A Reddit user has ignited debate by warning Indian H-1B visa holders against buying homes in the US, citing financial risks and immigration uncertainty. Posting as “smokyskyline” under the thread “Please don’t buy a house in this environment,” the user flagged rising mortgage costs, tech sector volatility, and lifestyle inflation as serious concerns.
“Please don’t buy a house in this environment. Just my advice of course. There’s a tendency for Indian H1b holders to try to buy a house a few years after they’re in the US, in their 30s or so, around the time they’re starting a family,” the post read.
The user argued cultural expectations often push Indians toward homeownership too quickly.
“There’s a strong cultural belief that buying a house is an investment and renting is throwing away money. It’s not. First, if you run the math on rent vs buy in this environment, rent usually comes on top. Remember, when you are buying, you are also throwing money away — to the bank as mortgage which is primarily interest in the early years. So it’s really about the choice of throwing money to the bank vs landlord. Interest rates are high,” the user said.
Beyond the financials, the post warned of how owning a house can fuel costly lifestyle creep.
“Second, you’re failing to consider the lifestyle inflation and impact on work. Houses in suburbs typically mean a lot of commute. Less time to work or relax, more time dealing with traffic. And now that you have a house, you’ll spend money customising it. You’ll look around at your neighbors and start subconsciously start buying more things and more services. And you will resist leaving cities because you don’t want to abandon the house you purchased. You’ll upgrade to a comfortable SUV. You’ll enter to West Elm furniture instead of IKEA. You’ll hire a landscaper instead of growing mint in a pot. You’ll hire contractors to remodel your bathroom so you can have a heated bidet and 2 person shower.”
Job security and shifting immigration policies add another layer of risk.
“Third, the tech environment is way too unstable. Politics follows the same environment. Before you know it, you may lose your job, or the country could become unfriendlier to H1bs. The stress from a mortgage will be intense. Your company could change its tune any day and you are just a resource.”
Calling for a mindset shift, the user urged H-1B holders not to equate renting with financial loss.
“If you reframe it as paying for the privilege of flexibility and time, it seems a lot better to rent than own. And that is assuming that it’s actually more expensive to rent, which it’s usually not.”
“Your kids will not care about the difference. And you will be happier,” the post concluded.
How netizens reacted
The warning resonated with many Reddit users who shared personal regrets about buying homes while on H-1B visas.
“Even though few may have lucked out, still one of the dumbest move is to buy a house when in H1b and still have a chance to be moved or lose a job,” wrote one user.
“Listen to this guy! I am the exact guy he described in the post and regret my decision everyday,” said another.
“Finally someone said it right. Not worth it at least in the current administration,” added a third user.
However, some Redditors disagreed, stressing that homeownership can make sense depending on personal finances, housing markets, and the desire for stability.
“Owning a house is a necessity. Renting changing houses after every 2-3 years is a lot of work and trouble. Again rent keeps on increasing as per the state of the market. But if you buy a housing loan on a fixed structure with increasing salaries it becomes easier with time. After a certain point you want to settle live in a community,” one user wrote.
