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Under: Debt
Buying a new car and condo! Help!
  • I am 24 years old and have been working as a full-time engineer for about 2 years. Due to several unforeseen medical and car expenses last year, I racked up quite a bit of debt on my credit cards, on top of a $24k student loan. After getting a promotion and raise, I have managed to pay off almost all my credit card debt, which will be paid off in 2 months!

    On my 25th birthday, I will be receiving an investment account with about $70k, which was a result of a medical malpractice lawsuit when I was 1 year old. I desperately need a new car, as mine has 180,000 miles and has been costing me so much in repairs. I also am considering buying a 1-bedroom condo, to make the investment and stop throwing my money away on rent each month. This has been in my short term planning for some time, and I will have around $5k saved to help with the down payment on the condo (my price range is around $130k-$180k).

    I am very overwhelmed with how I should allocate this large sum of money coming to me in a few weeks. Should I keep all of it in long-term investments and finance both the car and the condo? Should I buy the car with cash and make a large down payment on the condo to minimize mortgage payments? Should I pay off my student loans in full?

    Help!
  • It really depends on what your interest rate is on your student loan and how much you are paying per month.. Since rates are low on home purchases I would say finance. Rates can sometimes be low when financing a car as well depending on where you get it from.. There are so many variables at play in regards to all of your questions. Basically, low interest rate = finance.. Ultimately, it is what will make you feel comfortable..
  • For myself I would do the following:

    - ensure I have a emergency fund with 6 months of living expenses worth of money in it
    -pay off my student loan and all debts
    -then start to save up for a down payment for my home.
    I follow Dave Ramsey's school of thought when it comes to finance.
  • First of all congrats on paying off your consumer debt!

    Please be cautious about jumping into home ownership. Rent money isn't "throwing money away", especially if the housing market is not ideal. Depending on the length of the mortgage, you are paying more than the value of your condo over time as a result of interest accumulated. In addition as a home owner, you would have to worry about repairs, utilities (if not included), cost of maintenance, condominium fees, parking, etc. This can really add up over time.

    As a rule, pay off the debt with the highest interest rate off first. For example if you invest the money at an interest rate of 3% per year, and your student loan interest rate is charging you 6% per year - it doesn't make sense to keep that money invested if you're paying off a debt that's costing you more!

    Consider buying used (Japanese cars are statistically better performers, this has to do with their manufacturing policies) cars - since cars depreciate as soon as you drive them out of the dealership. If a car is lightly used (less than 50,000 km), fuel efficient, relatively recent model, and if you have a friend or a second opinion to ensure the car is reliable, you can save yourself a ton of money. You already have student debt, and you want to add a mortgage as well as a new car on top? Think about that carefully first. Make sure you plan wisely and not dig yourself a bigger hole.

    You're only 24! Don't rush into home ownership, and address your current debt in smaller manageable pieces - without trying to create more debt if you can help it.

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