Did anyone even notice?
We got valuations done, I set up a spreadsheet and we knew what we could offer.
We put in an offer on Thursday night, they countered with another offer and it's up to us right now - we could counter with something in between.
BUT now I don’t know.
It's not the number because all we could do is change the Offer To Purchase and structure it so that our house has to sell for x amount more (x being the amount we're increasing our offer to).
It's the principle. I have a feeling about that number and I do know if they don't accept that number then that house is not for us. Plain and simple.
But even going to that number is making me doubt.
I wonder if we could get a similar house closer to a very Fancy Suburb next to ours (the way it works is the nearer you are to the Fancy Suburb, the more your house is worth).
Also, there's a big street running through our suburb. Above that street up to a certain point houses also go for more.
Currently, we're below the main street but are fairly near Fancy Suburb.
Number 46 is above the main street (hence the gorgeous view) but much farther away from Fancy Suburb (probably 2 - 2,5 kilometres).
To put this all in context, we moved 3,2 km down the road 5 years ago and are now less than 1 km from Fancy Suburb.
It might seem like "so what?" but in these parts, it's a big deal. People actually ask "which part of ____ are you from?" LOL
I did some homework on Sunday afternoon and drove around looking at houses in the preferred area that were on show.
Saw a GORGEOUS home above the main street and right next to Fancy Suburb but .... R400,000 more than we can comfortably afford right now. As an aside, spent about 20 mins talking to the agent about my two IVFs. She had 5 miscarriages before having two boys (now 7 and 6).
My business is doing shocking at the moment (seriously, I'm not just being dramatic) so I can't count on any extra income other than our fixed salaries.
So the questions running around currently in my mind are:
- what if we can't find a house like this again? I do plan on staying for at least 5 years, preferably forever LOL
- should we wait 2 - 3 years when we actually do need that extra bedroom (when do you separate boy/ girl twins anyway?) and hope we find a perfect house then? we'll be earning more money (!) and will be able to afford "more" house.
- could we get a similar house nearer Fancy Suburb for a bit more money (but still be able to afford it)?
- am I just being sentimental because we saw this 5 years ago and it feels like destiny?
(Yes, I have prayed. God is being quiet on this one so having to follow the peace in my heart).
As for D... D is definitely certain we are not going above a certain price (what we could counter offer). But he has none of the angst - typical man - "if you want it, let's get it"
Goodness, I’m dramatic, aren’t i?
But please, what would you do???
I'd been thinking about you and that house but let sleeping dogs sleep :)
ReplyDeleteThe whole proximity to fancier suburb principle applies here too. That and what's the 'decile' of the schools that you're zoned for. 10 being the 'best' as in your locale is in the top 10% of NZ's socio-demographics. And yes, we just sneaked into that 10.
That's a hard call about the house. Does it 'feel' like it's THE house? Looking forward 5 years, do you think you'd be disappointed if it wasn't the house you were in? I can't remember exactly but does it TOTALLY meet your wish list? I think when you're stretching to the top of what you want to spend then you have every right to want everything plus some.
I also think that your approach of checking out the local competition is a great idea. Can you spreadsheet those too? In terms of features, price, proximity to fancier suburb, potential for adding value etc? That might help you make a decision too.
Do you think the vendor is playing you knowing that you like that house a lot?
My god kids got their own rooms as a 3rd birthday 'coming of age' treat.
All the best hon. Real estate is exciting and frustrating as heck.
If I was in your shoes, I would be thinking about the following:
ReplyDelete1) What can we realistically afford to pay each month for our housing expenses (including payments, insurance, maintenance and repairs, etc.)
2) What if one of us loses a job or chooses to quit working? Can we still afford our new home?
3) Is it likely that housing prices will fall making us "stuck" in the new home whether we like it or not?
There are many families in the U.S. right now who wish they would have given a little more thought to these questions. Life can be unpredictable. If you build some flexibility into your finances, you can cope with a lot of change. If you take on a large fixed payment like a house payment, it is much harder to be flexible.
Thanks Anonymous!
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly why I am not prepared to go one cent higher than what D & I agreed on.
I am VERY VERY conservative - the banks would give us a MUCH bigger bond than what I'm ever prepared to take on because I like lots of cushion LOL
thanks so much for sharing