Josiah and Lauren Duggar Take out a Mortgage and Break Jim Bob Duggar’s Big Rule
Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar had several strict rules for their kids. The couple’s 19 children weren’t allowed their own rooms, had to adhere to strict dress codes, and were kept away from all mainstream television, movies, and music. The family’s ultra-conservative rules have been discussed at length. Jim Bob and Michelle also tried to set an example when it came to finances. While some of the couple’s children have opted to try to live debt free, atleast a few couples are going a different route. Most recently, Josiah and Lauren Duggar took out a mortgage, something Jim Bob and Michelle are totally against.
Josiah and Lauren Duggar take out a mortgage
Josiah and Lauren Duggar might be trying to keep a lower profile. Still, mortgage records offer some insight into how they are funding their current lifestyle. The private couple reportedly moved into a newly built home recently. Rumors suggest the couple needs the extra space because they are expanding their family again. The house appears to be one they had built, but they didn’t do it the same way Jim Bob Duggar built his house decades ago.
According to the U.S. Sun, Lauren and Josiah Duggar took out a mortgage for $573,000 to pay for the property. The sprawling abode is pretty expensive for the area. According to Realtor, the average home value in Springdale, Arkansas, is $380,000.
Jim Bob Duggar has preached about living debt-free for years
Josiah and Lauren’s decision to take out a mortgage isn’t odd, at least for most of America. The majority of homes purchased in 2023 were financed. Jim Bob and Michelle, however, have always opted for a different route. The couple prefers to buy property with cash.
Long before the couple built their reality TV brand, they believed in living without debt. They purchased seemingly undesirable acreage and then purchased home kits. Together with their children and friends, Jim Bob and Michelle built the home featured on 19 Kids and Counting and Counting On without ever taking out a loan.
Jim Bob and Michelle spoke openly about their adherence to a debt-free lifestyle. They also revealed how they tried to instill the same mentality in their children. However, life after reality TV is complicated, and some Duggar kids are accessing other financing options.
Some of Josiah Duggar’s siblings are rumored to have taken out mortgages, too
Josiah might be the most recent Duggar to take out a mortgage to fund his lifestyle, but he’s likely not the first. While it’s impossible to say for certain, Duggar family followers largely suspect Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo took out a mortgage to purchase their first California home.
Jinger and Jeremy moved to California in 2019 for Jeremy’s educational pursuits. Since living on the West Coast, Jinger has largely supported the family through her influencer career. While she revealed that she made over $100,000 a year as an influencer, it still doesn’t seem like enough to have purchased a Los Angeles area property in cash.
Duggar family followers suspect Jill and Derick Dillard also used traditional financing to set down roots in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. After Derick accepted a job in Oklahoma, the duo sold their Lowell, Arkansas, starter home in 2022. They moved to a larger abode in Siloam Springs. The duo never discussed how they bought the property.
Most Duggar family members who appear to be living debt-free are doing so in homes provided to them by Jim Bob Duggar. Jim Bob has a habit of gifting some of his children houses from his portfolio to get them started, although Jim Bob doesn’t seem to treat all of his children equally.
