READ ME!
What is this all about? Maybe you should read the READ ME READ ME.
may 4, 1996: home base
as promised, i will answer this question. yawn.
got a more interesting one for me?
from dan:
Dear Rebecca,
I'm thinking about moving closer to where I work, and I'm trying to decide between renting and buying. What I pay in rent would be able to cover house payments, but there are so many other expenses. Such as property tax and maintenance. The biggest concern I have, though, is getting stuck here in Dayton, OH. It's not that I don't want to live here. It's more that I might want to live somewhere else in a coulple years. On the other hand I like the idea of having my own house and not having to worry about what a landlord would say if I wanted to change something. Like putting in another phone or cable hookup or getting a big dog or maybe even two. I would also be getting something for my money and not just a temporary place to live.
Well I hope I didn't put you to sleep. If you have some time tell me what you think. No, I'm not going to make a decision based on what you say. I just thought hearing from someone about my same age, situation, etc. might be nice. I'll check your page next week to see if my letter merited a response. Thanks.
Dan
dear dan:
first off, it is 6 a.m., and no you did not put me to sleep. what really should happen is that i should put myself to sleep every now and then. i really have this problem with stopping working and going to sleep. well, to me it is not really a problem, but to people who are aware of the fact that i sleep very little, it is a problem. they keep giving me a hard time and telling me i should sleep more. i do not want to sleep more, if it is only for the sole purpose of making these other people feel more comfortable.
anyway, you ask me whether you should live in an apartment or in a house in dayton, ohio. what i want to know is why the hell you want to live in dayton, ohio. over the past five years, i have lived in san francisco, boston, milwaukee, chicago, los angeles, washington, d.c., houston, and san francisco again, and i cannot see why anyone would want to live in any state that is not california. but i guess you have your reasons.
you say that owning a house would save you "hassles." to me, i could not imagine much of a bigger hassle than owning a house. from fixing the plumbing, heat and electricity yourself, to dealing with yardwork and annoying neighbors, not to mention pesky mortgage collectors, i am just not into all that goes into owning a house. maybe if i had loads of cash, possibly. but i would have to have enough to hire a gardener, a personal electrician and plumber, and a maid. finding a wife to do these things for me for free probably is not an option.
on the other hand, paying rent really bugs me. it is money that seems to be wasted ... does not go into equity, as does mortgage. but i do it anyway, because i like to work from home, and then i can deduct rent on my taxes. and because i do not like to hassle with plumbing and landscaping.
i do not know what the housing market is like in dayton, but i do not see why buying a house means you have to live in it for a few years. you could always sell it before your mortgage is paid off.
i dunno. i say trash the whole idea and live in a boat, in california, with your two dogs.
on a more philosophical level, i wonder why many of us need to have a home that feels somewhat "permanent." i feel that need too, even while at the same time having a driving urge to be free, and to run away and hide.
take care,
rebecca
or, if you must, back to Rebecca's Revenge
Copyright 1996 Rebecca Eisenberg mars@bossanova.com