I really want to get a house soon. With it being a buyer's market and the federal tax incentive and the first-time home buyers programs that we can take advantage of, I feel like now is the perfect time to buy. We've looked at some houses, done the mortgage applications, but I'm feeling uncertain about a lot of things.
The reason I feel uncertain is that there was one house we saw that I liked, but I absolutely love the yard. I think my love for this yard may be clouding my judgment since this place is only about 860 square feet with no basement. It has an oversized garage that could be used for storage of things that weren't sensitive to temp changes, but other than that, space would be limited. The other thing about the place is the electrical is not up to code and there is a strong possibility the roof would need to be reshingled soon.
But then I think about all the possibilities if we would get this place: we could put an addition on after we save up money again and in the meantime we would have a little bit more space inside than the apartment plus we'd have a garage and an AMAZING backyard in which I could do so much.
I'm trying to decide if I want to further pursue this place because of its incredible yard despite the small house, or if I should concentrate on finding something a little bit bigger. I do know that we need to look at more properties and I know that houses go on the market all the time, but the price range we are looking at means houses go on and off the market very quickly. Plus I want to get in a place that isn't too far out of our comfort zone just in case something would happen to one of our jobs.
I am glad that we filled out the mortgage applications and that we've been preapproved. So much to think about! I'm wondering if the house I described above sells, will I always regret not getting that yard? I know I'm unnecessarily worrying...but what if we don't find a place? I know it's not the end of the world because we have a good apartment here. It's just that I'm desperately craving a yard.
Most people I've talked to say that getting the place that's a little bit bigger and just a little bit out of your comfort zone is worth it in the end. I keep thinking about it because what if we decide to have kids in five years?
This is why I don't want to start planning our wedding because there's just so many things to think about and as you can tell from my wandering that I'm preoccupied enough as it is.
Any thoughts? Any pearls of wisdom?
I'm eager to learn more, plain and simple. There are so many aspects of this world that I have no clue about, but am ready and willing to discover. In the meantime, I am enjoying my experiences and finding humor in almost everything I do (yep, I giggle a lot). This blog is a little slice of my twisted sense of humor and varied interests. Enjoy :)
"This is our home, free of human borders and boundaries, a single, integrated whole with a thin ephemeral layer within which life flourishes." - David Suzuki
2 comments:
so here's my two cents...
our yard was the major driver of our last home purchase, BUT we liked the main bones of the house too. we are planning improvements and such, but the house itself will be fine for many years without them. i think moving into a home that is immediately too small is probably not the best idea, unless you're planning improvements in the near term. you might regret the loss of the yard were someone else to purchase it, but you have to look at it as a package and be happy with both aspects or be willing to live with it until you can change it. also think about the cost of changing it substantially, the codes in st paul that allow for expansions, etc.
does that help? it's really hard to be totally rational/logical about emotional purchases such as houses, but you definitely want to be able to step back a bit and ensure this is really the right place for you.
:) good luck!
I agree - don't rush into something that needs a ton of work and money. The city codes/restrictions is a big thing to look at. Love Mom
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