Home Searching is Like Soul Searching

Extraordinarily expensive and ridiculously time consuming. What, you may say, already I'm looking to buy a place in one of the most expensive cities in the world? The answer... yeah. I hate to say it but I'm just like anyone else. I want to own a place. It is extraordinarily difficult. For one, I'm not in a position to buy right now, unless I happen to win the lottery in the next couple of days. but I love looking at houses. I love seeing what's on the market, what's selling, what's not, and why not, and how I will ever be able to manage to afford a place here. I'm hoping that in the next five years I'll come up with enough money to do so. Because it's important to own, as opposed to the thousands and thousands I've thrown out the door in rent in the last few years. When I add it up, I've spent more than $50,000 renting places. That would have been a nice down payment somehwere. And also, I firmly believe the mortgages in NYC would be somewhat less than renting the tiny room I have right now. The only problem comes in when you try and find somewhere you can afford in the first place. I defy you to do it, unless you have a great trust fund at your fingertips, or you work for Goldman Sachs.

I'm curious about why more people are buying now. At least people my age are. I think it's because we live in fear of having nothing to call our own. We won't have social security (set to run out in 2048). We won't have pensions or retirement plans through our company because they no longer do them. The cost of living is going up while salaries are not. Even areas that seem to be staying stagnant are increasing in price. Children are expected to cost an average of $250,000 not including their college education. Raise three and you're looking at close to a million dollars. Don't ask what'll happen if they want to go to Duke or Harvard. Many of my friends already own. Even if they're just townhouses or condos, they are still owned. I really think because in the long run it's cheaper. At least when you're paying your $800 or $1200 dollars a month you're not throwing it away. You're getting something in rerturn. A house to call your own.

Boyfriend and I walk around fantasizing quite a bit. When you're on the UWS or UES, you can't help but want one of those beuatiful old brownstones. I can imagine coming out in the morning with my dog, walkign down to the local cafe to read the paper. Working out at a gym nearby before going to a job I actually like. That would be a nice life. Did I mention this brownstone would be near Central Park and the museums? I would be able to hop over to important exhibits in a heartbeat, or grab a subway to head towards mid-town. In my head I see myself decorating it and it's lovely. And most importantly, it's something to call my own in this city of transient ownership.