Last week, I almost bought a home. It would have been my first home and a big milestone for me. Unfortunately, after the inspection, I began estimating the costs of repairs that would be needed in the next five years and the house no longer seemed desirable.
I’m on the wrong side of history with house buying. The pandemic accelerated prices to all-time highs and now the interest rates just keep rising. The market where I live in one of the strongest economies in the country, but also has an average of almost $500k for housing. It’s not an ideal situation to be in. In fact, my wife and I have even discussed leaving North Carolina to try and find somewhere more affordable to live.
The ups and downs of this home buying process has changed me. It’s put things in perspective for me. I’ve had to take the time to really prioritize my spending, my interests, and what brings happiness into my life. While doing this sort of assessment, I discovered that maybe where I spend some of my money isn’t always the most productive.
I turn thirty-nine in about a month, which means I’m that much closer to forty. It’s really messing with my head. So, much of my life has passed by and I don’t feel I’m anywhere close to where I wanted to be. It makes me sad.
Where we go next on this house buying journey is up in the air. Our options are:
1. Keep looking for a house (our lease is up in February).
2. Find a different apartment to move into, buy a bed and sofa to make life more manageable and save up/decide on what to do over the next year.
3. Pack up and leave North Carolina (the least likely, we would probably do #2 first and then leave.)
It’s frustrating because I just want to make a living and live a basic life, but I guess that isn’t as easy as it once was.
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