Courtesy of Brandon Paulin
- Brandon Paulin, 28, has been mayor of his hometown of Indian Head, Maryland, since he was 19.
- After college, he continued living with family to save up for his own place.
- Fights with his brother over late-night gaming were a headache, but Paulin said it was worth it.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brandon Paulin, a 28-year-old Navy contractor who is also the mayor of Indian Head, Maryland, a town of 3,900 people a 50-minute drive south of Washington, DC. Paulin talked about his experience living in his childhood home for three years to save for a down payment on his own house. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.