Too tired to blog much of anything at the moment. Why? Just returned from a whirlwind two-day house-hunting trip to the D. You could duplicate the experience by driving 3.5 hours and then spending the next 48 hours climbing in and out of a car, followed by another 3.5 hours home. That Kate managed this trip without misbehaving significantly is only proof she is an angel sent from heaven.
We left the dog at home. Good call.
The good news: We found a house. It’s perfect in nearly every detail.
The bad news: It’s tens of thousands more than I wanted to spend. Not to mention the taxes.
The next two days will be spent figuring it out. Any advice? Leave it in the comments. P.S. I’m leaning toward buying it anyway.
ashley said on December 13, 2004 at 9:49 pm
Beg, borrow, or steal the money.
Get the house you want, and don’t spend years and thousands of dollars trying to turn something else into the house you want. You don’t want or need that hassle.
Worst case scenario, go with a novel mortgage instead of a traditional mortgage, and interest be damned.
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brian stouder said on December 13, 2004 at 10:00 pm
what Ashley said!
I haven’t had to move in years and years…but back in the day I moved several times in (relatively) rapid succession (3 moves in 31/2 years), and was continually amazed at how much stuff we had accumulated.
We have at least one more move – within Fort Wayne – on the horizon, and the thought of it is… daunting
I can only imagine changing states, and renovating every aspect of our lives!!
Nance – ‘you Go, Girl’, as they say!
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kim said on December 13, 2004 at 10:17 pm
Like David Lee Roth once warbled, “Jump!”
Look at it this way: It’s only money, most of which at the front end isn’t even yours.
Ashley is so right. We moved a year ago, trading a newish house for an older neighborhood’s needy house that was too expensive. The neighbors are beyond, I’ve never been happier and the hundred bucks or so more I’m paying every month seems a bargain. Congratulations, fellow debtor.
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Mary said on December 14, 2004 at 2:00 am
I agree with all of the above. I passed up a house that was tens of thousands more than I wanted to spend, and I regret it all the time. I like my house, but that other one was soooooooo much better.
Find the money, go for it. In three years those tens of thousands will not seem like much.
Mary
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danno said on December 14, 2004 at 7:28 am
All of the above! It sounds as if you have made the decision already, go with your gut. If you have to live in Detroit anyway, buy the house that makes you and yours feel like home. Would an Ann Arbor commute be too much??
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Jill said on December 14, 2004 at 8:30 am
Here’s a voice from the other side: we bought a house in the best school district in the state, a beautiful old home with outrageous taxes and curb-side yard debris removal. It has drained us dry. The school district has surpassed all our expectations, so I suppose it makes the expensive home worth it, but we’ve had to seriously adjust our want-need matrix for the past three years. If you go into it knowing that you’ll have to sacrifice in other places, it will make the house much more worth it.
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Connie said on December 14, 2004 at 8:55 am
With all the spam I get offering me huge mortgages for tiny payments surely the perfect mortgage is out there. Ha!.
I say go for it. Which suburb? Inquiring minds want to know.
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Danny said on December 14, 2004 at 9:01 am
Nance, in San Diego it is impossible to find anything reasonably priced. Neverthless, we tried to stay well within our means because all of our family is out of state and we enjoy visiting them at will. We did not want our home to own us. Your situation may be different, but it is something to consider.
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Michael G said on December 14, 2004 at 9:02 am
Do it. Absolutely. Do they do home inspections in Michigan? If so get one. It will be the best $200 you ever spent. If it’s an old house, just know what you’re getting into.
Moving again shouldn’t be so bad now — right? You’ve just moved twice recently so you should be lean and mean — right? And anyway, half your stuff is still packed — right? It’ll be a happy move. Post a pic when the time is right. Congrats.
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Eric said on December 14, 2004 at 9:47 am
Make sure that nicely detailed house is near good bike riding.
The Detroit suburbs are hit and miss.
Macomb County: too new too traffic-y.
Grosse Pointe: ideal. they can afford to keep the streets smooth and what’s better than a ride by the lake?
They’re a lot of new bike paths in Oakland County.
Western Wayne County has Hines Drive and Outer Drive.
The best riding: Detroit city. The roads are built wide for more traffic than actually uses them. A circuit on Belle Isle park is always pleasant. You can see freighters up close and also spy the best bike path in the area: Windsor’s.
Good Luck.
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Mindy said on December 14, 2004 at 10:21 am
Perfection in every way is a lot to ask of a house. If the payment and taxes are on the high end of your comfort zone, go for it. If not, do some careful rethinking and keep Jill’s fate in mind.
Home inspections are a good idea. But you might find an architect to do the stuctural inspecting. I have one ready-made in a cousin who drove the bus for all the remodeling we did to an older home, and he immediately found several concerns that the home inspector missed by a mile. This didn’t surprise him in the least. He added that he has yet to see a home inspector that wasn’t a disappointment.
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Dick Walker said on December 14, 2004 at 12:13 pm
Gopher it! Although it strikes me that after all that moving in the last couple of years and now one more, and you’re still in that miserable winter climate?
Only one more jump and you could be in the Sunbelt! We’re biking every month of the year in Texas.
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Dave said on December 14, 2004 at 5:15 pm
The old rule of thumb was the monthly house payment should not exceed one week’s income. I suppose that is still pretty accurate. But, quality of life, neighborhood, distance from work, Kate’s school choice, etc. are very important…to the extent you could exceed that ratio some. Just don’t cut things too closely–to the point you have to worry or don’t have any money left for anything else.
I’m sure you will make the right choice.
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Nance said on December 14, 2004 at 8:46 pm
The ‘burb is Grosse Pointe Park. The house is: Four blocks from the lake, around the corner from Kate’s school. Has: New everything. And I mean everything. Name it, it’s new, including the GARAGE. Yes, a new garage, made extra-long for tool storage. It’s also among the least expensive houses on a street of larger and more lavish joints. Fifteen minutes from Alan’s office.
I’m thinking for 36 more hours.
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4dbirds said on December 14, 2004 at 10:40 pm
I’ve read that buying the least expensive house in a neighborhood is a very smart move.
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Andrea said on December 15, 2004 at 1:39 pm
Just do it!!!! Don’t let a good one get away. (Usually a lurker, but couldn’t resist.)
Andrea
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Laura said on December 15, 2004 at 4:06 pm
Your gut knows. Go with it.
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