Mandy Woodruff-Santos

Hey, I'm Mandy Woodruff-Santos, and my podcast is called Brown Ambition.

Hey, I'm Mandy Woodruff-Santos, and my podcast is called Brown Ambition.

Hey, I'm Mandy Woodruff-Santos, and my podcast is called Brown Ambition.

Yeah, it sure is, isn't it? I mean, at least that's what society wants us to think. Got to get a Birkin, got to get a home. Big Birkin, big hole, five, six figures. Are you a homeowner? I am. Yeah, I am. I bought my house in 2018, which feels like a thousand years ago. This is pre-motherhood, pre-pandemic.

Yeah, it sure is, isn't it? I mean, at least that's what society wants us to think. Got to get a Birkin, got to get a home. Big Birkin, big hole, five, six figures. Are you a homeowner? I am. Yeah, I am. I bought my house in 2018, which feels like a thousand years ago. This is pre-motherhood, pre-pandemic.

Yeah, it sure is, isn't it? I mean, at least that's what society wants us to think. Got to get a Birkin, got to get a home. Big Birkin, big hole, five, six figures. Are you a homeowner? I am. Yeah, I am. I bought my house in 2018, which feels like a thousand years ago. This is pre-motherhood, pre-pandemic.

And at the time, our total mortgage, which included property tax and the actual loan monthly principal that we were paying was about $2,700. That's increased a thousand bucks since then. So now I'm spending $3,600, so nearly $4,000.

And at the time, our total mortgage, which included property tax and the actual loan monthly principal that we were paying was about $2,700. That's increased a thousand bucks since then. So now I'm spending $3,600, so nearly $4,000.

And at the time, our total mortgage, which included property tax and the actual loan monthly principal that we were paying was about $2,700. That's increased a thousand bucks since then. So now I'm spending $3,600, so nearly $4,000.

And I'm like, oh, I'm reminded. Oh yeah. That's why I always feel broke.

And I'm like, oh, I'm reminded. Oh yeah. That's why I always feel broke.

And I'm like, oh, I'm reminded. Oh yeah. That's why I always feel broke.

Yards are overrated. I support that.

Yards are overrated. I support that.

Yards are overrated. I support that.

There's all sorts of like different trains of thought about is it a good investment to buy a house? And I think you have to understand why you're buying a house. Are you buying a house for your family to live in for the next 10 plus years? That's a very different equation to me than are you buying a home that you're hoping to fix up? Flip on the market in a year or two.

There's all sorts of like different trains of thought about is it a good investment to buy a house? And I think you have to understand why you're buying a house. Are you buying a house for your family to live in for the next 10 plus years? That's a very different equation to me than are you buying a home that you're hoping to fix up? Flip on the market in a year or two.

There's all sorts of like different trains of thought about is it a good investment to buy a house? And I think you have to understand why you're buying a house. Are you buying a house for your family to live in for the next 10 plus years? That's a very different equation to me than are you buying a home that you're hoping to fix up? Flip on the market in a year or two.

Now, if you really want to buy a house and it is your dream and you love everything that you understand, what goes into it, you understand. Listen, I didn't understand how much property taxes could be. I thought my mortgage was just going to be my mortgage. But you add in property taxes, it just about doubled it. Which was crazy to me.

Now, if you really want to buy a house and it is your dream and you love everything that you understand, what goes into it, you understand. Listen, I didn't understand how much property taxes could be. I thought my mortgage was just going to be my mortgage. But you add in property taxes, it just about doubled it. Which was crazy to me.