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Things: they are happening
Since last we spoke—warnings at the link for discussion of mental health, death fixation, weight, babies—I upped my meds dose again, got a promotion in honor of the crap-ton of work I did last summer while high on serotonin, and… bought a condo.
!
Given that the housing market here was obscene even before the pandemic hit, and based on friends' and coworkers' recent experiences and agents' advice, I'd expected to spend a long time browsing and making occasional offers that would be rejected in favor of cash offers way above asking price with every contingency waived before securing anything. So it was a surprise to have my first offer accepted, at asking price, just two months after taking a state-sponsored online home buying course.
I'd also expected, or even hoped, to land on one floor of the triple-deckers that define middle-income housing in the greater Boston area, or a small single-family home further out if I was extra lucky, yet here I am in a condo complex. It's got tall windows and trees outside and CENTRAL HEATING/COOLING and a POOL, it shouldn't involve too bad of a commute once we go back to the office in the fall, and it's two bedrooms instead of one, so for the first time in more than 10 years, visitors can enjoy a door when they stay over, along with not sweating or freezing their butts off.
On the one hand, my bank account now provides none of the safety net I'd taken comfort in for years. On the other hand, I can stop worrying about being kicked out at lease renewal time (*cough* last apartment) or not having control over things that should be fixed (*cough* current apartment). If you can believe it, the monthly mortgage payment will be less than what rent cost. Now to convince my brain to stop yelling THIS IS ALL A TERRIBLE MISTAKE at intervals and ease the occasional pit of dread in my stomach.
Move date is in less than a month.
I put together a registry and then dithered about sharing it online. Brain: It's tacky to ask people for stuff! It's extra tone deaf in a pandemic! Yet why should registries be the province only of people getting married or having kids? So here is the link. The intro contains some of my Thoughts and Feelings. I hope you will forgive me if you find the whole thing untoward.
!
Given that the housing market here was obscene even before the pandemic hit, and based on friends' and coworkers' recent experiences and agents' advice, I'd expected to spend a long time browsing and making occasional offers that would be rejected in favor of cash offers way above asking price with every contingency waived before securing anything. So it was a surprise to have my first offer accepted, at asking price, just two months after taking a state-sponsored online home buying course.
I'd also expected, or even hoped, to land on one floor of the triple-deckers that define middle-income housing in the greater Boston area, or a small single-family home further out if I was extra lucky, yet here I am in a condo complex. It's got tall windows and trees outside and CENTRAL HEATING/COOLING and a POOL, it shouldn't involve too bad of a commute once we go back to the office in the fall, and it's two bedrooms instead of one, so for the first time in more than 10 years, visitors can enjoy a door when they stay over, along with not sweating or freezing their butts off.
On the one hand, my bank account now provides none of the safety net I'd taken comfort in for years. On the other hand, I can stop worrying about being kicked out at lease renewal time (*cough* last apartment) or not having control over things that should be fixed (*cough* current apartment). If you can believe it, the monthly mortgage payment will be less than what rent cost. Now to convince my brain to stop yelling THIS IS ALL A TERRIBLE MISTAKE at intervals and ease the occasional pit of dread in my stomach.
Move date is in less than a month.
I put together a registry and then dithered about sharing it online. Brain: It's tacky to ask people for stuff! It's extra tone deaf in a pandemic! Yet why should registries be the province only of people getting married or having kids? So here is the link. The intro contains some of my Thoughts and Feelings. I hope you will forgive me if you find the whole thing untoward.
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Congratulations! That's amazing.
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Huzzah!
I'm so glad you find something during an overheated real estate bubble.
Your registry essay is thoughtful, and your categories (adopt a washcloth) amusing. I'm happy to help you celebrate a major milestone.
(Also: house with pool.)
Re: Huzzah!
Pool! Water in summer is more important for my mental and physical health than I'd realized before the last few years. It's a doubly welcome amenity since the pool we have affordable access to through our employer has been closed since the pandemic hit... and since now it'll be sort of a pain to get to.
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[edited in case you didn't want the last thing advertised]
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"Donate to Pine Street Inn to help end homelessness in Boston"
that was really
heartwarming / kind / considerate / thoughtful.
I don't think it's wrong to have a registry in Pandemic times - people can choose to contribute or not without guilt or obligation.
I sometimes feel a little grumpy about all the wedding presents that I have bought when I am never going to get married...
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>>I'm really touched that you included "Donate to Pine Street Inn to help end homelessness in Boston"
What's even nicer is that some people have made donations to that org and to other options as well. Friends are Good.
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>> how it both felt fated, but also unreal for a few weeks
Hoo, yes. It did settle down, though, yeah? It's been fascinating to hear other people describe their at-the-time ambivalence about homebuying, including my mom and a few friends/acquaintances who'd seemed simply happy at the time, from the outside.
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Your house has sounded like a good choice this year, and the garden a refuge. Is that right? Despite the walks you had to let go of? Or am I remembering only the sunnier reports?
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There are still nice places to walk around the new house, although at the old place they were pretty much on the doorstep, whereas now we'd need to walk for ten minutes or so to get away from cars and roads. But ten minutes isn't too bad!
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Would you want the little pot the jade is in or will you prefer to replant into your own container? I have pots for those being received, unless they need to stay in their current housings for a while.
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You were absolutely right to create a registry, I'm so glad I can contribute to a housewarming even from afar, and as another singleton who will probably never have a classic wedding or baby registry (I'm hitting 49, babies are behind me and a wedding seems very unlikely), I also think it's quite unfair we don't get to have them ever if not for creating such opportunities. This is a BIG ONE, so, yay you, glad you went for it! <3
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