reasons are, we want to hear from you about why you've decided to put your homeownership "dreams" on hold — for the time being or forever. Tell us why you're waiting to buy a home in the comments below, or you can use this form if you'd prefer to stay anonymous; bonus points if you include your age and where you currently reside!
We'll feature some of your responses in a future BuzzFeed post.