Some things are better left unsaid. I've highlighted a few of those here. I probably should write a sequel. The list is getting longer. The most recent is, "You two should buy a home. I don't understand why people want to rent." Or something along that line. It's usually followed by the benefits of being a homeowner.
I find that statement out of line. I used to reply in great length, but not anymore. If you're rude enough to say that to us, you don't deserve a reply. And, more than likely, you won't get another invite into our rented home. A home we love. A home we've lived in for almost 4 years. A home we live in by choice. A home we have every intention of living in for a long time. We've both been homeowners. Our take is that it's a bit overrated. This is where we want to be.
About a year and a half ago, when the original owners of this two family house put it on the market, we looked into buying a home. We scoped out a few places within our budget and weighed the pros and cons. Sure, it would be nice to not have upstairs neighbors and it certainly would be a lot quieter. There would be less barking from the kids.
For the record, the noise upstairs, most of the time, is minimal. What sucks is the bottom of their stairs ends at our back door. When there's traffic on the back stairs, our kids think there's someone at the door and they bark. And, it's an old house. The soundproof factor isn't the greatest.
At this point in our life, the cons outweigh the pros. Aside from not being interested in buying a house, we're both in our 40's. Lisa is almost 50. Maybe if we were 20 years younger, buying a home would be at the top of our list. For now, it's at the very bottom. We very rarely think about it. However, the door isn't quite shut though. The universe works in mysterious ways.
Last April, a wonderful lady purchased the house. She lives upstairs with her daughter. We all get along and they adore our kids. She's simple, down to earth, a hard worker and laid back. They love animals. We were exceptionally lucky.
We've gotten to know our neighbors. A few have become like family to us. It's a quiet neighborhood where everyone knows each other. Like back in the day, you can borrow a cup of sugar. People help each other in our neighborhood. There's a sense of camaraderie. During the warm weather months we lounge on the porch or this lawn or that for conversation. Neighborhoods like this are far and few between.
Like with any home, there are a few things we wish were different. A bigger bathroom would be nice. A new paint job to cover this flat paint would make my life easier. A ceiling fan in the living room. Less drafts. Overall, that's about it.
We're happy here. Regardless of whether we're paying rent or a mortgage, this is our home. It's big enough for our family and the kids love it here too. They get a fenced in back yard and plenty of room indoors to play and get the zoomies.
Our decision to rent is a personal choice. We can do without the snarky comments.
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