first thing I would do is sit with with your wife and tell her what you told us. go through the numbers and tell you you’re worried that she’s not that into the house, and she really needs to say something now so you don’t enter into an obligation she’ll later resent.
something else to keep in mind: not only is your payment $200 less than what you’re paying in rent now, the majority of that payment will be tax deductible for many years to come. So that’ll give you a new ~$14k annual deduction the first few years, gradually decreasing as you move further down the amortization curve. Yeah, you’ll have property taxes (also deductible) and insurance, but still, you’re coming out way ahead.
also: your rent may be $1700 now, but it’s not likely to stay there forever. Your payment, however, will.
Good luck and best wishes with whatever you decide.
