Whew, the end of the year never ceases to kick my butt.
We’ve had years where Eric has so many gigs that we don’t see each other from Thanksgiving until the flight home for Christmas. Last year, Luke was in the hospital. And this year, we made an offer on a house and I got the stomach flu.
Spoiler alert, we didn’t get the house.
In the last few months, Eric and I have begun wading into the home-buying process. We aren’t in a rush and in a market that very much favors the sellers, this is a marathon and not a sprint. Whether or not we end up in a home next month or three years from now, one thing I know for sure – no other process has pushed us to make decisions that truly align with our personal values.
It’s been a challenge each step of the way to ensure we are answering the question “just because we can, does that mean we should”
First we’ve decided to hold off on buying to make sure our downpayment was as strong as possible in a market where home prices are several times the national average.
We’ve decided to look at a property that will work for us for 3-5 years instead of 5+ because our long term prognoses for living in Los Angeles remains unclear.
We’ve struggled – originally looking at homes that are substantially larger than we need and beautifully finished, but further from where we work and play.
We’ve lowered our budget to make sure we each have flexibility with our careers to follow a path that feels right instead of one that is forced to keep our home.
For better or worse we are fiscally conservative and have greatly reduced the stress in our lives by living this way.
We’ve talked about the environmental impact of a bigger home than we need and the benefits of living in a smaller space as we raise our family.
Much like picking a partner, I think choosing a home calls out so many personal preferences that what works for one may almost never work for another. I fully expect the share the details of whatever place we land in and have others question our call. I think that’s okay (and man isn’t that a beautiful thing about growing older).
When we found out we didn’t get the house, I wasn’t surprised. Still, I was disappointed. The thought of putting down deeper roots sounds comforting to me right now and will give us some longer term stability that I want very much for Luke. All through the holidays though, I couldn’t help but be grateful that we have the luxury of being so selective.
We have lots to share about holiday crafts and presents finally gifted so more to come quite soon. In the meantime, we’re taking a tiny break from house hunting to embrace the new year. To reorganize, settle and reflect.
What are your plans for NYE? Any advice on how to celebrate with a toddler? Other things I want to know — how has it been being in the parenting “big leagues”? Is Adam’s new job going well? How is Cal’s arm?