Houseaboutit
Sunday, February 11, 2007
We got engaged, we got married, we rented and now, IT'S TIME FOR US TO BUY OUR FIRST HOUSE!! Getting a house by the age of 35 has always been one of my goals and now... it's going to happen. Ooowu! Ooowu!
My dad made our first and only house from scratch. He helped design it, supervised its construction and bought all the furniture. He was the engineer, inspector and architect all rolled into one. I remember visiting the site and seeing how the foundations were propped up, how what I thought was mud was really cement and how the guys worked their way from the inside out. I remember how we'd have to travel an hour from our apartment at V. Rama to our constructed house at Dona Rosario in Mandaue. I even remember the smell of the earth, the paint and the dry cement. I remember how, on February 11, 1984 when we officially transferred, my sister and I woke up in the middle room and felt for the first time how "nice" it felt to finally have our own house. I am to relive that feeling this year.
Now buying a house, as exciting as it may be, can be the most confusing decision you would ever have to make. Here in the US, middle income earners don't build houses, they BUY ready-made houses, most of them already owned and lived in. Although housing projects always mushroom especially in the midwest, spawning a lot of brand new units, it is not unusual for people here to buy 15 or 25-year-old houses. That's because, depending on the maintenance, the insulation still works, the foundation is still strong, the landscapes always taken care of, the neighborhood safe and clean and the interior still intact. Homeowners really take care of their houses because buying to sell within a couple of years is recommended. Buy your house, maintain it, beautify it, build some equity and then buy another house! That is the way to go and that is exactly what we have in mind. There are many many beautiful houses here in Omaha. My favorites are those brick houses that go way back the late 1800s with the brick chimneys, the wood panelings, the quaint fireplaces and the oldest and biggest trees by the lawn.
For newlyweds like us, buying a starter house is somewhat tricky. We want to buy something not too big (because chances are, only our first born will get to live here with us), we don't want something too small because we want enough room to get started with our things, and we don't want something too pricey because apart from not being able to afford it, it just wouldn't be practical. And, the plan is to live in this house only for a couple of years. If and when we get our green card, we will be handed more options then so that has to factor in. Anyway, thanks for sharing this experience with us. It's going to be a fun and crazy ride! In the meantime, here's one of those houses I really love here in Omaha.
My dad made our first and only house from scratch. He helped design it, supervised its construction and bought all the furniture. He was the engineer, inspector and architect all rolled into one. I remember visiting the site and seeing how the foundations were propped up, how what I thought was mud was really cement and how the guys worked their way from the inside out. I remember how we'd have to travel an hour from our apartment at V. Rama to our constructed house at Dona Rosario in Mandaue. I even remember the smell of the earth, the paint and the dry cement. I remember how, on February 11, 1984 when we officially transferred, my sister and I woke up in the middle room and felt for the first time how "nice" it felt to finally have our own house. I am to relive that feeling this year.
Now buying a house, as exciting as it may be, can be the most confusing decision you would ever have to make. Here in the US, middle income earners don't build houses, they BUY ready-made houses, most of them already owned and lived in. Although housing projects always mushroom especially in the midwest, spawning a lot of brand new units, it is not unusual for people here to buy 15 or 25-year-old houses. That's because, depending on the maintenance, the insulation still works, the foundation is still strong, the landscapes always taken care of, the neighborhood safe and clean and the interior still intact. Homeowners really take care of their houses because buying to sell within a couple of years is recommended. Buy your house, maintain it, beautify it, build some equity and then buy another house! That is the way to go and that is exactly what we have in mind. There are many many beautiful houses here in Omaha. My favorites are those brick houses that go way back the late 1800s with the brick chimneys, the wood panelings, the quaint fireplaces and the oldest and biggest trees by the lawn.
For newlyweds like us, buying a starter house is somewhat tricky. We want to buy something not too big (because chances are, only our first born will get to live here with us), we don't want something too small because we want enough room to get started with our things, and we don't want something too pricey because apart from not being able to afford it, it just wouldn't be practical. And, the plan is to live in this house only for a couple of years. If and when we get our green card, we will be handed more options then so that has to factor in. Anyway, thanks for sharing this experience with us. It's going to be a fun and crazy ride! In the meantime, here's one of those houses I really love here in Omaha.
posted by maudester @ 9:56 PM
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