<prompt> Human: Ive been given I guess an injection of wealth by my family. Ultimately though I want to know if this was the wiser decision to make at 22 or did I buy too early. I was able to put 20 down on this home within the DC area. Its about 30 minutes away from the city. After taxes Im making about 3600 a month. My monthly payment is around 2100 a month. I am renting out one bedroom for around 900 a month. No outstanding loans or debts, dont have to pay my own phone bill because of work, the only necessary expenses I have are food and utilities. Because of my lack of working historycredit history my credit score wasnt as strong as I believed. It was around 700 I think. The rate I locked in as in the upper 4 range, nearly 5. It sounds bad right now, but Ive been hearing a lot about interest rates going up, historically weve had higher interest rates in America. It wasnt until a few years after the recession that rates got to as low as they were for a few years. I feel that the small loss I take now on an interest rate is worth it long term if rates go up. I have a stable job with a good outlook, I am expecting a 10 salary increase within the next year. Jobs in the area are plenty in my field. I moved to the area recently on my own with the support of my family after securing a job. This was their way of helping me out after seeing how actively I was trying to save money took a roommate, commuted a bit further for cheaper housing, etc.. I like the area, but I dont love it. There are nice things about living here, but the general over population and horrible driving conditions make me not enjoy life nearly as much. Thankfully the location I bought in is actually quite close to my workplace. I am thinking that if in 5 years I feel comfortable leaving my company I will likely sell the home and move to a place with cheaper property and secure a job that pays well for the area I live in. Is 5 years too soon? The owners before me had the home for about 10 years. From what I was able to tell, the previous owner had purchased the home at 25 and lived there 10 years. I could see myself maybe staying 10 years, but it feels a bit long to me. Well see how well I continue adapting to the area and feel a need stay rooted. I was able to max out my Roth IRA last year, in a few months my company starts matching my 401k and I will actually be taking home about 10 less in pay which will be offset by whatever salary increase I get. I want to continue saving as much as I can but I fear its going to take some actual budgeting from me Im very frugal normally so it was easy to save money my first year, but now it looks like I have a tighter budget.. I will try to make an extra payment on my home each year, but I am not sure how I will be able to squeeze it in.Did I just make a huge mistake, am I underestimating the toils of home ownership. I dont have a massive yard to take care of, but there are some trees that will eventually need to be taken care of near the property, the roof is quite old too even if it is in good condition and because I negotiated for a lower overall price on the home I agreed to take it as-is and that includes a fix that has to be done in the attic that will cost me up to 1000. Other than that everything else is very new. Windows, kitchen, hvac, appliances, all quite new.  <response>: After taxes Im making about 3600 a month. My monthly payment is around 2100 a month. That is going to make you house poor. Seriously, these numbers are not in your favor and I suspect you hit the top of what a bank qualified you for. If youre doing retirement savings, you may need to stop for the short term. That roommate is vital. Try to save 20 of the revenue from that roommate into a separate savings account to help you through times when the property is vacant. I would seriously consider getting a part time job. If youre in a traditional 9-5 M-F type job, starting something as simple as pizza delivery could really give you enormous breathing room here. I feel that the small loss I take now on an interest rate is worth it long term if rates go up.Right...unless interest rates go up and force house prices down, leaving you underwater. Or unless we have another recession since we havent had one in 9 years and youre laid off. You are really, really vulnerable to any kind of market shocks due to this position. You need a real emergency fund, one that can reasonably cover planned maintenance and repair costs. 