I have a SDR vent and a WWYD

[mrs.jacinthe]

I need to get this out. We've been looking at houses here for MONTHS. And my style is just not compatible with the local homes. The houses we like that are in our budget are just TOO far away for H's commute. The houses that are in our budget here are just ... NMS. And on tiny lots. Our current rental is small, but adequate and in a fantastic location.

So here are my options, WWYD?

A. Buy the "perfect" house and just have H deal with the commute (we're talking 45+ minutes)

B. Buy a house that is WELL below budget and in this local area, but likely too small and in town, then buy or build in a few years and rent it out.

C. Continue renting until we can afford the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood.

[sdp]

How does your H feel about the commute? My H drives an hour to and from work every day, sometimes it really wears on him but most of the time it's not too bad.

I guess I'd say, if your H doesn't mind the commute, I'd be more inclined to buy the "perfect" house. Though don't forget to factor in the cost of gas for the commute (our gas bill of over $600).

[decoraholic]

DH and I sacrificed having a bigger home for location. We could have moved further out or in other neighborhoods for the same price, but for us quality of life was more important than a huge home. Ours is around 1660 (no basement) 3 BR/2.5 BA, so totally liveable, but we just have to get creative with storage. I don't regret it at all, but I do live in one of the worst areas for traffic, so a 45 min commute could easily double on a bad day.

Is there any happy medium? Maybe a slightly larger, more expensive house in town that could work if you decide to stay? I wouldn't buy something that you're going to outgrow quickly, because who knows what the market will be doing in a few years.

[kaylie]

For me it would depend on how long I'd have to rent to get the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood. For us to do that, we would have been renting for another 15 years because we have very expensive taste in a HCOL area. If it was another year or two, I probably would have done that.

We ended up in a great school district in a huge house that we can stay in forever. We will also be doing renovations forever. Both of our commutes are around 45 minutes each way.

[sratsey]

How does H feel about the commute and what kind of commute would it be?

My H has an hour commute each way, but 40 minutes is open, winding country road which is nice to drive and very scenic. He doesn't mind it. If it was an hour stuck in stop/go traffic...that's a different story.

Of all your options, I would lean towards C and then A.

[mrs.jacinthe]

May 11, 2012 15:01:28 GMT -5 kaylie said:

For me it would depend on how long I'd have to rent to get the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood. For us to do that, we would have been renting for another 15 years because we have very expensive taste in a HCOL area. If it was another year or two, I probably would have done that.

We ended up in a great school district in a huge house that we can stay in forever. We will also be doing renovations forever. Both of our commutes are around 45 minutes each way.

It would totally be just another year or two if we rented ... once our house in Ohio has closed, we will have a LOT more money to put towards downpayment savings. Not that we don't have an ok downpayment now, but ...

[mrs.jacinthe]

May 11, 2012 15:02:31 GMT -5 sratsey said:

How does H feel about the commute and what kind of commute would it be?

My H has an hour commute each way, but 40 minutes is open, winding country road which is nice to drive and very scenic. He doesn't mind it. If it was an hour stuck in stop/go traffic...that's a different story.

Of all your options, I would lean towards C and then A.

H is not thrilled about a longer commute. His current commute is 30 minutes each way, but it's only 15 miles on back roads. If we moved to the house that I am in love with at the moment (perfect for us, nice size land, etc), it would be a 50 minute commute with about 35+ of that being on the interstate, with a moderate chance of traffic. Fortunately, we live on the non-traffic side of the city, for the most part. He doesn't want to give up the back country-able commute. If he did the commute from our ideal home on back roads, it would be an hour plus, depending on how slow other people are and how many cyclists are on the road.

[kaylie]

May 11, 2012 15:04:09 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

It would totally be just another year or two if we rented ... once our house in Ohio has closed, we will have a LOT more money to put towards downpayment savings. Not that we don't have an ok downpayment now, but ...

In this case, I would wait it out. I'm sure it would be hard because I'm not a patient person, but a year or two really isn't that much longer.

[emoflamingo]

I would probably wait it out, especially if it's just a year. Right now, I leave the house at 8 a.m. to drop off the kiddo and drive to work to be there by 9 a.m. I don't have a lot of traffic, but part of my commute is 2 lane road and 35 miles an hour. We are trying to move to an area where I'm not back tracking so much and my commute will be 20 minutes (90% highway, but some city streets) and H will have a 5 minute commute, mostly highway as well.

[sratsey]

If it's only another year or two, I'd also wait it out. Plus they're now saying that the low mortgage rates are supposed to hold steady until 2014 anyway.

[sierramist03]

I would wait I commute 25 minutes and that's is definitely enough for me I did 45 minutes for almost a year and didn't enough it plus I felt like I wasn't home at all when I worked back to back days

[justinlove]

Commuting is time away from family and that isn't a sacrifice we are willing to make.

[roeshel]

MH drives 45 min. one way to work. He doesn't mind. It's time to prepare for the day and time to unwind before getting home. He also loves living further out where taxes are lower, we have more property and a house that is our style (and a car that gets good gas mileage).

[mrsbird1129]

If it would only be another year or two until you could afford the great house in the nicer location, I'd rent.