h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I really do think I am going to ask our realtor to take us for a second look, and bring the camera so I can take many more photos.

Yes - more pics of all houses!

I've asked our realtor to take us back to Eastwood this week, so I'll try to get lots of photos!

I do still like that one on Argyle... though the one on Eastwood has that fireplace and is so pretty.

I'll wait for more photos. But from what I've seen I'd prefer the Argyle one if I were buying it for me. Which I'm not.

Either of those places would do me. If in doubt, flip a coin...

In the spirit of 'helping', while Mala would have Argyle - I'd have Eastwood.

I don't think we're really expecting you to actually DO anything we suggest - let alone everything! It's your house and your style and we're all just jealous because we're not doing this sort of fun stuff. Our fun stuff is different but equally valid, I'm sure.

Fun? I'm arguing with Powerpoint at the moment

All of these suggestions are helpful though. They keep me thinking about what's important and what's a pain in the ass.

Through all the discussion, it comes to pass that I now prefer the home on Eastwood and K prefers the one on Argyle; on Saturday that situation was the other way around.

For the one on Eastwood we'd still need to negotiate selling price to stay within the monthly payment we'd be most comfortable with, once they factor in PMI, homeowner's insurance, property taxes and assessments (water, trash removal).

Plus I still need to approach the landlord at some point before I risk forfeiting too much earnest money if they won't agree to terminate the lease early.

Hmmm. Why have you swapped round on your preferences, I wonder. What do you now like on Eastwood that you didn't like on Saturday and dislike on Argyle etc. and what does K say?

It's in some ways easier to picture what you'd do with Argyle because it's inhabited and furnished, but by the same token Eastwood may seem very large / not very large because you can't picture your furniture there accurately.

Another thing to do if you go have a look at them again, as well as taking pictures, might be to note down some of your furniture & sizes, and then take a measuring tape with you and map things out a little.

Provided they both have sound plumbing, wiring, roofs, windows, floors and heating / cooling, there's not much of a differentiator. BUT, if one needs more work than the other (and it can be really sneaky stuff) then the choice becomes easier. What sort of glazing do they have? Parking & garage? How mature are the gardens? How much are the gardens overlooked? Are the gardens too big / too small to suit you? Are the houses both properly insulated, walls and roofs? Are there signs any of the work that has been done to either has been shoddy? If there is, there might be more of it hidden away. Etc.

Neither house really has a garden- the back yards just have grass and some small flower beds/ shrubs. I'd have to dig up a bit of lawn to put in a garden at either.

Went back to eastwood tonight with a tape measure (no camera, as we went right from work) and it seems even smaller at a second look... though the bedrooms and dining room are fine, the kitchen and basement are rather small. Lots of good closet space, though.

Still thinking about it- and don't really know why the flip-flop, per se, but we'll sleep on it and I'll try to "answer" that question in the morning. And we won't know much about how well insulated, etc, until we have an inspection, which won't happen till we make an offer. Then we have 5 days to cancel if it doesn't pass inspection to FHA standards or negotiate any repairs off of the selling price.

Well, apparently someone else who looked at the Eastwood home has made an offer since yesterday afternoon, so we can't make an offer or even look at it again unless that contract falls through. The one on Argyle has been under contract for a while but the seller is unsure that the buyer while obtain financing. So, we wait, and we keep looking.

At least now we have a really solid idea of what we want, and we've decided we're willing to wait and look for it, even if it takes a year or two. Something like the one on eastwood, but with a little more space, would be ideal. A little bigger kitchen. But now we know we would love a fireplace, prefer tile bathrooms, and would really like a real full-sized pantry, and don't mind so much whether attic/basement are finished as long as they are dry and useable.

So- thanks for all the input and I'll continue to share links/ photos for anything else we find that we consider purchasing.

Not to sound like sour grapes... but last night we really weren't confident, in spite of *all* the positive stuff. I really think that when we find the "right" place, we won't feel those vestiges of doubt... what do you all think?

I think you're sort of right - the perfect house for you will be so obvious you can't miss it. In theory at least. In reality, it's been my experience that there are always some compromises to be made.

You just decide what is most important to you (and this may change as you see more stuff / the years go on) and aim to get those things, and decide what you can live with or change to suit you.

Things that don't normally change - light, location, traffic, aspects etc.

Things you can change with effort - size, garage, garden, roof, windows, heating/cooling, plumbing, kitchen, bathroom, layout.

Things you can change fairly easily - paint, decoration, flooring, use of rooms.

I'd be very surprised if it takes you another few years to look though - what's your deadline for the deduction thingy you were looking at? Mid-October?

It's doable if you don't give up.

Another thing to think of:

Why look for The Perfect House? Isn't 'Yeah...I could be happy here' good enough?

"Yeah I could be happy here" is probably good enough, yes. However I don't want to downgrade in terms of happiness; meaning I shouldn't buy a house that has less usable space than my current apartment!

But... if I *can* get a few of the things we want, why not try?

Not looking for perfect, but at $250-$300K, we certainly don't want to settle for something we're going to want to sell within a few years, especially as we'd be required to stay a minimum of three years under our loan conditions.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of home comforts. I can relate to that.

there's a phrase I like - forever home.

Is that what this move means to you? Or is it a way point, somewhere to be happy enough, but ultimately a building block towards something better.

'Home'. One of the most important words in any language.

Another important word is 'Poontang'.

I'm looking for a place to move and stay permanently, or at least until too old and decrepit to stay. I don't like packing and moving, and would love a "forever" home, if possible.

K and I are going to compile a list of needs/ wants/ pros/ cons/ avoids/ etc to help us narrow our searches.

I'm not gutted that this place sold, so if and when we do find another one we love, I won't compare it all unfavorably to the "one that got away". But if we found a similar one, with a teensy bit more space, I think we'd move on it ASAP.

How goes the search?

For only 3/4 of a million, you could have this secret moon base: http://www.redfin.com/CA/Newberry-Springs/50451-Silver-Valley-Rd-92365/home/21961921