I need help on home buying advice?

Somethings to ask yourself- How long are you wanting to stay in the town? Are you always wanting to work 2 jobs? Can you make the house payment on your own, with out roommates in case something happens? Can you pay for the upkeep on a house?

I'm in the same boat as you, I'm 21 and I hate renting. So, I moved out of state and now I am renting to own. Forgot to ask, are you in school? Personally, I think you should go for it. Or, wait yeah know..6 months save more money then go for it. Maybe move in with someone and split rent..in a college town there is always rooms available :) I mean, especially if it is a college town..say x amount of years down the road you want to move..you can easily rent it out. I know houses in a University town where I lived went for over 1,000 per month. I would also figure out monthly bills, and even estimate some..such as house payment, trash, utilities, cable..etc. Have you lived on your on before? Will you need to buy furniture too? I would also figure up your budget of what you want to spend in a house, what kind of loan you want to get and the down payment you would like to make. I saw you said a fairly new starter home...does it have to be newer? I'm not saying get a complete fixer-upper...but getting a house that needs some TLC could really save you some $$. Like my house, it needs new flooring, paint and a new fence..and in a couple years I want to re do the master bathroom. But on the other hand, it's on 5 acres, and one bathroom has been re-done and so has the kitchen.

Good luck!

Don't buy yet you aren't nearly ready. A house cost much more than you might think. Assuming you could find a home for 100,000 could qualify for a 5% loan your would be paying 5,000 a year just for interest. Your savings would all go to closing cost so you wouldn't have a down payment at all. So you would pay PMI, principal, property taxes and homeowners insurance on top of the interest. Your house payment might be over a thousand a month. This means you need to be earning more than 4,000 a month to start to afford a 100,000 home.

Besides the house payment you will want furniture, drapes, lawn mower, garden hose and other homeowner things. You will also need an emergency fund for when an appliance, furnace or other thing breaks. Driving as much as you do you will need to replace the car sooner than someone who doesn't.

I'd get a studio (just me bad roommates experiences I won't walk that way again)

Save up your money and go to auctions of foreclosed homes the first time they are actioned look at those that don't sale and inspect them then keep watch for "legal notes when they aren't trying to get the balance of the overpriced home anymore those are bargains.

Keep your credit clean and when you think you have enough to get pre-approved for a mortgage do that and register to bid at the 2nd auctions (you'll have to show your pre-aproved limit and you can not bid a penny more so note the fees and bring a calculator cause its up to you.) These are houses that have not sold in over a year and well an empty hose is a invitation.

don't be in a hurry and you'll find one just the right place and price, because you choose it at the first action you'll have looked it and the area over...word of advice drive through the neighborhood about 10 pm to get a real feel of it