Reacting to: “If I Can’t Buy a Home, Why Don’t I Just Be Gorgeous?”

Summary

Smart Money Happy Hour — Episode Summary

Podcast: Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel
Episode: Reacting to: “If I Can’t Buy a Home, Why Don’t I Just Be Gorgeous?”
Date: March 19, 2026
Host: Ramsey Network

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Main Theme

This episode dives into the zeitgeist of housing affordability—especially among millennials—and unpacks the viral sentiment: “If I can’t buy a home, why don’t I just be gorgeous?” Hosts Rachel Cruze and George Kamel mix humor, empathy, and practical advice as they tackle why homeownership feels increasingly out of reach, explore common frustrations, challenge prevailing narratives, and provide actionable ways to move forward in today’s real estate market.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Viral “Be Gorgeous” Approach

• Summary: The episode kicks off with talk of a viral article expressing exasperation at the challenges of homeownership and the trend of focusing spending on self-care and lifestyle experiences instead (“If I can’t buy a home, why don’t I just be gorgeous?”).
• George’s Take: “It is very classic millennial to disassociate from the harsh reality around us and instead take the path of least resistance to get a quick hit.” (02:54)
• Rachel Adds: This response is almost like reaching the “acceptance” phase of grief regarding homeownership (03:30).

Escapism & Delayed Adulthood

• Expanded on broader patterns—like pursuing endless graduate degrees or other forms of avoidance—to sidestep financial realities:

"You're just avoiding reality. It's delusion is what it is. It's an expensive version of delusion." — George (04:03)

Anchoring the Conversation: Housing Market Realities

• Rachel and George emphasize that they want to strike a balance—not denying housing is tough, nor playing “doom and gloom,” but also not promising get-rich-quick landlord schemes.

“We're not on either extreme...we’re here to give hope to the situation, because we see people doing it right. Does it take longer, different expectations? Absolutely.” — Rachel (06:10)

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Key Barriers to Homeownership

(segments throughout 06:52–23:12)

1. Saving for a Down Payment

• A large down payment is daunting, especially with existing debts.
• Actionable tip: Follow the Ramsey Baby Steps (debt payoff, emergency fund, then save for down payment).
• George: “There’s nothing that says you have to buy a house by a certain age or at a certain life milestone. This is your own journey.” (09:49)
• Rachel: “If you are debt free, that frees up almost $1,000 … you could be using extra to save.” (08:03)

2. Home Prices Way Up

• Compared to parents’ generation, homes are far more expensive relative to income.
• 1995: Median home $133K, median income $34K.
• 2025: Median home $410K, median income $84K.
• Key insight: The house-price-to-income ratio has gone from ~2x to ~6x.
• George: “The numbers are startling.” (15:32)

3. Waiting for the “Perfect” Situation

• Many hesitate, expecting to have more savings, marry rich, or wait for better interest rates or a dream job.
• Warning: Waiting endlessly can be an excuse for inertia.
• Rachel: “Control what you can today to get you where you want to be.” (18:25)

4. High Interest Rates

• Recent years’ 2–3% rates probably aren’t coming back; current rates hover in the 5–6% range.
• Waiting could mean missing out as home prices rise faster than rates drop.
• George: “If we do [see 2–3% again], something terrible has happened. I’m gonna be honest, I don’t think we want the world where that exists.” (19:41)

5. Homeownership as a Responsibility

• It’s “a lot more than you bargain for”—unexpected problems, ongoing repairs, and the end of “call the landlord” days.
• Rachel: “There’s a lot that goes into it...adding that on top of no margin financially would be so stressful.” (23:17)
• George: “I do miss the days where I could just text the apartment complex...now it’s just me googling plumber near me.” (23:48)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

The Generational “Flex”

• Rachel: “Homeownership with women now has outpaced men.” (10:36)
• George: “That makes sense because women want security. And guys couldn’t give a risk. They’re sports betting their life away.” (10:43)

The Reality Check

• Rachel: “This house is not your forever home...that’s a romanticized idea.” (17:10)

Compromise Is Key

• George: “It means you need to make more than the median income and you need to buy a house that is maybe less than the median sales price...that’s called compromise.” (15:39)

On Maintenance Surprises

• George’s leak story: “It’s called an ice dam. I had one of those happen…Whitney looked up at our ceiling and went, ‘Hey, that looks like it’s, like, sopping wet.’” (22:41)

Advice for the Overwhelmed

• Rachel: “It’s okay to complain a little bit and then to say, okay, what am I gonna do next?” (15:51)

The Power of Movement

• George: “Get your foot in the door when you can, when you’re financially ready, so that you can capture that equity and home appreciation. Because I promise you this: 10 years from now, you’re gonna be wishing the prices were what they were today.” (29:44)

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Notable Segments & Timestamps

• “Be Gorgeous” discussion, millennial coping strategies: 02:16–04:56
• Housing market frustrations & extremes on the internet: 05:29–06:32
• Common grievances: Saving, pricing, waiting, interest rates: 06:52–21:47
• Unexpected realities of homeownership: 21:55–26:27
• Compromise, changing expectations, and taking action: 26:26–29:48

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Actionable Advice & Solutions

1. Follow the Money Priorities

• Use Baby Steps:
  1. $1,000 Emergency Fund
  2. Pay off all consumer debt
  3. Build full emergency fund (3–6 months)
  4. THEN save for home down payment

2. Adjust Expectations

• Consider lower-cost markets, condos/townhomes, moving farther out, or starting smaller—not the forever home.
• Be open to waiting but keep taking steps (not stalling out).

3. Get Practical with Tools

• Use budgeting apps like EveryDollar and banking/saving solutions like Fairwinds Credit Union.
• Try a mortgage calculator before shopping (link in description).

4. Don’t Fear Renting

• Renting while saving is “way less stressful” than overextending on a mortgage.

5. Remember, It’s Your Timeline

• Homeownership isn’t mandatory by a certain age or life event.

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"Guilty as Charged" Segment (32:07–35:48)

Question: Are you guilty of overpaying for anything as a homeowner?

• George: “Window coverings is the biggest scam out there right now... I feel like I overpaid for everything as a homeowner.” (32:21–33:08)
• Rachel: “Roman shades is the death of me... We paid more for window treatments, I think, than some of our furniture.” (32:42)
• Bonus: George got a big Costco gift card as a rebate for his (expensive) motorized bedroom shades.
• Rachel: Winston (her husband) overpays for top-quality air filters—“he’s a MERV [filter rating] kind of guy.” (34:44)

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Quick Recap & Takeaways

George: “It’s just a complicated topic and there’s so much emotion behind it. You need to put your blinders on and go, okay, where am I at today? Where do I want to be? How do I bridge the gap? Those are the only questions you should be asking.” (28:33)

Rachel: “It’s okay to have emotion, complaints...but then we need to move to a solution...the movement needs to be forward, not just sitting and complaining about the current situation.” (28:42–29:17)

Final Practical Tip:
George’s free “Home Buyer” video course is linked for those starting their journey—no expensive influencer traps here. (30:09)

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Drink of the Episode

Basil and Lillet Spritz

• Rachel: “7/10. Refreshing, grew on me.”
• George: “4/10. Too much like a carbonated white wine, not my thing. $4.61 per glass.” (30:25–31:39)

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The Bottom Line

This episode offers both tough love and hope for aspiring homebuyers: Yes, the market is tough, but you can make progress—just pivot your expectations, stay financially organized, and take small steps forward. And if homeownership isn’t on the table right now? Rent with confidence, put your energy elsewhere, and don’t fall for shame or quick-fix promises.

For more resources, check the links in the episode description!

Transcript

[A]

Hey, guys, Rachel Cruze here. Listen, we need your help. We have a survey coming out around Smart Money Happy Hour, and we wanna make this show even better in 2026. But it's up to you to help us.

[B]

So here's how you help us. Text the word smart to this number, 33789 or go to ramseysolutions.com smart to take the survey. And no pressure, but we need to beat a world record here. So take it asap.

[A]

Help us out and you could win a hundred dollar Amazon gift card.

[B]

Who knows if you want to help us out and get a chance to win an Amazon gift card while you're at it, go take it. The survey closes April 10, so time is of the essence. This one goes out to anyone who feels like owning a home is a lost cause at this point. Chin up, millennial soldiers. We've got you.

[A]

I can start a fire in our fireplace.

[B]

Isn't it just like Baby Jenga?

[A]

Are you guilty of overpaying for anything as a homeowner?

[B]

Well, that's a loaded.

[A]

Hey, guys, I'm Rachel Cruz.

[B]

I'm George Camel and this is Smart Money Happy Hour.

[A]

Cheers.

[B]

Cheers.

[A]

Oh, hey, guys. This is the show where two friends who happen to be money experts talk about what you're talking about. Everything from pop culture, current events and money.

[B]

But first, let's talk about what we're sipping on. This is a Basil and Lillet spritz.

[A]

Oh, Lillet.

[B]

Little French thrown in there for fun, Lillette. It's not Lillette. We found that out the hard way. I watched many a pronunciation video on YouTube, which, by the way, guys, if you're gonna make pronunciation videos, just get right to it. We don't need an intro, don't need a preamble. Just tell us how to say the word.

[A]

Just. You didn't know how to say the word.

[B]

There we go.

[A]

Did your girl not help you? Your little AI friend?

[B]

I didn't ask her.

[A]

Oh, she'd been like, oh, my gosh, George, you are so smart to even ask. Not many people ask the pronunciation of that word. That's a very ass me tell you, George, let me tell you.

[B]

Oh, you know what? God forbid someone be encouraging in my life.

[A]

Whitney, I'm on your side in life. I don't like her.

[B]

Well, hey, stick around till the end. We're going to give you our rating and reveal the cost per glass. Don't miss it. All right, so we saw a relatable article recently that made us lol. So we're here to Tell you about it.

[A]

Oh, my gosh. It was titled. I'm going to. I'm going to read it because it is funny. I can't afford a home, so why don't I just be gorgeous?

[B]

Meaning they have a good point.

[A]

I cannot afford this massive purchase, so I'm going to just go spend it on things that make me feel good and clothes and purses and beauty stuff

[B]

and, like, travel and just do the

[A]

things that I want to do, because that out there is out of reach. So instead of trying to get that thing, I'm going to just spend and be gorgeous.

[B]

I think you can do both, and I'm living proof.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I'm kidding.

[A]

Mm. Mm. You are not.

[B]

It is very classic millennial to disassociate from the harsh reality around us and instead take the path of least resistance to get a quick hit that is. It's very much the zeitgeist in which we live.

[A]

Yeah. You think you see that a lot. You feel like you do.

[B]

I think there's a level of cynicism that then leads to a almost carefree, whatever, man. Let's just live our life.

[A]

Well. There is that feeling of like, okay, I can't afford a, you know, 400, 300,000 doll that in the market. Right. Like in Nashville or something. Like, a nice place. It's like, so I might as well just go get a $2,000 bag, make myself feel better.

[B]

It's like the stages of grief, they're at the acceptance phase.

[A]

Yes. And it's just like, this is how it is. And so I'm gonna do what I want, and I'm gonna just live in the moment.

[B]

Can I give you another example of this?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Pursuing your third graduate degree to avoid entering the real world and facing all the student loans that you have acquired. It's just anytime someone's like, I'm in

[A]

grad school, I think I'm gonna go get my master's. You're like, why?

[B]

You shouldn't think you're gonna go get. You should do it because your job requires it. The thing that you are pursuing is like, you can't do this without that.

[A]

Why does that make us so angry?

[B]

Because I'm just. You're just avoiding reality. It's delusion is what it is. It's an expensive version of delusion and

[A]

feeling, like, this false hope of, like, if I have this, everyone's gonna want me.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And you're like, everyone's still gonna probably feel the same way for the most part. Right. Like, it's not like, oh, my gosh, I automatically get a $30,000 raise because I know people got a master's degree in communications or something.

[B]

You might be overqualified.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Because you can't get that job without having a job in the first place. You need some experience.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And they can't get the entry level job with a master's degree a lot of the time.

[A]

Yeah. And do you think that they have a dollar amount in mind when they leave the master's program of what now they. What they now expect?

[B]

Oh, for sure. I think anyone with a master's degree is like, I'll be making six figures. It's just like automatic. Like, it doesn't work like that. So there's a lot of things that we do that are wild.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But let's, let's focus on the task at hand here.

[A]

Yes, I know the housing market. Now, we are not here to deny that this is a challenging thing. Right? It is. The market today. It is. It is challenging. We're going to dive into some numbers. We're going to talk about it. George's I don't see, like, I don't see you like this very often, but right before we started rolling the cameras, George was like, I just don't want us to come off like we, like, we are so out of touch. And I'm like, george, we're not. We're gonna give all the prereqs that it is a challenge.

[B]

You're relatable. I'm the one who has to watch myself. I can be a little bit.

[A]

It's a challenging time. Well, I think, as I was called as content creators. Is that annoying?

[B]

I think it's better than influencers.

[A]

Okay. I'll say content. There's a lot of people in this space when they talk about houses, they're basically like, there's no hope for anyone. We only make $4 an hour and houses are $5 million. You're never gonna get anywhere. Like, that's what it feels like when we watch other people and we're like, gosh.

[B]

Or the other side is, you should get 30 houses before you're 25 and just follow my strategy and buy my course. I'm like, okay. What?

[A]

That's so true.

[B]

We can't afford one house. You want us to buy 20?

[A]

Never thought about that, George.

[B]

That's exhausting.

[A]

They want you to get five VRBOs or they're like, you're never gonna afford it.

[B]

And it's not that hard, guys.

[A]

Yeah. So listen, we are not on either extreme, we're in the middle. We're here to give hope to the situation because we see people doing it right. And does it take longer, different expectations? Absolutely. We're in chat all about it. But just know we're not gonna leave you with the problem that the housing market is hard and just be that friend that just sits there and just doesn't move. We're gonna be moving, moving in the muck.

[B]

You know, we're gonna acknowledge the hard truths and we're also gonna dispel some myths and squash the misinformation on the Internet about real estate. Okay. So we both host the Ramsey show and we hear from real callers every day. So we put together a list of the most common excuses, venting grievances, whatever you want to call it, dilemmas. That might be a better reason. They're not always answering.

[A]

Some of these are real.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. We're not just like pushing all to the side. Like, this is real. This is.

[B]

Here's our list. You've been waiting for it. Drumroll, please. The first one we hear is a common one. The difficulty saving for a down payment.

[A]

Yes. Yeah. Because it is a large sum of money that usually for most people, that's not just handed to you. Right. So you're having to work and save for it. We always say a 5% down payment for first time home buyers. 20% is traditionally where we've always gone to avoid PMI and all of that. But all that to say, you know, on a house, you know, that's anywhere from 10, depending on the type of house you're buying.

[B]

I mean, for a $500,000 house, that's $100,000.

[A]

Yes. So yeah, so I mean, it could be 10,000, right? You go there all the way up to 100,000. Yes, easily.

[B]

And the hard part is you're starting from zero and you're just like, we're gonna put a thousand bucks in this month. Woo.

[A]

Right?

[B]

And you're just like, this is gonna take me 15 years at this point.

[A]

That's right. Well, It'll take me 100 months to save up for a down payment on this home.

[B]

Which is why we tell people you gotta become debt free and have the emergency fund to create as much margin as possible. So nothing throws you off track with when it comes to this down payment.

[A]

Yeah. Cause that is one thing. When we see, When I see people, you know, doing the math about saving up a down payment, they're like, how can people. Here's the average budget, but in the average Budget. They have a student loan, a car loan, a credit card bill. Right. All of this. So that is one reason we're like, hey, if you are debt free, that frees up almost $1,000. That's not going on. Payments like, you could be using extra to save. So that is a big point of the baby steps of being debt free. Frees you up a lot.

[B]

Yes. And so here's the priority list, because we've got to put this where it fits.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

When it comes to buying a house, It's Baby Step 3B, saving for the down payment. So Baby Step $1,000 starter emergency fund. Baby Step 2, pay off all of your consumer debt with the debt snowball method. Then baby step three is the emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. Now we can begin saving up the down payment.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

In a separate fund.

[A]

And we'll say out loud, like, this could take you five years. Right. I mean, like, it can be a long game. And a lot of people are like, oh, I don't want to rent for that long. But. But I'm telling you, that is way less stressful than people that call in and they have two car loans, they still have student loans, $15,000 in credit card debt, and then they want to go and buy a house. And you're like.

[B]

Or they bought the house and they're like, hey, I don't know what to do. I can't afford to pay my bills.

[A]

Yeah, that's right.

[B]

And we're like, well, what's your mortgage? It's $3,000 a month. What do you make a month? $5,000. Yeah.

[A]

So, yeah, that's why the order is important. And if you really do want to tighten up on the budget every single month to save up for the down payment, Every Dollar is a great budgeting app to do that because you are able to look to see, okay, here's everything. And even if you still have debt when you do it, there's almost that dream of like, okay, if we didn't have this line item of the student loan and the car loan, here's what would be freed up to be able to move that to a savings line item for the down payment. So we'll put a link down below if you want to check out every dollar. But it's awesome.

[B]

And the sinking fund feature is great because you can set your goal and then you're working towards that goal, putting money aside every month, and it's tracking it along with you. But this one kind of feel like how older people view retirement they go, well, 62, time to retire. I'm like, well, do you have the money? And they're like, no, I didn't know I needed the money. I just thought I could. I'm 62, I get to retire. A lot of people see home ownership that way. They go, well, graduated college, or hey, I got married, or hey, had a kid. Time to buy a house. There's no pre. There's nothing that says you have to buy a house by a certain age or at a certain life milestone. So this is your own journey. And if you want a house, great. And also you, if you're a single person, you don't need a house just because people are telling you you should buy a house. It's okay to rent and wait until your life changes too, 100%. Or if you have the money and you're single, go buy a house.

[A]

Yes, man. The, the. Have you seen this? Homeownership with women now has outpaced men.

[B]

That makes sense because women want security.

[A]

They do.

[B]

And guys couldn't give a risk. They're sports betting their life away.

[A]

Yes. What could be a house? They are freaking putting into sports bet.

[B]

The idea of making a million dollars on a parlay is way more exciting.

[A]

Oh, stupid.

[B]

Than buying a house.

[A]

God, man. I know. I would say if I was single out in the world and there was a guy, he was like, I'm a homeowner. I'd be like, wow, that's an attractive quality. Versus like, I have, I have apps where I bet money on other grown men playing sports.

[B]

I'd be like, she has a point.

[A]

Not so much.

[B]

I do think it's an attractive quality because it just shows some level of stability.

[A]

Like a town home. You get together Brad, and he's like, yeah, I got a town home. And you're like, wow, good job, Brad. Well done.

[B]

Brad pays an HOA fee. That's some grown up stuff.

[A]

That is, that, is that insecurity. If I've ever seen something, there is something to it.

[B]

So for sure, we should call this out. In our baby steps, we talk about investing in baby step four. So a lot of people go, wait, so am I saving for the down payment or am I investing? Well, you can really do whatever you want here. In Baby Step 3B, you can invest anywhere from 0 to 15% while you're saving up the down payment. So if the house is more urgent, you can pause investing. But if it's going to take you longer than two years, go ahead and start investing now, because you don't want to pause all the compound growth for too long.

[A]

Yep, that's a great point. I love it. As a homeowner, I will say one of my favorite places to be is on the couch all cozied up in my cozy earth joggers with the blankets, the whole thing. So if you're wearing some good quality products, whether it's bedding, towels, their towels are amazing.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Clothes, sheets, I mean all of it.

[B]

You guys, the socks, the clogs. I love the lake house clogs.

[A]

Clog, man. I will be in my muck boots. I didn't know it was boozy earth clogs, but they are.

[B]

I will take those over Crocs any day. Amen. Move over Crocs. We got a master's degree over here and it was working in my claws.

[A]

Yeah, we got that. Yeah. But Cozier's products are amazing, so make sure to check them out.

[B]

Yep. And they have a 10 year warranty on their bedding 100 night sleep trial. So you know, they have an amazing return policy as well. But you probably won't need to return it because you're going to love it that much. So give the gift of everyday luxury. Make the small moments in life extra comfortable. Head to cozyearth.com smartmoney and use our code smart money for up to 20% off. And if you get the post purchase survey, be sure to let cozy Earth know you heard about them from smart Money.

[A]

All right, next, I don't want to say complaint. What would you call it?

[B]

I would, I would call it a grievance.

[A]

Grievance is home prices are quadruple what our parents paid in the 90s.

[B]

There's some truth to this.

[A]

So yes, they are more expensive than they were 30 years ago. Just like, you know, the price of a house in the 90s was more expensive than it was in the 60s. Right. So housing prices are going to go up and you will see throughout history times that it is inflated that it does. And we saw that huge during COVID I mean, I mean some, I mean at least our value of our home almost doubled. Like it's pretty wild.

[B]

Which is extra depressing if you weren't a homeowner and you were like, oh, I'm so close. And then that's right, it's gone again.

[A]

And I will say some markets have settled back down to like, I would say probably more normal. But they didn't. It was not a bubble. It's not like, no, that spike went and it just popped and everything went back down. To what it was.

[B]

And it was definitely overinflated for a while and it cooled back down and prices went down, and they're still kind of cooling a little bit bit in certain markets. But the truth is, the data indicates median home sales price in 1995 was around 133 grand. But the median family income was about 34 grand. So let's compare that to the middle of 2025, median home sales price around $410,000. And as of 2024, median household income was nearly $84,000. So if you're doing the math at home, it is true that income has not kept up with the price of homes.

[A]

Yeah. It's not. It is harder mathematically when you look at it.

[B]

I wrote down. This is from my book, Rachel. Can I tell you what I wrote down?

[A]

It's on the Amazon charts.

[B]

I'm proud of myself. It is not on the Amazon charts unless you guys go buy a thousand copies right now. But here's what I wrote, and I think this was. I was trying to be fair. Ready for this?

[A]

Yeah, I can't wait.

[B]

As of July 2023, national median home price, 440 grand. Median household income in 22 is just under 71 grand. Here's the sad math on that. The median home price is now six times the median income. Here's the perspective. Between 1973 and 75, home prices were about two times the average income. So six times versus two times. Yeah, that's a big difference.

[A]

That is a big difference.

[B]

And it does make it more difficult to buy a home. And so I want to be clear. This isn't all just people with out of control spending, going into crippling debt, and then whining they can't afford a home?

[A]

Yes. No.

[B]

The numbers are startling.

[A]

Yes, 100%. Which means on the solution side, they are gonna be more extreme than what it was.

[B]

It means you need to make more than the median income and you need to buy a house that is maybe less than the median sales price of what you would've. That's called compromise. And it's a hard reality to face.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Cause you go, I don't want that house, Rachel.

[A]

I know. And what's hard, too, is like, there's always gonna be things throughout life that are out of our control. Right. I mean, housing market, Right. You're like, you can't control that. It is what it is. And so I think you have to decide, okay, what am I gonna do? Am I gonna just, like, sit in the corner, cry about it and do nothing and never become a homeowner. Or am I gonna complain a little? Cause it's kind of fun. So it's okay to complain a little bit and then to say, okay, what am I gonna do next? Like, what are the steps to actually have this dream become a reality? Right. Which is the saving and that, you know, changing expectations and all of it. But yeah, it's gonna take longer and it's gonna be different than what you thought. But it is still possible. We talk to people every day.

[B]

A lot of variables. There are a lot of levers you can pull. For example, you don't have to stay where you are. People move all the time. You might move to a lower cost of living area. You might go, hey, maybe I should get a townhome to start. Or the condo versus the single family home that I really want in the neighborhood that I want. You might have to move 30 minutes or 40 minutes out from where you work.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And that's not ideal, but that's what you got to do to get your foot in the door in today's real estate.

[A]

Yes. And then the great thing is too, you know, the equity and stuff that you're going to build will happen. And then you may look up in five years. Okay, great. Now we're going to move to where we want to be, closer to where we want to be. Right.

[B]

This house is not your forever home.

[A]

Yes. No. And I think that that's like a. Yep. That's a romanticized idea that I think even for our parents generation. For some people I know their parents still live in the home. They were in high school, you know,

[B]

just recently, just a few years ago, moved out of my childhood home.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And so they were there for, you know, 30 plus years.

[A]

Yep, yep. Crazy. Okay. Another one we hear all the time is maybe if I wait, I'll have fill in the blanks. That could be a spouse. I could have a better interest rate, a better job, better options on Zillow, all of it. Like Mary Rich, I'll just wait and see what happens. And so, yeah, if you're waiting to save up and do those things, that's great. But if you're waiting for, again, a big life event to happen, we don't always control those. So you are kind of just, you're sitting back passively instead of being proactive with the, with one of the biggest purchases that you're going to make financially. Like, this is something you want to be very thoughtful of, but you also want to be the one that's in control of it and not just sitting back and waiting because, you know, who knows what interest rates are going to do? Who knows, you know, what your future looks like with a spouse? Who knows what kind of job you're going to have in four years? Like, nobody really knows. So control what you can today to get you where you want to be. If you want to be a homeowner.

[B]

And while no one is coming to save you, there are companies that exist to help you through every step of this financial journey. And Fairwinds Credit Union is one of them.

[A]

Yes, we love Fairwinds. When you have a banking institution on your side, it's amazing. Like, honestly, whether it's the app talking to one of the customer service agents, like, whatever it is, knowing that they are for you in your financial journey is huge. They're not sitting there and pitching you debt options over and over and over and over and over and over trying to get your money that way. No, they want to see you win too. That's why we've partnered with them. The fact that Ramsey Solutions has partnered with any level bank, that's a big deal. So Fairwinds Credit Union, they're amazing. We love their team, we know the heart behind what they're doing and we are all for them. And we both use them.

[B]

Oh yeah. And they have a really great smart bundle that has a no fee checking account, which I love any lack of fees, and a high yield savings account which is perfect for something like a down payment. So it's a short term goal. You don't want to invest that money in case the market has volatility. And so their high yield savings is a great option. So check it all out. Go to Fairwinds.org Ramsey and open your smart bundle today.

[A]

All right, next is interest rates have

[B]

still not come down, exclamation point.

[A]

I don't know if we'll ever see 2 to 3% again. Can I say that?

[B]

I think if we do something terrible has happened. I'm gonna be honest, I don't think we want the world where that exists, where that was.

[A]

I mean, that's insane. And what's crazy is like that became normal for our generation for a bit. But you look and you're like, never has it ever. Like, I think it was 18% or something in the 80s. Like, I mean, like crazy coming out of the Carter administration. Like those were nuts. I mean Even in the 90s it was what, 10%?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So, yeah, so just that those were normal interest rates for mortgages. So the Fact that we even settled on some normalcy of 2 to 3% is pretty wild.

[B]

Well, and everyone like locked that in. And now the sad part is it's kind of golden handcuffs. They go, well, I can't get rid of my house, I can't sell, I can't upgrade, I can't move because of my house. Why would I let go of my rate? And so that one kind of hurts my heart a little bit. I'm happy. If you have a low rate, that's great, I want you to pay less interest. But it just kind of stinks in a sense too.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Because people thought, well, this is a good starter home. But it's not where we want to be long term. And now it's where they are long term.

[A]

Yes. Because they've locked it in. Yep.

[B]

100% as of this recording. Interest rates are in the mid fives, low sixes, depending on whether you have a 15 year or a 30 year mortgage. And again, it's a factor that is totally outside of your control. I don't think we're going to get back to twos or threes. I do think this is just a guess on my part that we'll end up somewhere hovering around the fives. Yeah, maybe high fours if we're lucky on the 15 year, but I think it's going to take a while.

[A]

Well, and it's been a slow drip down over years. Right. That we've seen. So if you have the money and you are able to get in, I would not let this be the barrier of not wait for interest rates to go any lower because I think we're, I think it's about done. I mean, honestly, it may go a little bit lower.

[B]

Well, the thing about, as you wait, home prices could still be going up.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

It starts out if rates do continue to go down, that could actually spike home prices back up. And so you don't want to just wait on interest rates, although I understand it factors into your mortgage payment heavily. And if you want to factor this reality into your home buying budget, you can check out our free mortgage calculator. It's a great tool to estimate what you can handle month to month. We'll drop a link in the description if you want to check that out.

[A]

Oh, George, so much can go wrong when you buy. It's just too much responsibility. I don't want to be a homeowner.

[B]

I will just agree with this one. It is too much responsibility.

[A]

It's a lot more than what you bargain for. Can I say that? Yes, There's a lot that happens. And I'm even married with a husband that does a lot.

[B]

He's very handy.

[A]

He's doing things that I don't even know are being done.

[B]

Does he know how to hang drywall? I bet he does.

[A]

That's a good question. We haven't done any renovations or anything, so I'm not sure. But he'd figure it out, though.

[B]

He would figure it out. He'd figure it out and he probably wouldn't even. He wouldn't even need a YouTube video. He would just kind of be like, ah, let me try this.

[A]

He fixed our dryer, wouldn't shut. And so he did YouTube that and bought a little piece at Home Depot and fixed the dryer.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

I know, but that's what I'm saying. Like in general, though, there's just a lot of things, leaks. Have you ever had water drip from a light fixture?

[B]

That's not fun. Oh, I had. It's called an ice damn. I had one of those happen in an old townhome. And just during this latest ice storm in Nashville, Whitney looked up at our ceiling and went, hey, that looks like it's like sopping wet. And so we're looking into it. Don't know what it is yet.

[A]

Shoot.

[B]

Maybe a leaky bathtub upstairs.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And this is like a brand new quality built house. That's the frustrating part is you think, well, if I get a newer house, it'll be great, or if I get an older house, it's got good bones. Things are going to go wrong regardless. And you gotta be prepared for that financially.

[A]

That's right. Yes. So there are things. Yeah, definitely. Are we talking people out of home buying right now?

[B]

I feel like maybe I just want to give them the full picture. It is wonderful. And I would never want to go back to renting.

[A]

I think that's why I think the emergency fund and having no debt makes it more of a easier pill to swallow when those things do happen. Because adding that on top of having no margin financially would be so stressful. So stressful. So having the margin, having the savings. So when things go wrong, you fix it. We always say it's like an inconvenience, it's not a crisis. And I think that's. I think that's true. But yeah, but there's a lot that goes into it.

[B]

I do miss the days where I could just like text the apartment complex. I'm like, you guys need to fix this toilet. This is. You got a big problem on your hands over Here.

[A]

Something's wrong.

[B]

I miss those days. Now it's just texting myself and me like googling plumber near me.

[A]

Yes. I.

[B]

Or going in a Facebook group feeling like who's not going to screw me over? Does anyone have a recommendation for a garage guy?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

I think I've dealt with it all at this point. Have you guys had like, pretty much every.

[A]

I was gonna say our. We had two. Yes. Major things. And one, I will give our builder credit. They came in and fixed it a few years later, so.

[B]

Oh, nice.

[A]

Our fireplace.

[B]

Oh, what happened there?

[A]

Not something you want messed up? Well, we're big on fires, so when we.

[B]

What does that mean?

[A]

Meaning we love. Winston and I both love a real fire. So when we built our home, like, real wood. Yes. We didn't want like gas, you know, gas logs. We were like, we're going to do a real wood burning fireplace, but gas starter. But we're going to have a wood. So because of that, I think one of the fireplaces where the smoke was. Something wasn't connected correctly and we went out because we built a lot of fires. Like we build fires a lot. Like we.

[B]

Building feels like a strong word for stacking a few pieces of wood.

[A]

You should see me. No. I'm like Annie Oakley. I call my son. Even though she's not like a fire girl, but she feels like an outdoorsy fire.

[B]

What is she known for?

[A]

Riding horses. But I just feel like she'd build a great fire. I'm always like, I'm Annie Oakley. Tonight I can start a fire in our fireplace.

[B]

Isn't it just like Baby Jenga? You just stack a few pieces of wood on top of the tree. George.

[A]

And you gotta get the lighter in. You gotta move the soot from the last fire. I dragged the wood in. I do it all.

[B]

Oh, wow. You actually move the wood.

[A]

Oh, 100%. I'm telling you, without muck boots.

[B]

I take it back.

[A]

You are in the openness with some ballet flats. You know, you never know.

[B]

That is impressive.

[A]

Yeah. But something wasn't connected. Which again, this is like the one thing you do not want to. That to be wrong is your fireplace.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So with the smoke coming up and stuff, it like filled our attic. Like, smoke damage. I know. Real bad. So that was not good. But our builder, I will give them such credit. Like, they came in and fixed it and then we had a water leak in our. We have a crawl space underneath. And yeah. Winston had to get fans and a sub pump.

[B]

The old sub pump. That's quite The.

[A]

I think I don't even know if that's what it's called. It's the thing you stick in it sucks in the water and spews it out the other side.

[B]

I'll allow it.

[A]

What do you call that?

[B]

Could be wrong. But I want to make you feel good.

[A]

So. Yeah. So we had like major leaking. Yeah. Wow. Like, I consider those big. We've had some roof damage from like and we've been in our house for seven years.

[B]

I feel like if you have to call someone, it's big enough.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I don't know. So it's. Yeah, it's a lot.

[B]

That's real. Some of mine were self inflicted. Like things that I stupidly did that I was like, oh, someone's got to go fix that now.

[A]

Oh, no. You know, run into the garage door.

[B]

Well, put a hole in some drywall wall, you know, why? Like the baby recliner, you know, rocking a little too hard, I guess. I don't know what happened. Just shake a hole there now. Or moving furniture, you know, up the stairs and I just Nick, Nick the walls on my way up.

[A]

You didn't pivot.

[B]

Like, Ross did not pivot hard enough. Yeah, I wasn't screaming and no one was helping me, so I was solo. There you go. It's not all fun and games. You've been on the Internet how long now? Late 90s?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Probably aim with, you know, decades of being online. Our information, it's seen some things.

[A]

It's out there. Well, what's crazy is your home address, past addresses are out there. Family names, phone numbers, email addresses. Like, so much of your information is out online. And having a team like Deleteme go in and remove your data from data broker websites is so big because that means less spam calls, less scammers can get hold of your information. And so we really push it because it is. There's something, a peace of mind of just knowing that someone is there. Removing your information off the Internet.

[B]

Yeah. We talk about, you know, insurance a lot and it's one of these things. It's not an insurance, but it's the defensive measure you can take to protect your digital privacy. And it's well worth it for the price. And if you're a listener of the show, you get a sweet discount, 20% off their annual plans if you use code smart money or go to joindeleteme.com/smart money to get the deal comes out to about nine bucks a month. And I sleep better at night for it.

[A]

For sure. Yep. So if you're online, if you're living in this world at all, delete me is a subscription that you need. And again, it's not expensive, but it is worth it.

[B]

And if you're not living in this world, you don't need it. I don't know how you're even listening to the show.

[A]

I just.

[B]

What world do you live in? I want to know if you're an alien, you're alien life form and that just means everybody. That's true.

[A]

What's our takeaways, George, what do you think?

[B]

It's just a complicated topic and there's so much emotion behind it.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I think you just need to put your blinders on and go, okay, where am I at today? Where do I want to be? How do I bridge the gap? Yes, those are the only questions you should be asking.

[A]

Yeah. And some emotion and complaints and like, oh my gosh, this is the worst time ever to be where I'm at, to try to buy a home, whatever, do it all, that's great. But then we need to move to a solution. And I think that's where facts come in, truly. Look at your salary, look at your area of where you're living and start actually making a plan to move towards that. So maybe that's for you still getting out of debt or getting an emergency fund, whatever that looks like. But the movement needs to be forward, not just sitting and complaining about the current situation. Because even though it sucks, let's do some movement though, right?

[B]

Yes. And in your career, who knows, you could double your income in the next few years. You could get married and have a dual household income. You might move or maybe choose to move to get the place that you want. Maybe you buy something older or cheaper. All of these things are options. And so just focus on the options instead of all the things that you can't control and your life will be better. And the key is to get your foot in the door when you can, when you're financially ready so that you can capture that equity and home appreciation. And because I promise you this, 10 years from now, you're going to be wishing the prices were what they were today.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. It's going to continue to go up. And George, you have a home buying video course, right?

[B]

That's right. It's freely free.

[A]

You're not, you're not, you're not to

[B]

buy my TikTok real estate.

[A]

You don't have to buy the course. No. George is so giving and selfless that he just Puts it out there, but you packaged it well. And just in a sense, if you're looking to buy a home. Yeah. Check it out, because it may help you. Yeah. Make some good decisions.

[B]

Yeah. We will drop a link to that free home buyer course down below in the description. Check it out, send it to a friend. Maybe they'll find it in encouraging.

[A]

So great. All right, before we spill the tea on our guilty as charged segments, let's get the details. What we drink today. I liked it.

[B]

We drank the basil and Lillet spritz. Who finished first? I think you were a lot closer.

[A]

That was me. I liked it. It was very refreshing. I'll be honest. The first sip, I was like. I don't know.

[B]

Caught me off guard.

[A]

But then it. It grew on me.

[B]

What rating would you give this drink?

[A]

I'll go seven out of ten.

[B]

All right.

[A]

I'm not gonna fail it, but I'm definitely not gonna be like, oh, my gosh, I really wanna order this at a restaurant.

[B]

Yeah. I think on a nice summer day in Italy, it would hit. I think what I didn't realize is that it's the wine that threw me off.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I know, like, a spritz split in it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's got the Lillet, which is like a French liqueur. Basil, as you can tell, if you're watching.

[A]

I know. I think they muddled it too freshly. Thank you.

[B]

Sparkling wine and lime juice.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And the total comes out to $4.61. And I think it hits more like a white wine. So if you like a carbonated white wine with a little bit of that floral basil, you will love this. But I wasn't expecting a white wine type beverage, so I can't dog it for that. My honest rating is probably a 4 out of 10 on this one.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And I'm just. I don't know if it's. I'm not like a big white wine guy, you know?

[A]

I think that's fair.

[B]

I fancy myself more.

[A]

You look like a 4 out of 10.

[B]

Yeah. Was that about me or the drink? Was that a diss?

[A]

No, the amount of the.

[B]

If I told Rachel.

[A]

Yeah, you.

[B]

You look like a four. No, not you.

[A]

The amount you drank. The amount you drank.

[B]

No, it's fine. We all knew what you meant.

[A]

We can tell. We can tell.

[B]

But I. Yeah, I wouldn't order at a restaurant. I'm more of a. If I'm gonna go for a wine, I might go for a Pinot Noir. Maybe a tempranillo from feeling fancy.

[A]

Well, now it's time for guilty as charged. And this is where we ask each other a guilty as charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we take a sip. All right, George, are you guilty of overpaying for anything as a homeowner?

[B]

Well, that's a loaded question. I feel like I overpaid for everything as a homeowner. Right.

[A]

Oh, man.

[B]

I mean, furniture comes to mind. I will say window coverings is the biggest scam out there right now.

[A]

Wait, window treatments?

[B]

Sure. Whatever they are.

[A]

Lines. Like coverings.

[B]

Lines. And curtains. I will tell you, curtains and Roman

[A]

shades is the death of me. I'm not kidding. We paid more for window treatments, I think, than some of our furniture.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, for. I mean, it's so expensive, like a rug. You can, like, get away, like, finding a cheaper rug. Not window treatments. If you're doing it right.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So much. It is so much.

[B]

And I know you can DIY and all of that, and there are cheaper options, but my wife was really wanting, like, hey, like, you're not going to redo this, so do it right the first time.

[A]

Roman shades are beautiful. We have. We have a panel of them in our laundry room because it looks out to our front.

[B]

Oh, nice.

[A]

And Charles, just the other day, was up on the counter doing something, and he grabbed him, and I yelled. It's like, drop those shades.

[B]

Don't touch those shades right now, mister.

[A]

Because they are so much. Yeah. I'm like, we don't touch them. We don't touch on.

[B]

The Romans think very highly of themselves.

[A]

They Roman.

[B]

And we did. Here's what we sprung for. That hurt my heart, but it's. It's nice. Is the motorized shades in on our master bedroom?

[A]

We've never done that. How is it?

[B]

It's pretty. The windows are really big in there. And I was like, I'm not going to want to, you know, hoist this thing up like a sail. I know whenever I want to open it to get the light in, sailor. And so we got those and all in, like, we did it through. It was like a thing through Costco. And so the. The key is you get.

[A]

Of course it.

[B]

But here's the. Here's the key. It came with a 15% cash back Costco gift card.

[A]

Stop it, George.

[B]

So the saving grace is that after spending, I don't know, like, college tuition on these window coverings and treatments that I got a Costco gift card that I loaded into my app, and the next, like, five or six Costco trips were covered.

[A]

Okay, that's Pretty fun.

[B]

It felt like I hacked the system.

[A]

But you won. Yeah, you won. You beat it. Because I got none of that. So that's.

[B]

You got diddly.

[A]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

How about you? Anything you overpaid for?

[A]

I'm trying to think. I'll say. Winston always goes over the top with our air filters.

[B]

Oh, that's right.

[A]

He's, like, really big on the Murph.

[B]

It's not. It's Murph. Nerv. Not Murph. But I like that he's a Murph 12 kind of guy.

[A]

He's a Murph.

[B]

Yeah. Winston famously has the, like, hospital grade filters.

[A]

Well, his dad owns a heating and air company, so I think they just, like, have their, like. They just know what they like. You know, with the air filter, you

[B]

like what you like. I didn't know people could like an air filter.

[A]

I know. Yes. He's very specific about it.

[B]

How often does he change him? Do you know? Do you see him change them?

[A]

That's my thing is he does things that I don't know he does, so.

[B]

Oh, like while you were at work,

[A]

he was like, hey, some people need a will.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I need, like, a list of, like, if something were to happen to you, what is not going to be done that I need to do?

[B]

Yeah. Let's be honest. Those air filters would never be changed. No.

[A]

God, no.

[B]

No, you wouldn't.

[A]

Definitely not.

[B]

Well, then you got to climb up sometimes to change those things.

[A]

Yeah, no, yeah, I'm skipping that.

[B]

I'm glad I have life insurance.

[A]

Cutting corners in life on things that don't matter. Air filters would be on my list of that.

[B]

You think that doesn't matter?

[A]

Yeah, not really. We're all fine.

[B]

It's disgusting.

[A]

Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Well, if you have a guilty as charged question for us, make sure to DM us at Rachel Cruz and at George Camel. I actually got one this afternoon. George, I was looking through my DMs.

[B]

You sent it to us. I did.

[A]

I screenshotted it to you and Jenna, and I was like, guys, got a new guilty discharge question. So genuinely, we really appreciate it. So send it our way and make sure to subscribe because we always love having you here and we don't want you to forget about an episode. But if you love this episode, you're going to also love how to financially survive every season of Life. We'll link it for you and we'll see you next Thursday on an all new episode of Smart Money. Happy hour.