The time I bought a house

July 1, 2014
Day 62

At some point in the fall of 2008, Andy and I did some basic math.  We looked up how much money we were spending on rent for our apartment.  We added up our costs, and we calculated how much money we'd now thrown out the window by renting instead of owning.  And we knew it was just too much.

Our apartment was reasonably priced, but when you rent, you put your money permanently into the hands of others.  It's gone!  Whereas when you own your home, you slowly purchase it as an eventual gift to your older self.  You invest in it.

So in June of 2009, we bought our beautiful little house in Malverne, New York.

Yes, we're now paying more in taxes than we'd like, and we have landscaping bills, repair bills, and all kinds of costs out the wazoo, but this building we live in?  It's all ours! 

Owning a house is taking ownership in life itself, in its own incredible way.  This little piece of Earth and the building on it is all ours, and we are asked to care for to the best of our abilities for 30 or more years.  So yes, we're basically long-time renters in a way, but it's rent money we know we'll get back after a time, too!

And yesterday, June 30th, 2014, marked five years already since the day we took ownership of our beautiful property.  Time has once again flown by quickly!  As Andy and I celebrate these first five years in our house this week, I know I can say this much: home ownership is a whole hell of a lot of work, but it's a whole hell of a lot of fun too.  It's worth every penny, every drop of sweat, and even every teardrop too. 

Our house in Malverne will move on to another owner one day, and we'll cry to see her go, but we know the true home we're slowly building together...will always travel with us.