Starting Out
Down-Payment Dana
Data Analyst · Seattle, WA
Saving for a house in the most expensive city she could have chosen.
About Down-Payment Dana
Dana moved to Seattle for a data analyst job that pays $92k and discovered that the median home costs $780k — meaning a 10% down payment alone requires four more years of saving $1,800 a month, and the mortgage after that would swallow 64% of her take-home. Her parents keep saying rent is throwing money away, but on a single salary in this market, buying might be the thing that actually breaks her. She needs to find out whether homeownership is a realistic goal or an expensive delusion.
Financial Snapshot
$92,000
Annual Income
$48,000
Net Worth
27
Age
Down-Payment Dana's Story — 6 Episodes
Dana's Decision
After five months of modeling, Dana makes her call. She is staying in Seattle, renting for two more years, house-hacking a duplex at 29, and investing $800/month in a Roth IRA in the meantime. She runs the final integrated model to see where this path puts her at 35.
Uses: down-paymentThe Investment Alternative
Dana asks a heretical question: what if she never buys and invests her $48k savings plus $1,800/month into index funds instead? She models the 30-year wealth trajectory of a lifetime renter who invests aggressively versus a homeowner building equity.
Uses: fireThe Relocation Question
Dana's company offers full remote. She models relocating to Boise, where the median home is $420k. Same salary, half the housing cost. But her partner has a Seattle-based job. She runs the dual-city comparison including taxes, cost of living, and career trajectory.
Uses: down-paymentThe House Hack Idea
Dana's coworker bought a duplex and rents half of it. The rent covers 60% of her mortgage. Dana models buying a $620k duplex in a less trendy neighborhood and running the numbers on house hacking with a roommate and an ADU tenant.
Uses: rent-vs-buyThe Rent-vs-Buy Verdict
Dana runs the full rent-vs-buy model. Her current rent is $2,100/month. The equivalent mortgage would be $4,890. The break-even point — where buying becomes cheaper than renting — is 7.2 years. She plans to stay 5 years.
Uses: rent-vs-buyThe Seattle Math
Dana models the down payment timeline. At her current $1,800/month savings rate, she'll have a 10% down payment ($78k) in 16 months. But at 10% down on a $780k home, her monthly payment would be $4,890 — 64% of her take-home pay. The model shows what 20% down changes.
Uses: down-payment