Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Listing --> House --> Home?
We're trying to buy a house. We are under the gun. I never thought my head could spin so much.
We've toured about 25 houses in less than 2 weeks. This done while our real estate agent was on vacation for 1 week. I scoured the open house listings for 2 weekends and we tramped through the rain to look at 14 houses this weekend. I've discovered more about the streets of Sonoma than I ever knew growing up here my entire life. How uncurious have I been all these years!
I can't believe how quickly your idea of what you can afford changes the longer you look at listings and run the numbers for a mortgage. And my whole thought process has had to be accelerated due to the time constraints we've got. You'd think $100,000 would make a big difference in your payment, but it doesn't. It's insane. We've gone from looking at properties in the low $500,000s (which are often dumpy or not dumpy but in dumpy areas) to looking at listings in the low $800,000s (which are nice homes in nicer neighborhoods, but not on the Eastside which is where all the chic people live...including my parents, ironically enough, but they're grandfathered in since they've owned there since I was born). In Sonoma, however, $800,000 is not what $800,000 is in another state. It all seems too ridiculous.
I daren't write about the houses we're interested in. I'm afraid I'll jinx it somehow. I don't know how you step into the real estate game without feeling like you're stepping over the edge of a cliff. Some people get off on that high, the riskiness of it. I look at it and gulp and my stomach does loop-di-loops and then I just take a running leap, grabbing my husband by the hand and yanking him along with me. If not now, then when? We won't have a chance like this again. Go for it. Take the plunge. You're going to land and however you land will not kill you. Bruised? Maybe. Broken bones? Possibly. Dead? Never. So go. [yes, in case you're wondering, you are witnessing me convincing myself as I type]
It's strange, this process. How a "listing" in the newspaper or emailed by an agent becomes a "house" once you've toured and had a look around so you can think if this can be your new "home." It's all so surreal right now. I guess I'll wake up once the first payment has to be made.
| Mrs. Botton was at it again @ 8:17 AM
