New Maxwell book: Debt-free homes!

[YPestis]

The Maxwells are advertising a new product here: blog.titus2.com/2014/02/28/coming-soon-buying-a-house-debt-free/

 

It's a book on how to buy a house debt-free. It was cute how excited Sarah was declaring that they will introduce a young man who bought his house debt-free who is not a Maxwell. See? The Maxwells do socialize with non-family members!

 

Anyway, some on here have speculated on the types of books the Maxwells would write next. Courtships was out of the question given recent events. However, buying a house debt-free fits in nicely with the family's beliefs. They touched on debt-free housing in their Preparing Sons book. I gather this will go into more detail on the type of training and goals young men need to have in order to buy a debt-free home.

 

Frugality may be the Maxwells' saving grace. It's one of the few things they can offer sound advice on that even secular families would appreciate. Is it my imagination, or has the Maxwells been publishing more books recently? Perhaps they believe an infusion of new material will invigorate their conferences?

[Coconut Flan]

It's interesting that the steep decline in IBLP/ATI conference participation is marching along with the steep decline in Maxwell conferences. Perhaps most of the people who are tempted to turn fundie have done so and now it's up the next generations to decide to stay or go. They won't need so much from the conferences though since they've seen it first hand.

It stands to reason that the Maxwells will churn out all the books that they can in hopes of reigniting interest or at least selling some more books.

[FloraDoraDolly]

I actually do find the idea of owning a home debt-free appealing.

[terranova]

I actually do find the idea of owning a home debt-free appealing.

I would love not to have a mortgage, but not at the expense of living under Steve Maxwell's "headship" for 30 years.

[johnhugh]

I actually do find the idea of owning a home debt-free appealing.

Me too!

I wonder who the debt free 'friend' homeowner could be? My money is John-Marie and that's why he has not stared in the blog recently. However I would imagine the person will be referred to by the initial of his Christian name and that testimony given by 'J-M' will be a fictitious story written by Stevie, just like the book reviews on tits2. :naughty: Stevie :naughty:

Property prices must be cheap where they live as I know that apart from making an idol of apple products they live simply, but Stevie must have paid them well to have afforded the houses.

[MysteryHaggis]

This must be the thing they were asking for testimonies about ages ago ?

"Godly young men who work for themselves and own homes debt free" or something. They took their time...

[browngrl]

Maybe in Kansas (or where ever it is that the Maxwell's live) you can buy a house debt free if you are a homeschool boy/man (I doubt the Maxwell's would consider women) in your late teens/early twenties but where I live there is no way that someone who is not wealthy or come from wealth could do so. I doubt you could buy anything even slightly decent(that still needed lots of work) for under 350,000 unless you find a small condo or you move to a remote area (and then where would you work?). Where are these barely educated boys/men going to find that kind of cash?

[uber frau]

Obviously, they'll have to move to Kansas.

[Justme]

I remember when they asked this question in their blog many months ago. I wonder if they are compensating these men who shared their story.... :think: Silly me, what a thought! The Maxwell's would never do that!

As far as buying a home debt free. The boy/man graduates "HS" when they are around 18. They start working in the family business (which they probably actually started working part time at around 15-16). They live at home, so all their expenses are paid with the exception of a few electronic "toys" and bible covers for siblings birthdays. Thus, around 85-90% can be banked. When they are 23-24, they've enough money in the bank to buy a house for cash.

Give a modest salary of $35k per year. Bank $25k per year. After 6 years, you've $150,000 in the bank.

Of course, for those of us who live near wicked big cities where an average house often costs $500k, this is impossible, even if said boy/man child lives at home.

[acheronbeach]

Where I live, detached family houses average around 700k CDN (roughly equal to USD). You could go 50, 60 clicks into the burbs and get something for 400k but still, how would you do that with a small salary? Even if you build yourself, the permits alone are obscenely expensive and time-consuming.

[Peas n carrots]

Leavenworth, Kansas is a pretty inexpensive place to live.

http://www.trulia.com/KS/Leavenworth/

You can buy some pretty nice appearing homes in the $150,000 dollar range. They probably need a bit of work but you can recruit the rest of your family to help with that so you only have the material cost.

Granted, I know next to nothing about this market, so I'm not sure if $150K will get you a nice home in a nice area, but I strongly suspect it does based on some of the other homes for sale in Leavenworth.

[fundiefan]

Can women be part of this? Outside Maxwell land, women buy homes all the time. I wonder if Stevie's head would explode to hear of women who bought homes debt free? They exist; I happen to work with a 32 year old woman who did just that.

Of course, as home schoolers they don't have to consider school districts so their options are probably broader as far as location. Here, if you want a house for less than $200,000 you have to live in some less than stellar neighborhoods.

[Closed Womb]

Can women be part of this? Outside Maxwell land, women buy homes all the time. I wonder if Stevie's head would explode to hear of women who bought homes debt free? They exist; I happen to work with a 32 year old woman who did just that.

Of course, as home schoolers they don't have to consider school districts so their options are probably broader as far as location. Here, if you want a house for less than $200,000 you have to live in some less than stellar neighborhoods.

I bought my house, debt free, when I was 34, single and self employed (and putting myself through -- gasp -- college.) I'm a woman.

I am certain Steve Maxwell thinks I am not worthy to look him in the eye, if only for the reasons listed above (imagine if he really knew me.)

Incidentally, I am now married, still own that house (rental property) and Mr. Womb owns a house with a mortgage (rental property) and we have moved to a place, for work, that is so far out of our price range we can't buy with or without a mortgage, so we rent.

[galaxy]

A $150k home here would be actively on fire. I'm not even joking. Must be why we have so few fundies in DC. :lol:

But honestly, VA is a pretty homeschool friendly state so you'd think we'd have a ton of fundies, and they like being involved in politics ... but because of our property values anything north of, like, Richmond is going to be prohibitively expensive for a person looking for a debt-free home. Too bad!

[Jana814]

A $150k home here would be actively on fire. I'm not even joking. Must be why we have so few fundies in DC. :lol:

Same where I live!! We have some of the best public schools in the state so home prices r high.

[Marian the Librarian]

:think: Hmmm...let's think about this...(considering choices, weighing options) ...mortgage...obeying Stevehovah...mortgage...Maxwell arrogance... :think: Golly gee whillikers, this is a tough one!!

[silverspoons]

I guess Steve rejected my husband story of a debt free house. It fit all of Steve's rules for submission when he was asking for stories. Must have been that my husband was a return Mormon missionary building a debt free home. If Steve wanted a book to appeal to the masses, since his fanbase is shrinking he needs to include diverse examples. I know moms here in Utah that have used his chore packs so if there was a Utah debt free story (doesn't have to be my husbands) it might in back some of his fanbase here.

My husband's story was maybe too extreme or was more about friend support then family.

I can tell you it is possible to build a house debt free my husband and BIL did it but once we had kids we wanted to move to the best school district and had to take a small mortgage to do so. I guess since most of the Maxwell family home schools it is easier to find debt free homes. My husband and I were hoping to move soon and I have studied the northeast and anywhere I could find a debt free home, the school districts were not what I was looking for and I checked 7 states, district by district over 8 months.

[Black Aliss]

With interest rates so low and still tax deductible, I don't see why having a mortgage is such a bad thing. I could cash in my 401K and pay off my mortgage right now, but it would be the height of financial stupidity to do so.

[socalrules]

Maybe in Kansas (or where ever it is that the Maxwell's live) you can buy a house debt free if you are a homeschool boy/man (I doubt the Maxwell's would consider women) in your late teens/early twenties but where I live there is no way that someone who is not wealthy or come from wealth could do so. I doubt you could buy anything even slightly decent(that still needed lots of work) for under 350,000 unless you find a small condo or you move to a remote area (and then where would you work?). Where are these barely educated boys/men going to find that kind of cash?

I agree 100%.

Fundies seem to live in backwoods towns where everything is cheap. I am sure they could buy properties for less than 100k in some places. It is just unrealistic for most people. I live in Southern California. A debt-free home isn't going to happen for me unless I win the lottery.

When you live at home, have no interests or friends, have every moment monitored and never leave your family's side, it is easy to save every penny you make. For adults that work, pay bills, like to see friends and pay rent, buying a debt free home is next to impossible. I highly doubt that the Maxwell sons are making 30k a year each. I would be surprised if they were making 20k each. I don't believe that they receive regular salaries with taxes and social security taken out. More likely they get an allowance. I am not even sure that Steve doesn't own at least part of the adult sons' homes.

What no one mentions is that most of these fundies have no choice but to save and buy a home debt free. When you don't have a real job, that brings in a steady income, that can be documented, you are not getting a mortgage. Wells Fargo doesn't want to hear that you work in your family's ministry and receive money sometimes.

[August]

Around here for under $150,000, maybe the land a meth house with leaking oil tank used to stand on? Sandwiched between an abbatoir, collision repair shop, train depot and freeway? In a bad school district. During winter. Cash offer.

I actually do find the idea of owning a home debt-free appealing.

It's easy, just move somewhere no one else wants to live. Walla! Houses for under $100000 for the taking.

[freejugar]

this book must be 1/3 bible verses, 1/3 testimonies, and the rest some actual content

[kpmom]

The Maxwell sons began working (for Steve, of course) long before 15 or 16 according to the Preparing Sons book.

They have a good 10 years, at least, to save for a house. Their expenses are very small.

As people have mentioned, they live in a relatively inexpensive part of the U.S., and they're ok with fixer-uppers (at least in Joseph's case).

Put all that together, and yes, it would be possible to buy a house debt free.

Didn't someone find that Joseph paid well under $100,000 for his house?

[twin2]

What is the point of buying a home debt free if you are not allowed to have fun in it?

I wonder how much Steve charged his eldest two sons to buy their homes from him????

[Handmaiden of Dog]

I could write that book, no problem.

1. Do not buy anything except the bare necessities. Do not spend money on electronics, booze, drugs, cigarettes, clothes, restaurants, education, books, movies, professional hair care, pets, cars, or gifts. Eat cup o'noodles, peanut butter, and beans. Read your Bible instead of spending money on entertainment.

2. Do not get married.

3. Walk or ride a bike to work.

4. Do not go the doctor. Do not get sick or injured.

5. Find a fixer-upper in a cheap, rundown area.

I really don't think the Maxwell book will work for anyone who is not a young man living at home and a Christian who is willing to give up dating and going out. Couples with children, single women, and anyone with a college loan will be left hanging.

You can actually buy a decent home for under $100,000 near Raleigh, NC. My house is on a third of an acre, close to shops and the interstate, 3 bedrooms plus, and is valued at something like $60,000. My neighborhood is low crime and very quiet with lots of old trees and big yards. I know North Carolina is not as desirable as California or Washington, but my house is paid off and we now have money to spend on the upgrades we have been dreaming of like a large screened-in porch and a greenhouse in the back.

[rural juror]

It's about time for John to buy his debt-free home. He's a year younger than Joseph, who bought his house about 2 years ago. I predict John will buy one sometime this year.