A Social Worker Says They Paid Off Their Mortgage In Only 1.5 Years, But Is This Something Others Could Replicate Or Are They Just An Outlier

A 28-year-old social worker from South Jersey says they paid off a $225,000 mortgage in just a year and a half. The home, purchased in July 2024 for $475,000, came with a 30-year mortgage at a 7.125% interest rate. “I am MORTGAGE-FREE!!!” they wrote on Reddit’s r/Mortgages recently, celebrating the payoff just three days after sending the final check.

The social worker explained that while their current income is about $80,000 a year, the real financial engine came from a years-long side business flipping luxury watches. “From 18-24 yrs old, I had a side hustle of selling luxury watches (primarily Rolexes) to rich people who wanted them immediately,” they said. “That money laid the foundation for paying off the mortgage.”

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By the time they bought the house, they had reportedly made around $350,000 from this side business. They put down roughly $250,000 upfront and used the remaining proceeds plus work income to knock out the rest.

They credited their success to a mix of timing and frugality. “I lived with my parents up until the day I bought the house,” they wrote. This allowed them to save aggressively and avoid rent or other major expenses.

Still, some commenters were skeptical, questioning whether the math added up or if unreported income or family support helped fill the gaps.  “The math ain’t mathin,” one said, while another added, “This was your job. Social work was your side hustle.”

There were also warnings about replicability. “Margins on flipping most of those is 500-1000 and you have to tie up 20k in capital risking it,” one person pointed out, suggesting that the luxury watch resale game isn’t easy to break into or sustain.

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Others celebrated the feat while debating whether it was the best financial strategy. “You literally paid off the one thing that was guaranteed to never increase in price,” one person said. “Think about what could have been done with that money in an investment. The lender is thanking you for paying off the mortgage early.”

The poster seemed aware of this and embraced the peace of mind that came with being debt-free: “It’s a big mix of work and luck, but I am (somewhat) free from the shackles of society!!!”