Buying a house was our dream. After 3 years as homeowners, we still question if it was the right choice.

"Homeownership was proof of success, stability, and permanence in a city whose rising cost-of-living threatens to push you out. It was a tangible declaration that "I made it." I clung fiercely to that belief as did my husband, who was raised on a similar doctrine. So when mortgage rates began to climb in the summer of 2022, we had to act."

"At the time, we were DINKS (dual income, no kids) who lived along a busy city intersection, each earning six figures. But we knew that if we didn't make a move soon, it wouldn't be long before the competitive LA market would price us out of the city we love. After touring 25 homes in one month, we landed on a house in the suburbs that felt worthy of an offer."

"It wasn't in the neighborhood we'd grown fond of as renters, and was far from friends and family, but it met all of our nonnegotiables a single-family home, close proximity to my husband's office, three bedrooms, a two-car garage, central A/C, an enclosed backyard for our rambunctious dog, and less than a 20-minute commute to the beach. After a whirlwind three-week escrow, we closed on our starter home in August 2022."

"For a moment, we felt triumphant. We were official homeowners in Los Angeles. Not long afterward, a realization hit: We had priced ourselves out of the lifestyle we loved. It's been hard to rebuild our savings and make the house feel like 'ours' It's been stressful to have higher bills and more responsibilities. Before becoming homeowners, we had monthly discretionary income and a comfortable financial runway."

A first-generation Filipino-American native Angeleno grew up watching a single mother struggle with rising Los Angeles rent while parents praised homeownership as proof of success and stability. When mortgage rates climbed in summer 2022, the couple acted quickly to avoid being priced out of the city. They toured 25 homes in one month and chose a suburban single-family house that met key needs, including proximity to work, three bedrooms, a two-car garage, central A/C, an enclosed backyard, and a commute under 20 minutes to the beach. After a three-week escrow, they closed in August 2022 and felt triumphant, but later realized the purchase priced them out of the lifestyle they loved, making it hard to rebuild savings and settle into the home amid higher bills and responsibilities.

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