Hello there! So my husband and I are looking into buying a home. We know all the basics-taxes, insurance, mortgage...we understand (and for general purposes know the cost) for lawn care, utilities, replacing roofing/siding/hvac/other things like that, we will not buy with hoa fees, so that won't be an issue. There's more, but I won't type it all out for you. So even though we know what we qualify for, what we can realistically afford, and what the market in our area looks like, I'm wondering what thoughts current homeowners have to say about owning a home.

When you bought, were you as ready as you thought you were?

What surprised you about owning a home?

What unexpected costs creeped up on you?

What did you expect to pay per month (when planning) vs. the reality?

Was it worth it to buy instead of rent, when rent/owning was similar in monthly costs (before hidden/unexpected costs)

What advice do you have going into the buying process?

Thanks in advance!