In 2020, Anita Kinoshita, then 28, began contemplating homeownership. Living in California as a software engineer for the Department of Defense, she earned around $70,000 annually.
As a first-generation American with Mexican roots, Kinoshita felt that owning property was key to achieving her family’s vision of the American dream. “I got my first big girl job and thought the next responsible step was to buy a house,” she recalled. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it; I was just figuring out how to make it happen.”
Initially, Kinoshita sought a property with the idea of subletting part of her room to lessen financial strain. She had saved roughly $20,000 for a down payment.
“My dream was to create a family and spend as much time as possible with them rather than being tied to a desk. Still, I pushed forward with what seemed to align with the American Dream,” she explained. “At 28, I cared about how success was defined by my community, and homeownership was a piece of that. I thought it was the right thing to do.”
Kinoshita was eager to learn about the home buying process. She took a nine-week course on financial management called Financial Peace University. In the retirement module, she discovered through a calculator that with a bit more investment in her 401(k), retiring around 55 while still pursuing homeownership was viable.
“Suddenly, the lifestyle I envisioned felt attainable for the first time,” she noted.
Over two years, Kinoshita looked at numerous homes, making four offers in total. While one was accepted, the seller backed out, and she turned down a single-family home due to appraisal issues.
“I realized that being competitive meant saving more for a down payment than I intended, so I stepped back,” she said. “In the end, it felt like the wrong time for me. I was unhappy in my job and sensed I was following a dream that wasn’t truly mine.”
Redefining success
Kinoshita shifted her goals. Instead of focusing on a down payment, she aimed to invest $500,000 in her retirement account. By April 2022, she had invested $200,000 and reached what’s known as COAST FIRE—a strategy allowing one to stop contributing to retirement savings while benefiting from compound growth.
After quitting her full-time job, she started part-time work creating educational content at California State University, Monterey Bay, and producing online financial literacy material. Remarkably, these roles earned her more than her previous job as a software engineer.
Now 34, Kinoshita plans to fully achieve COAST FIRE early. This positions her to retire at a chosen age rather than the typical 67, contingent on her investments.
She hopes to retire by 45 with $1.5 million invested. “I value my time and freedom more than owning a home,” Kinoshita reflected. “Looking back, I think owning a home would have made me feel constrained in my career.”
She and her husband recently moved to a suburb in California, renting a single-family home in a gated community for $4,000 monthly, as verified by documents. Kinoshita estimates they could have around $300,000 saved when they choose to buy a home, though the timeline for that decision remains fuzzy.
“I’m not in a rush,” she added. “I don’t want to view it merely as a financial tool. Nowadays, I see it more as a luxury if anything. I’d prefer to see my money working in the stock market rather than in real estate.”
Kinoshita’s perspective on her dream home has evolved, too. “I don’t want a massive place. I’m more attracted to unique architecture. I prefer cozy space in a beautiful neighborhood where I feel secure—being able to look out and see nature is important,” she explained. “I have no intention of settling for less. That’s really all we need.”
