In All Reality

So, some months back we bought a house. As you may imagine, such a decision came at the end of a lot of debate and discussion… and an even longer searching period.

Brenda and I had been engaged for six months when we began discussing our impending apartment situation. By sheer luck our leases would be coming up at the same time at the end of July. The decision needed to be made as to if we would find an apartment together or plunge headlong into the search for our first home. Some of the defining factors in our debate were:

• We needed at least a three bedroom apartment, because we couldn’t fit all of our crap into anything smaller.

• A three bedroom apartment in our area would range anywhere from $850 – $1200 a month.

• Traditional 30 year loan rates were bouncing around between 3.5% – 5%.

• We had a sizable bit of savings to put down as a payment, thus significantly lessening our potential loan.

• Given the loan rates and money available to put down, a monthly house payment would range from $700 - $950.

We made the decision to buy a house. Or at least to look for one. And we picked a helluva time to do it. As history will reflect, the housing market at this time was (and still largely is) a complete buyer’s market. Foreclosures, short sales, and all-around good deals abounded. This proved to be a double-edged sword, however.

It provided a huge number of possibilities, but at the same time became a daunting search tasks. As we sat down with our realtor to browse through the listings that matched our criteria, we were bewildered to find over 300 potential homes. And the hunt was on.

We went “shopping” two or three times a week for a month and a half, spending part of our time filtering through the search results and physically visiting those houses we felt were most promising. We wanted a large kitchen, as we love to cook. We wanted a big back yard with lots of space, because we love to garden and grow things. Three bedrooms, two baths, a garage for two cars. Those were our goals.

The best part of the entire experience (in my opinion) was getting to go through these different homes and make inferences about the people who lived there, currently or in the past. You quickly start to pick up on little quirks and modifications, shortcomings and repairs that define the house as being more than just a collection of materials to keep the rain and cold out. People inhabited these places, and parts of their personalities and behaviors color the surroundings. Some were fools, having a foreclosed house that still contained the 60-inch plasma TVs, satellite dishes, and expensive furniture that were more important than keeping their home. Some were quaint, expressing unimpressive but satisfied existences. Some were simply… odd, containing bathrooms barely large enough to stand in, stumps in the middle of their concrete patios, or (in one case) a set of train tracks running through the back yard.

Ironically, when we finally found what would shortly become our first home, it only partially matched the “must-have” requirements we had set forth. Its kitchen was not as large as what we had wanted. Its backyard had little useable space, trading open area for a beautifully constructed and finished deck. Its three bedrooms were noticeably smaller than what other houses had boasted. No single facet of it was impressive overmuch.

But there was something about it, standing in the living room with the sunlight shining through the unique five window arrangement. There was a peace about the place that was welcoming. It was not overlarge but had open space which felt relaxing. For reasons I still cannot accurately describe, this house removed all thoughts of living anywhere else. This would be our home.

In summary, here are some of the important things we learned:

• Much like love, when you find the house for you… you’ll know it. Having some prerequisites helps narrow down the pool, but once you walk into the living room: you’ll know.

• Pay attention to the details. Things that seem minor (like a sticky door) aren’t insurmountable by any means, but they are things you will have to deal with at some point. Just make note.

• Enjoy the house hunt! You most likely won’t get to do it again for a long time (if ever) and it provides you with the rare entertainment factor of glimpsing into the private lives of random people.

• Find a good realtor, preferably someone you can find personal recommendations for or that you know personally.

• In general, look at all the angles, weigh your options, and make the decision that’s best for you.