Keeping my wants balanced or A taste of reality
Last night we discovered something interesting. I already had an inkling that it was true but last night we confirmed it.
Apparently, I have expensive tastes.
Let me tell you all about it. Every Monday since maybe October? November? I have been driving the boys to Kettering to take one of the boys to an appointment. To get there we have to drive through the edge of the ghetto. There seems to be a lot of ghetto in Dayton, like any big city, I'm sure. Anyway, just around the corner of the ghetto is pure magic in my opinion. There are these houses that I'm just in love with. I can't really put why into words. I can't really describe them very well either. They are really old houses built in the 20's. They have great big porches with huge potted plants and lovely porch swings. The houses all have shutters and many of them have sun rooms and gables. Downtown Dayton has a lot of houses like these (without the lovely swings and potted plants). They are run down and scary. I always see them off the side of the freeway and think that it is such a shame they are falling apart and housing some shady folks.
The houses we drive by on Monday's are not like the houses in downtown Dayton. They have obviously been given a face lift and taken care of. I am a little concerned that one of these days I am going to get in a wreck because I can't seem to keep my eyes off the houses and on the street. I love them.
I tell Mike about them Monday night when he gets home from work. Finally, as his birthday gift to me (remember he wanted to give everyone else gifts for his birthday?) he agreed to drive the 30 minutes to these houses. I already knew that our tastes in houses doesn't always line up and I was pretty sure he would not recognize the magic. He didn't. We drove down the streets and I oohed and ahhed and he listened.
Those were the first houses I wanted to show him. The second group of houses I had more confidence he would like. These houses are actually in Kettering while the others are in Oakwood.
We drove into the neighborhood and Mike was immediately more interested. These houses are huge, old, and lovely. When I say old I mean they are 30 years old, not almost 100 years old like the first set of houses. They are set back on huge front lawns with wrap around driveways. This time my oohs and ahhs were joined by his own. Even then, we had clear differences in opinions as to which houses deserved the loudest oohs and ahhs. He likes big and new and impressive. I like old and quaint and lovely. Have I said lovely enough yet? My tastes in old houses might have something to do with growing up in this house.
I brought my camera so I could take pictures but I felt a little embarrassed to be driving around these neighborhoods taking pictures of people's houses like I was sight seeing or something. One look at me with my camera and it would be obvious I didn't belong in that neighborhood.
Last night I got on Google Earth and made my little walking icon walk all over these neighborhoods and then Mike suggested I look the houses up on Zillow to see just what my tastes would buy.
Sure enough, we do not belong in those neighborhoods with our modest income. When we were driving around I postulated that the houses in the first neighborhood were worth much more than Mike supposed. They were. They cost around $300,000. The second group of houses were between $400,000 to $700,000! Mike's guess that we would never be able to afford the second group of houses was true, much to my dismay. In fact, we wouldn't be able to afford the other houses either for a very long time.
Why didn't I marry someone with the big bucks?
I would take Mike and our modest, but happy life over a $700,000 home any day. Our life is abundant and filled with love and security. That's really what I care about.
But, one can dream.
Apparently, I have expensive tastes.
Let me tell you all about it. Every Monday since maybe October? November? I have been driving the boys to Kettering to take one of the boys to an appointment. To get there we have to drive through the edge of the ghetto. There seems to be a lot of ghetto in Dayton, like any big city, I'm sure. Anyway, just around the corner of the ghetto is pure magic in my opinion. There are these houses that I'm just in love with. I can't really put why into words. I can't really describe them very well either. They are really old houses built in the 20's. They have great big porches with huge potted plants and lovely porch swings. The houses all have shutters and many of them have sun rooms and gables. Downtown Dayton has a lot of houses like these (without the lovely swings and potted plants). They are run down and scary. I always see them off the side of the freeway and think that it is such a shame they are falling apart and housing some shady folks.
The houses we drive by on Monday's are not like the houses in downtown Dayton. They have obviously been given a face lift and taken care of. I am a little concerned that one of these days I am going to get in a wreck because I can't seem to keep my eyes off the houses and on the street. I love them.
I tell Mike about them Monday night when he gets home from work. Finally, as his birthday gift to me (remember he wanted to give everyone else gifts for his birthday?) he agreed to drive the 30 minutes to these houses. I already knew that our tastes in houses doesn't always line up and I was pretty sure he would not recognize the magic. He didn't. We drove down the streets and I oohed and ahhed and he listened.
Those were the first houses I wanted to show him. The second group of houses I had more confidence he would like. These houses are actually in Kettering while the others are in Oakwood.
We drove into the neighborhood and Mike was immediately more interested. These houses are huge, old, and lovely. When I say old I mean they are 30 years old, not almost 100 years old like the first set of houses. They are set back on huge front lawns with wrap around driveways. This time my oohs and ahhs were joined by his own. Even then, we had clear differences in opinions as to which houses deserved the loudest oohs and ahhs. He likes big and new and impressive. I like old and quaint and lovely. Have I said lovely enough yet? My tastes in old houses might have something to do with growing up in this house.
I brought my camera so I could take pictures but I felt a little embarrassed to be driving around these neighborhoods taking pictures of people's houses like I was sight seeing or something. One look at me with my camera and it would be obvious I didn't belong in that neighborhood.
Last night I got on Google Earth and made my little walking icon walk all over these neighborhoods and then Mike suggested I look the houses up on Zillow to see just what my tastes would buy.
Sure enough, we do not belong in those neighborhoods with our modest income. When we were driving around I postulated that the houses in the first neighborhood were worth much more than Mike supposed. They were. They cost around $300,000. The second group of houses were between $400,000 to $700,000! Mike's guess that we would never be able to afford the second group of houses was true, much to my dismay. In fact, we wouldn't be able to afford the other houses either for a very long time.
Why didn't I marry someone with the big bucks?
I would take Mike and our modest, but happy life over a $700,000 home any day. Our life is abundant and filled with love and security. That's really what I care about.
But, one can dream.
**Here is an example of the homes in the second neighborhood. I really like this house. This isn't even very representative of the houses in that area; this is probably newer and more modest than most of the houses. If you're going to buy expensive why not buy expensive and character instead of expensive and intimidating?
Comments
It would have been a tough house for Ammon to live in due to stairs and the location of bedrooms, island in the middle of the kitchen, etc., but that was the one house of all we've lived in that I loved the most.
Sorry Mike - I side with Adrianne.
-Gillian
Someday you will have a house that you will just love. Love ya!!
You too, have a great spouse and wonderful kids. I see those smiles and read your posts and feel your joy in living. You are doing it right.
Dream, but when you buy, buy those things that add to your family joy, not just to the look of the house from the street.
Actually I like old and new houses. I do like convienance, though. Especailly now with Ammon.
Chris and I have spent many an hour looking at houses and dreaming. But my best dreams have come true. And houses were not in them.
Dad Clark