Did you buy your house with your head or your heart?

[Spinneret]

Heart

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I actually didn't see the current house we're living in in-person before buying it. My husband moved to the area (across country) to start his new job. My daughter and I followed 6 months later. He was working with a realtor. So, I'd have to say heart.

 

[MillauFr]

Everyone uses both. It isn't a binary choice.

 

[disney212]

I work in finance so my head more than my heart. We purchased during the last down turn in the market. Worst house on the best street. Owners had inherited it and used it as a piggy bank. It had been updated in 1976. It's over 100 years old. Kids and grandkids had lived in before they abandoned it. Shrubs grown over second floor, shag carpet matted. Our realtor tried to talk is out of even looking at it. The city was going to condemn it as abandoned but it was in good shape structure wise. We offered 60% of asking price along with a clause we would fix anything under $500 required to pass inspection. Took out title insurance thank goodness as several folks showed up at closing trying to get $. It's been 20 years and we've done 90% of the work ourself. Plaster, stripping woodwork (all painted black). We are planning on selling in about 5-6 years and down sizing to a warmer climate. I will say I have a soft spot for old houses but our next one will be low maintenance.

 

[mjkacmom]

Everyone uses both. It isn't a binary choice.

Nope, head here, bought my IL’s house. They were moving to a 55+, I was in grad school, with a one year old and pregnant, one income, living as caretakers in a historic house. I wasn’t thrilled with the house, but right after we bought it in 1997 housing prices skyrocketed. No regrets.

 

[mjkacmom]

I work in finance so my head more than my heart. We purchased during the last down turn in the market. Worst house on the best street. Owners had inherited it and used it as a piggy bank. It had been updated in 1976. It's over 100 years old. Kids and grandkids had lived in before they abandoned it. Shrubs grown over second floor, shag carpet matted. Our realtor tried to talk is out of even looking at it. The city was going to condemn it as abandoned but it was in good shape structure wise. We offered 60% of asking price along with a clause we would fix anything under $500 required to pass inspection. Took out title insurance thank goodness as several folks showed up at closing trying to get $. It's been 20 years and we've done 90% of the work ourself. Plaster, stripping woodwork (all painted black). We are planning on selling in about 5-6 years and down sizing to a warmer climate. I will say I have a soft spot for old houses but our next one will be low maintenance.

Our house in over 100 years old (but all trim is the original chestnut). Newest house I’ve ever lived it. My parents home was over 150 years old, the next house we lived in was built in the mid 1700’s.

 

[BrianL]

Heart because it was my childhood home - but logically it made a lot of sense too.

 

[footballmouse]

Head, I needed to get my kids in a different school district before the start of the school year (school started 3 days after the purchase).

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Both. Our family had physically outgrown our previous home, but we could have and would have made it work. We were debating either major updates/renovations to our old house, OR a move. We went to an open house and that's when the heart kicked in. We loved the neighborhood and the home, and it all felt like a massive upgrade from the current situation. It was our dream house, our ideal forever home, with a neighborhood that had everything we wanted. Due to factors with the real estate market at the time, it actually was better for us financially to move. So yeah - head and heart.

 

[TippyThomas]

Head, because my heart would have sent me in a completely different direction.

 

[pigletto]

Head . I like it, I don’t love it. There are parts I really don’t like and parts I love. But to keep it in context we bought what we could afford on one income so we could use the other for other goals.
With the cost of everything exploding I’m glad we made the decision we did.

 

[tvguy]

I guess our heads. Bought all the house we could afford as a childless couple. Then raised two kids in it. Now our retirement home. Been in it 40 years last month, so apparently it was the right choice. It went from being big, to crowded after we had two kids, to big again in retirement. Makes zero sense to downsize. Just the thought of having to pay $40,000 in commission to sell it before considering moving expenses makes it seem like a poor financial decision.

 

[Meriweather]

both....had to be smart and get the necessary things we each needed
but wanted a house we liked and would work for our family

 

[luvnwdwgal]

My husband bought our house before I met him. He basically bought it cause it was a major fixer upper that only cost 10 grand. He was 24 at the time and only borrowed 7 grand for it. That was 44 years ago. He just wanted to get out of his family home and away from his mother. Can’t blame him one bit there.

 

[SC Minnie]

Head. We wanted to move closer to both of our jobs at the time and in an area with better schools (DD was almost 4 at the time). There were some items that were must haves in a home and this one fit all of them. We've been here 25 years and it's all ours now.

 

[willowsnn3]

Heart, for sure. My daughter (single mom of 2) was looking to purchase her first home. Her wish list included quiet neighborhood, close to schools, lots of storage & preferably yellow : ). She asked me if she found something big enough if I would move with her. She didn't like anything her agent showed her & when she asked about this particular neighborhood (walking distance to middle school), the agent told her it was an older neighborhood & no one ever sold. Months later when dropping her son off at school, she spotted a for sale sign posted at the end of this street so she called that realtor. By then she was looking for another realtor. Was told the house in question was under contract but the owners would let us come look at the house anyway. So we pull up in front of this house with the agent & she is like 'the owners are still here but they are leaving so we can look around'. The owner comes out & whoa, he happens to be one of the associate pastors at the church I was attending at the time. I knew that he was trying to sell his house but didn't know this was it, lol. We took our time looking at the house. Loads of storage space, a full finished basement with a separate apartment (mine now!) that he had fixed up for his elderly mother before she passed away (not in the house, tho). They had just become empty nesters & bought a retirement home on the lake a bit farther away. Long story short, the other buyers couldn't get financing so we got the house. Closing was short & sweet & we are still here 15 years later. Oh, and the house was/is yellow.

 

[Timandalicia]

Everyone uses both. It isn't a binary choice.

Yeah, but you know what they mean.

 

[ronandannette]

Of course it’s both but I’d actually say heart is trump. We’re looking right now and there are several options that would be extremely smart choices objectively, but I just don’t like them. We’ll end up in something that may not check quite so many boxes but will have that intangible “something” that makes me happy!