Header
JulieSavard's picture

Buying a House (and a Better Life)

Posted to House Bloggers by Julie Savard on Fri, 03/21/2008 - 11:00am

I'm going to buy a house. Not any house, either. I want to buy the duplex I live in.

After extensive talks with my mother about selling the family home, I realized that much of my emotional instability comes from the fact that my current situation is, indeed, unstable.

I rent. I could be thrown out at any time. The monthly payments could shoot up beyond my means. The landlord could sell to someone else who could throw me out or jack up my rent. Where would I go? Back to Mum's? Back to my ex's?

Enough.

I'm going to put my own two feet on the ground and get myself a damned good Plan B. I've called my landlord and asked if they're interested in selling. They are. And the price is right, too.

I've called the bank and listened to them hem and haw about me not being very solvable because I'm self-employed. I have good income, fantastic credit, a nice history... With my heart in my hands, I waited for them to say no.

They said they'd make an exception and lend me the money.

I'm excited and terrified, but I'm thinking logically. The apartment upstairs brings in half the mortgage. My rent would actually go down and we'd be better off financially. We could even move to a better place, rent both apartments out and the place would pay for itself.

We could stay for years. We could renovate a little, put up some more insulation to cut down on heating or finish the basement into a nice room. We could rent the place upstairs out to my Mum. She's been saying she wants an apartment in town.

And if it doesn't work out? I'll stick up a "For Sale" sign and hand the keys back over. No harm, no foul.

I won't get rich. I won't get poorer, either. But most important, I sure as hell won't ever have to depend on someone else's good nature to put me up while I get my feet back on the ground.

Recent posts by JulieSavard

Julie Savard • 5/31/2008
Your gut instinct is there for a reason. It's a hardwired sixth sense in...
Julie Savard • 5/30/2008
I love fairytales. I want a fairytale. I want Prince Charming to find me,...
Julie Savard • 5/26/2008
Living apart together... Living together apart.... There are all kinds of...
Julie Savard • 5/19/2008
My ex and I spend a lot of time talking about other people's relationships...
Julie Savard • 5/18/2008
"Well, I wanted to go for a walk in the woods, and I have to get ready...
Julie Savard • 5/15/2008
I cut my hair this week. Well, I didn't cut it — I had a hairdresser do...
Julie Savard • 5/11/2008
I always wanted a ring. It didn't have to be fancy. It didn't have to have...