Uh oh. I think I'm beginning to fall in love with a home. Granted, I have yet to see it in person. But I have done my research on this house and the neighborhood it's in, and I love what I know thus far. I imagine this is how online daters must feel when they are lovestruck by a person's online profile and there seems to be "chemistry" from the back-and-forth messaging.
Up to this point, I have approached house hunting in this crazy DC real estate market like an arranged marriage: Are all the essentials there? 3 bedrooms, 2 baths? Check. Let's go make an offer. I'll fall in love with it later (aka after settlement when the house is officially YOURS). I've done this because it really bites when you "fall in love" with a home, make an offer (along with at least a handful of other people), and you don't get accepted. And now I'm actually beginning to fall in love with a place. Like, envisioning children running around and imagining myself cooking dinner in the quirky kitchen falling in love. Gulp.
I am typically an emotional decision maker. Now all you logical thinkers out there are probably judging me in your hearts (I mean, minds?) right now. Haters gonna hate. But I am absolutely, completely, and totally OK with making decisions emotionally. Even if it makes logical sense but something in my heart just doesn't FEEL right about it, it's a no-go. Same principle goes with things that make no logical sense whatsoever, but after much prayer, something deep down in my spirit still feels right about it, I move forward. You can only imagine what BELLS AND BUTTERFLIES this decision making approach brings to my marriage to an extremely logical, reasonable, rationalist thinker-lawyer of a husband. Ha! Ha! Ha! But let me tell you what, I have never regretted a decision (no matter what the consequences) I made according to this principle. Just to be clear, I'm not at all suggesting you follow my example. I'm just saying this is how I roll.
Back to the house hunting. It is because I am an emotional decision maker that I have to be extra on my guard against getting overly attached to ideas, hopes, dreams, ...and homes. This weekend will now have to be spent re-centering myself and getting back to the "arranged marriage" mindset. Now if I can just stop picturing myself sipping sweet tea on that porch....Here's hoping!
Up to this point, I have approached house hunting in this crazy DC real estate market like an arranged marriage: Are all the essentials there? 3 bedrooms, 2 baths? Check. Let's go make an offer. I'll fall in love with it later (aka after settlement when the house is officially YOURS). I've done this because it really bites when you "fall in love" with a home, make an offer (along with at least a handful of other people), and you don't get accepted. And now I'm actually beginning to fall in love with a place. Like, envisioning children running around and imagining myself cooking dinner in the quirky kitchen falling in love. Gulp.
I am typically an emotional decision maker. Now all you logical thinkers out there are probably judging me in your hearts (I mean, minds?) right now. Haters gonna hate. But I am absolutely, completely, and totally OK with making decisions emotionally. Even if it makes logical sense but something in my heart just doesn't FEEL right about it, it's a no-go. Same principle goes with things that make no logical sense whatsoever, but after much prayer, something deep down in my spirit still feels right about it, I move forward. You can only imagine what BELLS AND BUTTERFLIES this decision making approach brings to my marriage to an extremely logical, reasonable, rationalist thinker-lawyer of a husband. Ha! Ha! Ha! But let me tell you what, I have never regretted a decision (no matter what the consequences) I made according to this principle. Just to be clear, I'm not at all suggesting you follow my example. I'm just saying this is how I roll.
Back to the house hunting. It is because I am an emotional decision maker that I have to be extra on my guard against getting overly attached to ideas, hopes, dreams, ...and homes. This weekend will now have to be spent re-centering myself and getting back to the "arranged marriage" mindset. Now if I can just stop picturing myself sipping sweet tea on that porch....Here's hoping!
