A year ago my husband and I were having the discussion of buy versus rent. We were wrapping up fellowship and moving to a new city. We could agree that the housing market was a bit insane and overwhelming as people were offering significant amounts over asking price and agreeing to waive inspection requests. We were also not interested in renting and moving again a year or two later. We wanted to purchase a home but felt stuck in deciding if we should...
Many people told us it was a bad time to buy for financial reasons. Others told us our first job might not work out and that was a reason not to buy. We were moving to a new city so how could we really know where we want to be? Others told us it would be a lot of stress and we should rent and just enjoy our time as a family without having pressure to maintain a house. The chorus of opinions was LOUD.
And I was stuck in analyzing and overanalyzing if this was true. We met with a financial planner who mapped out our future through retirement and he advised that with 99% certainty we would be fine. We looked at the various theories on how much of our annual income we should spend on a mortgage. But I still felt stuck. We got an offer accepted on the home and the inspection made me really nervous. Should we walk away? Maybe that was a sign.
I was talking to a friend who suggested I also consider the intangibles of homeownership. Thankfully I listened.
We bought a home to establish a community. We picked a neighborhood known for being kid friendly and as it turns out, there are at least two other families on our block who will have a child starting kindergarten the same year as my daughter. We have met some of our best friends at the park behind our house. Now this park is tiny... and really only neighborhood kids go there. One of the moms invited me to a cookbook club, which expanded my friendships even more. When we had some health issues, my neighbors hosted us for dinners, took my daughter for playdates and left pastries on our porch.
We bought a home to have a permanent place to make our own. We bought a couch and a dining table for the space we currently live in without fear of how it will fit when we move. We hung photos and artwork freely. We will be remodeling our bathroom to our tastes. It feels like such a relief to live in a space that is truly ours.
Will we make a profit on our home when we go to sell it? I hope so. Will my old house be a money pit? I hope not. Will I be grateful for the intabibles my house has brought my family? Definitely!
