We're buying a house!!!!

[karen]

Boy I hope the makeup thing works out! I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing. My brother is getting a big, kinda expenive house- and those kind of payments just scare me. Payments in general scare me- we've never really had any other than rent, but I think we'll manage. It's not exactly Tara- but it will be ours- or at least partially ours.

[pinkpomelo]

I think that size is not as important as peace of mind. If you bought a house within your budget and have "buffer zone" money for rainy days, then no matter how big/small, your home will really be a place of peace and comfort.

I read somewhere that 85% of fights couples have, stem from financial issues. It may not be the obvious reasons why they fight, but its definitely a stressor that makes everyone less forgiving and more picky.

You're doing well, Karen! Woot!

[piccola_donna]

Congrats Karen- Buying a house is great- at least your money is going towards something now, rather than down the drain of renting.

Just out of interest, are house prices down much in America? It's really difficult to tell from the media what's true and what's sensationalist.

I know some parts of the market are affected in Australia- housing prices in general are down slightly and are predicted to go down more. But housing prices have always been over-inflated in Australia. Particularly in Western Australia, where they've dropped massively due to the mining bust. My uncles house lost $300 000 off its value in two months (and he has to sell).

[lcash]

Congratulations on your new home, Karen. There are unique challenges to home ownership (YOU are the landlord that needs to get things fixed!), but it's so much fun to turn it into your own little nest and the tax benefits are quite nice.

P-donna in Australia - home prices are down in the Western US, but there are so many houses on the market, they're not selling. With the economy as messed up as it is, a lot of people who want to buy are scared off by fear of losing their jobs or getting a cut in pay. Mortgage companies and banks are very unforgiving about missed payments! The homes selling best now are new, moderately sized homes or very unique ones - horse property, large yards, etc. The big fancy ones are sitting empty. L.

[Xarata]

piccola- On the East Coast it's the tiny ones that are selling (ranch style, townhouses, split-levels). People who have to sell are moving to smaller houses that they can afford while still having room for the family. And yep, the big fancy ones are just sitting waiting to be sold. My sister in Virginia is trying to sell her colonial in a nice neighborhood ($200k house) and no one is even looking (Although she's selling to buy a bigger more expensive house because she has a 1 year old at home and twins on the way so she needs more SPACE. She's in PR and her husband is a lawyer so they
re among the lucky ones in times like these- BUT having money still doesn't make your house sell faster).

Me, I'm a renter so my money is going down the hole- as it has been for 3 years.

[maybeme]

Yay!! Congrats Karen!!

[~*mikie*~]

The fun begins,LOL! I am *delighted* for you, Karen! I agree with the others that there's something wonderful about decorating your *own* nest. May you & Kris be very blessed in it!

mikie

[piccola_donna]

Thanks guys. It's so interesting to get a real perspective on things rather than just the media stories.

[karen]

Mikie!!!! You're a sight for sore eyes- we've missed you, and am glad to hear that you haven't frozen this winter. I was standing in the middle of the completely blank, stark white living room of the new house thinking "what would Mikie do?"

My mother has swooped in with a "Better Homes and Gardens" 1950's how to decorate a house book- it's cool, hilarious, and disturbing all at the same time. Wood is a color- according to the book, and if you're a busy clubwoman it's best to have blinds rather than curtains so you don't have to dust as often. Lots of stuff about keeping husbands happy- pipe smoking guys in cardigans. Wives need 56 inches of space behind them at the dining room table so husbands can walk behind them to push in their chairs- oh and to have enough space to serve the family. There's good information in there as well- I've never seen a book on decorating, and it's nice to have measurements like that.

Around here housing prices haven't really taken a huge nose-dive. There are a few markets in the area where the price of a home has actually gone up- the ones with the really cheap houses...you can get a perfectly acceptable house in Elmira for less than $30,000- but it's about an hour from the shop.

You all were absolutely correct- I was going to count the number of times I had to sign or initial something- and yes- I lost count about 20 pages in. The realtor had literally a ream of paper in front of her. We haven't closed yet, but just the preliminary stuff was a workout. The inspection came back as decent, liveable, but there are some things that need work- nothing too shocking or wallet draining (I hope). I called the local plumber to see if he had any info on the house, and it turns out his grandmother owned it- so I got the whole history on it from 1966 to the 90's, and he was happy for the trip down memory lane.

A few more weeks and we'll get to feel the rush of being homeowners!!

[pinkpomelo]

Wives need 56 inches of space behind them at the dining room table so husbands can walk behind them to push in their chairs- oh and to have enough space to serve the family.

1950s eh? How times have changed.

The exterior looks so peaceful!