How I became mortgage free at 33
It’s not what you think 🤔
When I look back on the decisions that shaped my life, I notice that none of the decisions were made strictly to produce a result… all decisions were made to fulfill a vision based on a desire.
The back story:
My husband and I bought our first home at the age of 21 in Pickering, Ontario. At the time, it was the cheapest house in Pickering, and that was our only criteria. The decision to buy a home was simply because a mortgage payment was actually cheaper than the rent we were paying for a basement apartment. (I know times have changed)
We loved and enjoyed that home for 12 wonderful years as we continuously renovated and updated it to make it our own.
When we married at age 27 and decided to have a baby, we knew that our vision for our family life was different than our current reality.
We both worked in the city, commuting for hours each day, having our child in daycare from 7am till 6pm … and it wasn’t really what we wanted anymore. We knew we wanted a simpler life, with more time, more freedom, and wanted to raise our child out in the country where space, time and outdoors were a priority.
Our criteria for the purchase was to have acreage, a pond, and a bungalow. We decided to go east because my husband had family there, and the cost of housing was cheaper, so our search led us to the Napanee area. We explored and looked at homes for a year, until we found one gem of a property. We looked at it in May 2015, but we weren’t really ready to make a move. Then, in October 2015, the price was reduced by 50k , we walked the property again, and knew it was what we wanted.
The big move:
With the equity we had built in our Pickering home, we were very fortunate to be able to purchase the country property for cash, and thus become mortgage free at 33 years old.
(Please note that the goal wasn’t to become mortgage free… this was just the result of following our desire and vision for life)
The freedom:
Not being at the mercy of a mortgage payment created significant freedom for us. We were able to take months off work at a time to just enjoy life.
Being mortgage free also allowed us to be really clear that when we did work, it was by choice, and therefore more fulfilling.
The end game:
There is no end game.
We now have three beautiful homes and we are NOT mortgage free!
No matter what you achieve in life, you’re not done until it’s over. Desires continuously evolve, and so do you. Success in life comes from personal fulfillment.
It’s about the desires and the vision you have for your life, the actions you take to get there, and, most importantly, how much you enjoy it along the way! It’s about how much living you actually do in your lifetime.
there is no “end game”
As someone who sometimes feels like a 40 year old “retiree”, I can assure you the goal isn’t to get rich enough to do nothing. You will never be done with your visions and desires. We weren’t meant to do nothing on this planet… and I’m not even close to “done” with the visions I have for my life.
The Lesson:
Fulfilling your desires and staying true to your vision all the way through till the end of life is the goal. It’s not the achievement or the accomplishment that will fulfill you. That sense of accomplishment will only satisfy you temporarily.
When you build a life based on fulfilling desires and vision, you’ll be able to look back with ultimate satisfaction and label it as your version of success (and not by anyone else’s definition)
The Realness:
If you want to see this story for yourself, I created a short 4min video that shows our first home to our latest build, which tells the story of our journey from age 21-38 … take a look!
I would love to hear your version of what freedom would look and feel like, as you build your own vision of the future. My passion is in guiding people to their own version of fulfillment, to find their path, their passion, and their love for life.
With love,
Laura
www.lifedesigncoaching.ca/all-in-collective