I will not buy a house, I will not buy a house
Even if it’s a great price and is completely adorable.
Just because it’s on a target block, with incentives to purchase and renovate…. and my dad is a contractor, and we have a great handy support system of people who could help us…. that’s no reason to buy…right? right?
F bombs. We have a 3 year plan, one that doesn’t include buying a house-but does include moving to another country. Of course, like any plan worth it’s salt, it’s liable to change at any moment. But still. I will not buy a house. I will not buy a house.
Are you a renter? Home owner? Do you have house lust?
July 19th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Totally. And we own (cough) two of them! I’ve always wanted a weekend property on the lake while my husband would prefer we live on the water full-time like he did when he was a child. As of Friday, I’ve come around. If I’m going to sit on my porch to work, why shouldn’t it be overlooking a lake, right? So now we’re looking at way-too-expensive properties as if 1) we can afford them (and seriously, who can? am I in the wrong profession because sheesh!) and 2) we don’t have a bonus house plus the one we live in.
I don’t dream/ window-shop well. I start to imagine and try to plan and then end up frustrated. My husband, though, can look and not NEED. Me, I eventually feel like I need. *sigh* Being a grown-up kinda sucks.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:09 am
You’re so right Marisa, I am a very bad window shopper. I’ve already mentally renovated that house. But, since you work from home (I don’t know where Joey works) could you live farther away and on the water?
July 19th, 2010 at 11:10 am
I almost refused to read this because I would LOVE to have a house but at the same time I’m just not ready. And if I keep seeing houses like this I’m gonna be all “But Joooooosh maybe we can just *look* at houses.” Which would then lead to lusting and crying and whining and no one likes that. Needless to say, we rent
July 19th, 2010 at 11:20 am
This is nowhere near California. Don’t buy it.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
We own a house, and it’s so. much. work.
We’re always doing something. And our house was NOT a fixer-upper. So, unless you want to be swamped, since buying a house is not in your 3 year plan, and moving IS in your 3 year plan, I would say don’t buy it.
Sad, I know. So sad.
But keep your eye on the prize.
July 19th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
I love old houses, and strawbale houses, and funky little houses, and converted school bus houses… but I have absolutely zero desire to own a house, maybe ever, but certainly not within the next 5 years. As my partner and I ever more zealously de-clutter and seek to simplify, the idea of being a nomad is ever more appealing
Of course, like you, we have plans to leave the country- somewhere around May of 2011- to be world travelers/volunteers/woofers/english teachers/free lance computer scientists for about 3 years. I’m 27 now, I’ll be about 30 or 31 when we get back, so we’ll see. For long term future needs I’m torn between a straw bale, off the grid, homestead on about 5 acres in a beautiful climate conducive to a huge garden, or a continued nomadic existence involving, perhaps, a VW van converted to electric that we can live in and camp next to. How’s that for hippie-tastic? Who’s surprised we’re vegans too? Yeah, probably no one
July 19th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
@Courtney Have you seen the B-53 Tumbleweed? I love it! http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/houses/b53/ However, you might like the ones that can go on wheels!
July 19th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
That house is adorable, I can see why you’d be tempted! I have such bad home lust, you don’t even know. Not that we’ll be able to afford anything anytime soon, living in California our rent is double most people’s mortgages. But we can dream, right?
July 19th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Not to be a bad influence or anything, but it *is* completely adorable. We bought the house we bought because we are decidedly not handy and our work schedules wouldn’t allow us much time for renovations and whatnot, but I love homes like that with so much character. Speaking of your dad, does he have a website or something? We have a couple of projects we’ll eventually want to hire someone for (again with our not-handy-ness).
July 19th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
@Christiana- yes, I love the tumbleweed houses! There is a great blog- I think it’s called “tinyhouseblog” with all sorts of interesting ways of living tiny
Oh, and I forgot to mention- as some other have said, yes, most certainly yes, that house is fabulous and very charming and I can see the allure!
July 19th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
What a cute house! I could totally understand why you’d want to buy it!
July 20th, 2010 at 6:23 am
Sounds like you need someone to dis on that house, to clear your head:
Water damage in basement. What could that mean? Mold? Bad plumbing? Water entry? What is that pile of boxes hiding that happens to be directly under some of the water damage?
Radiator heat. Very inefficient. Chilly in winter. Did you see any central air vents? Do you want to buy window AC units for every window?
In Baltimore. Location^3. Fun and funky for young DINKs, but you don’t want to raise kids there; or, if you do, can you afford private school? Also, what is your commute going to be like? Or do you plan to change jobs before making an offer?
$220K sounds cheap. But this is Baltimore. $220K will buy you _two_ 1800sqft townhouses in the city, or one 2000sqft SFH Arbutus, where the crime is lower and schools are better.
July 21st, 2010 at 3:29 pm
i want a home so badly! my husband and i drive around our dream neighborhood looking for a house for sale but we definitely aren’t in the place to buy one yet! but hopefully soon!! that house is lovely!!