We Finally Bought

[LongTermWatcher]

I have looked at this blog almost every day for 5 years. Thank you to all of the helpful posters over many years. (I have almost never posted, just read.)

Prior to that we had started house shopping in 2002. We could not get the green light to actually move here job-wise until late 2004. What a difference a few months made. So: We did not buy then. We rented in the neighborhood we wanted to buy in, with the key schools.

My opinion re importance of schools for those who have or will have kids: unless you want to use private schools anyway, I think it is utterly paramount. Your kids are in school all day and it shapes their lives. Different kids’ needs are different, but having schools that are more likely to meet their needs is critical. It really blights their lives if school does not work for them. Almost every parent that I know spends a lot of thought and stress on what to do about school at every level.

Everything then took forever, and finally when our neighborhood was starting to go down, the government intervened. It was then I gave up. My kids are now 8 and 12 (instead of 1 and 5 when I started) and I decided it was time to buy – no point in buying after the kids are grown. We looked at a ton of houses for a year (a lot of work for our agent!), and finally bought the 2nd house we looked at a year later (after we had a new school possibility that allowed it).

I don’t think we got an especially good or bad deal. About middle for the neighborhood. We ended up choosing to hassle with more expense and so forth to get a lot we really wanted.

Altogher, I am very disappointed it did not go down more. The waiting may well not have been worth it in retrospect. I have become convinced that I should never again try to go against the government’s basic plan because it is a losing proposition.

But I am happy to finally be a homeowner and spend my computer time looking at fixtures and plans instead of real estate blogs.

Thanks again and good luck to the rest of you.
Maybe when we rebuild some savings after the remodel we will try to invest – unclear now, though if it will ever pencil out.

[DataAgent]

Congrats. So what zip code did you buy in?

[DataAgent]

Congrats. So what zip code did you buy in?

[DataAgent]

Congrats. So what zip code did you buy in?

[DataAgent]

Congrats. So what zip code did you buy in?

[DataAgent]

Congrats. So what zip code did you buy in?

[AK]

Congrats LTW.

I too feel like I got a “fair” deal … I didn’t get a rock-bottom price, but I got a good house in a good location for what I paid. And if this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity, it follows that you should be looking for a “forever” house.

I also feel as if my life had been on hold for the past eight years or so … holding out through the bubble years didn’t exactly make me a lot of friends (except the people I met here) and I’ll never be able to get back the years I spent in cramped rentals. But hey, I guess it was all part of the path that got me to where I am today.

[AK]

Congrats LTW.

I too feel like I got a “fair” deal … I didn’t get a rock-bottom price, but I got a good house in a good location for what I paid. And if this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity, it follows that you should be looking for a “forever” house.

I also feel as if my life had been on hold for the past eight years or so … holding out through the bubble years didn’t exactly make me a lot of friends (except the people I met here) and I’ll never be able to get back the years I spent in cramped rentals. But hey, I guess it was all part of the path that got me to where I am today.

[AK]

Congrats LTW.

I too feel like I got a “fair” deal … I didn’t get a rock-bottom price, but I got a good house in a good location for what I paid. And if this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity, it follows that you should be looking for a “forever” house.

I also feel as if my life had been on hold for the past eight years or so … holding out through the bubble years didn’t exactly make me a lot of friends (except the people I met here) and I’ll never be able to get back the years I spent in cramped rentals. But hey, I guess it was all part of the path that got me to where I am today.

[AK]

Congrats LTW.

I too feel like I got a “fair” deal … I didn’t get a rock-bottom price, but I got a good house in a good location for what I paid. And if this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity, it follows that you should be looking for a “forever” house.

I also feel as if my life had been on hold for the past eight years or so … holding out through the bubble years didn’t exactly make me a lot of friends (except the people I met here) and I’ll never be able to get back the years I spent in cramped rentals. But hey, I guess it was all part of the path that got me to where I am today.

[AK]

Congrats LTW.

I too feel like I got a “fair” deal … I didn’t get a rock-bottom price, but I got a good house in a good location for what I paid. And if this truly is a once-in-a-lifetime buying opportunity, it follows that you should be looking for a “forever” house.

I also feel as if my life had been on hold for the past eight years or so … holding out through the bubble years didn’t exactly make me a lot of friends (except the people I met here) and I’ll never be able to get back the years I spent in cramped rentals. But hey, I guess it was all part of the path that got me to where I am today.

[Coronita]

[quote] Maybe when we rebuild some savings after the remodel we will try to invest – unclear now, though if it will ever pencil out.[/quote]

First, Congrats…

Second, why do you say these are exclusive or? They should be able to coexist.

[Coronita]

[quote] Maybe when we rebuild some savings after the remodel we will try to invest – unclear now, though if it will ever pencil out.[/quote]

First, Congrats…

Second, why do you say these are exclusive or? They should be able to coexist.

[Coronita]

[quote] Maybe when we rebuild some savings after the remodel we will try to invest – unclear now, though if it will ever pencil out.[/quote]

First, Congrats…

Second, why do you say these are exclusive or? They should be able to coexist.

[Coronita]

[quote] Maybe when we rebuild some savings after the remodel we will try to invest – unclear now, though if it will ever pencil out.[/quote]

First, Congrats…

Second, why do you say these are exclusive or? They should be able to coexist.

[Author]

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