[quote=scaredycat]there is no way to have everything i want. life is compromise. mrs scaredy and I went on a long hike today and discussed life. I don’t know. I haven’t faxed the termination yet. Still in the inspection period. i agonize too much. i have a hard time even just buying a pair of pants. I don’t want to buy anything. I think I even have enough underwear to last me the rest of my life. I would have more confidence if she were more excited. She is too honest to pretend to be excited but she likes it. She’s just not crazy about the place. We could see the house from the nature preserve we were hiking in. There it was. I hate suburbia, sprawl, huge energy inefficient houses, as does she. Yet this is where i am, this is my lot in life, so to speak. My wife also said the house had made her feel like buying things to put in it, and I am opposed to consumption , and so is she, at least usually. this house would turn us into basically regular people and that could be scary. even i want to buy things to put in this house. when i rent, i figure, ah hell i dont wann abuy that, id hate to have to move it. we lose that natural restriction[/quote]
I doubt anyone can respond to you at this point without heavy influence from their own experiences.
Here are a few views of mine: It sounds like you have a good wife. She is used to you and enjoys your company reflecting on life out on the nature trail. That’s reason to celebrate. On the other hand buying a suburban house,dump, dream house, or ANY HOUSE, is not going to make 40 something year old people less than they are or can be otherwise.(unless perhaps you planned on going on a charity mission from here on out).There may be a process of self discovery post owner occupied housing but you will come to what works. You can buy this house and continue to be who you want to be. The fact that it seems like a bargain helps that. Go against the grain with house if you need to… Or play keep up with Jones’. Rip up the carpets in some rooms and close the hvac ducts and convert them to hoobie rooms where you don’t care if paint get splattered or whatever.One for each kid. That house is as efficient,functional and productive as you want it to be. Save a few hundred a month for the pool maybe you will decide you don’t want one(especially if you hate to spend money). The YMCA and other locations have nice pools.My wife is a decent swimmer and we talk about a pool for her but ultimately it comes back to she doesn’t want one for the substitution possibilties it removes. You have choices. Even in subrbia there are people who don’t “toe the line”. They simply live there because it works with other demands from the parameters they have chosen over the years. I think an HOA with serious restrictions might put a damper on you but other than that it could work.
