The Joys of Home Ownership

While I have been talking alot about finding the house… I have not talked alot about actual home ownership. For some reason even the bad things about owning my own home doesn’t scare me. I can’t wait to own my home for all the positive reasons… the dirty dishes in the sink will be mine and only mine, I can do laundry at any time I want and not worry about other people’s laundry being in the way. If I want peace and quiet all I have to do is turn off the TV or Radio and I will have it. I won’t have to worry about someone parking in my parking spot. 

On the flip side… I will have to mow the lawn, shovel the walk / driveway,  pull the weeds, wash the windows (inside and out) and clean up after the storm. All of which I am surprisingly looking forward to. The funny thing about all of these… there are people out there who seem to think I can’t do these things. While shoveling the walk in a Chicago winter doesn’t really excite me… I can put on multiple layers and get my workout on shoveling snow.

Home ownership brings the good with the bad… and I am actually looking forward to both the good and the bad.

My House… or not…

I know it has been a while, but I found my house… I have made an offer on a house that is listed HIGH for the neighborhood it is in and the size of the house. I put my bid in and the owner didn’t even come back with a counter offer. Really… I thought the housing market was a buyers market. He really thinks he is going to get what he wants for a two bedroom house. I have been told from the neighbors that the house is listed high, the wife of the owner thinks the house is listed high and his realtor thinks the house is listed high. This is the house that said Hi, You’re home! So now what, I wait… and see what happens. It has only been on the market a few weeks and maybe a few weeks down the road, he will be more willing to deal. I don’t know. This should be my house, but I know what it is worth in the neighborhood it is in… I understand it is his house and it can be hard to part with something but really he has it listed about $20,000 higher than the neighborhood shows it is worth, and doesn’t want to negotiate.  I just hope I am not making a mistake waiting a while. Wish me luck.