Seoul dual-income couple's first-home book: Meditera's Self Ipjiryeok
In short
Meditera's Self Ipjiryeok (Meditera) is a real estate location-analysis book by Jeong Eunsook (Meditera), published by Hankyung (한국경제신문, Korea Economic Daily). A dual-income couple in Seoul, three years into marriage and unsure where to move next year, read through the book's 3-step self location system, 9-step home purchase flowchart and 5 stages of the real estate life cycle. Meditera's Self Ipjiryeok is worth reading before buying a home, because it makes you rethink which home suits you instead of following what others do.
Good to know
- Book title
- Meditera's Self Ipjiryeok (Meditera)
- Author
- Jeong Eunsook (Meditera)
- Publisher
- Hankyung (한국경제신문, Korea Economic Daily)
- Structure
- Parts 1–4 plus an appendix of real property field-visit notes from Meditera's students
- Recommended by
- Three real estate experts: Sim Hyeongseok, Genesis Park and Hurangi
Prices as written by the tester on Jul 27, 2026 · not updated automatically
Year 3 of marriage: why did we open Meditera Self Ipjiryeok?
The writer is a third-year newlywed in a dual-income household in Seoul, and Meditera Self Ipjiryeok is the book chosen after a lot of worrying about buying a home. While wondering where the truly right location for the two of them is, the writer picked up this real estate book, billed as "the bible of location analysis that survives falling markets and pulls ahead in rising ones."
Oh my gosh… time just flowed and flowed, and here we are already in year 3 of marriage… 🤵🏻👰🏻 But you know what…!!! Buying a home is always such a worry!! Seriously-!!! Why on earth is buying a home so hard!!!! 🏠😣
Really… we're an ultra-realistic newlywed couple in Seoul living month to month!!! Dual income or not, living in Seoul just isn't easy anymore-!! 💸 Seriously… where are we supposed to go next year…?!?! At a loss, I brought a real estate book for worried couples like us, a guide to choosing a location that suits me: Meditera Self Ipjiryeok-!!!
What kind of book is Meditera Self Ipjiryeok?
Meditera Self Ipjiryeok is written by Jeong Eunsook (Meditera) and published by Hankyung Business. It contains real field-visit notes from Meditera students and location strategies for each life stage.
- Includes real field-visit notes from Meditera students
- Strongly recommended by three real estate experts: Sim Hyeongseok, Genesis Park and Hurangi
- Methods for analyzing location value and location strategies by life stage
There is no home that's good for everyone. There is only 'the one home for me.'
This is the Self Ipjiryeok of author Jeong Eunsook (Meditera), an investor, real estate area-analysis columnist and YouTuber!! The book starts from this problem:
You bought exactly what the expert 'picked,' but three years later the price hasn't moved. You chased a 'higher-tier area' like everyone else and got crushed by loan interest.
Table of contents and structure of Meditera Self Ipjiryeok
Meditera Self Ipjiryeok is neatly organized into 4 parts and an appendix! For whom?! Only for me! It's about building your own location sense!!!
- Part 1: Why you need your own location sense
- Part 2: Building your own location sense
- Part 3: Finding future spots with your own location sense
- Part 4: Designing a life-cycle strategy with your own location sense
- Appendix: How self location sense is used in the field – real field-visit notes from Meditera students
What is the 3-step self location system?
The core of Meditera Self Ipjiryeok is a 3-step system: judging the big picture, screening complexes, and a life-cycle plan.
- STEP 1. Use population and real estate policy to judge the big picture: is now the time to buy, or to wait?
- STEP 2. Use six location-value factors and real estate big data to pick out complexes that are truly valuable within your budget.
- STEP 3. Complete your own home-buying plan, one that won't waver, matched to the 5 life-cycle stages.
The era of simply saying "this place is good~!!" is over! You have to realize for yourself which area is really good for you! A book that trains your eye to pick out good areas on your own!!
Buying somewhere just because someone lives there isn't real estate-!! The most important thing when buying a home is checking the location sense that fits you-!!
These days the default Seoul home price is ₩1n00 million (1n eok, i.e. over ₩1 billion), and at worst ₩5–6 billion!! So where is the truly good home for me?!
In what order does an actual home purchase go?
Meditera Self Ipjiryeok lays out a 9-step flowchart of an actual home purchase, from the decision to buy to the final payment and move-in.
- Decide to buy
- Check your funds
- Check market mood and policy direction
- Sort out buyable areas and unit sizes
- Research areas and pick preferred complexes
- Check listings and set purchase terms
- Sign the contract
- Prepare the final payment
- Final payment and move-in
From things to consider-!! all the way to the super-hot land transaction permit rules (토허가)!
From the basics anyone interested in buying a home must know, to the latest updates! A book that puts it all together neatly in one place!
What are the 5 stages of the real estate life cycle?
Meditera Self Ipjiryeok covers the 5 stages of the real estate life cycle, looking beyond the purchase itself. Because buying a home isn't the end-!!
- Stage 1 – Dependent period (living with parents)
- Stage 2 – Independent period (jeonse/monthly rent, buying a home)
- Stage 3 – Asset-building period (buying a home and real estate investing)
- Stage 4 – Expansion period (expanding unit size and assets)
- Stage 5 – Retirement-preparation period (preparing for old age)
How was it to read as newlyweds?
We newlyweds had plenty of worries about buying a home too! This book made us think again about which home is truly right for us, instead of buying somewhere because we got swayed! I recommend Meditera Self Ipjiryeok as a book that builds your own location sense, well worth reading before you buy a home!
