I struck up a conversation with a mom in the park one day. She was one of those really easy-to-talk-to people; one of those people where one question—“So, you just moved?”—unleashes the entire backstory of the entire event, and all you need to do is nod and smile.
The (condensed) story went something like this:
“Yes, we weren’t even looking to move, but then we found out about this foreclosure, this woman was telling me all about how her house was going to be foreclosed on and we started really talking and I talked to my husband and we went to take a look at it, and it’s SO much bigger than our other house, with all this space, and the kids wouldn’t even have to change schools [it was in a neighboring subdivision], so we totally jumped on it. It’s got FIVE bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths; it’s SO much bigger than the other house we were in….”
At this point, I admit, I laughed. “I wouldn’t want to clean three-and-a-half baths,” I joked. “I can barely stay on top of the two-and-a-half we have. Or have to clean five bedrooms.”
“Oh, it’s not a problem,” she assured me. “We just keep the doors closed and don’t ever go in those rooms.” And the story continued….
But I got kind of stuck there.
I’m not even going to comment on that statement. I’m just going to let it stand, by itself, in all its ridiculous glory. (Okay, I guess that was a comment.)
The rest of the “conversation,” all I could think was, what’s the point?? Why on earth subject yourself to the hassle of a move, to the sorting and packing and cleaning and unpacking and having to sell your house (in a terrible market, I might add), to get a bigger home that you weren’t even going to use?? I realize that as a Christian, my perspective is vastly different from some people’s; but this is one situation where even just logically, it doesn’t seem to make sense. Am I the only one to see the unbelievable futility in this?
Pursuing "enough" 
Hahaha… Oh dear… Yes. Agreed! Sometimes it comes down to “keeping up with the Jones'”. I often hear comments that just make me go “huh?” But alas, such is our world 🙂 Be a blessing to her!
What struck me from your story is the financial side of it. You mentioned trying to sell their previous house in a bad market. But did she mention the buying price of the foreclosure? If they could get a loan such that their mortgage would be considerably less, that might balance out the other difficulties. And later, in a better market, they would theoretically be able to sell the larger house for more money.
I can understand that….if I try to be completely and totally objective, and look at a house simply as an investment, I can almost see the logic. The mortgage payment would most likely be less, and a larger home would certainly be worth more later. I do wonder how maintenance costs would skew the numbers, even if you’re not heating and cooling the extra rooms. And then there’s the non-objective part of me, that wonders if there is someone out there who could really USE five bedrooms, and now that home is not available. Then I have to agree with Kevin and say “What a waste.”
Good thoughts. Now if it had a huge garage for my workshop . . . now that might be another matter ; ) Actually totally agree. What a waste. If not giving away the extra cash, much better to stick it in a retirement account than on a pointless mortgage.
I suppose they could sell the house at retirement and live off the proceeds? 🙂 It seems to me like there’s a tipping point somewhere, where you’re better off with money set aside for the future than with money tied up in a house.