Ahh, and I'm Rich??????
By Loverbear
@Loverbear (4918)
United States
April 10, 2013 12:45am CST
Interesting start to a discussion, but I get a kick out of that notion from people when they hear I own my home. One person in particular has that idea firmly imbedded in her feeble little mind. I tried to convince her otherwise, but it didn't work.
The joys of home owner ship:
The toilet backs up and you get to figure out why or pay for the plumber!
The roof leaks, you are either up on the roof fixing it or get the roofer!
You find termites...oh JOY the exterminator!
The septic tank is full, you get to dig it up and pay to get it pumped...believe me your poop does STINK! (more on this one later)
The heater dies, you replace it
The water heater quits, see above
The stove quits, see above
The pipes stop up, see above
The person who is sure I am rich has always rented and is drooling over the thought of owning her own home. I related the problems above and it didn't phase her...Oh well, while I was writing this I went out to the freezer to get some ice cream out...crap the freezer died!
Bill stated that when we go to town on Thursday we are going to look for a new freezer for me. The one that just died is 12 years old and wasn't an expensive one...but still it isn't fun realizing that something else quit! I love my home, but I ain't rich and let's face it repairs cost big money!
Now for those who are wondering about the septic tank, back in 1974 my father ended up in the hospital deathly ill from a tick bite. Mom and I stayed in their home that wasn't used a lot because they spent most of their time at their vacation home. Well when the toilet backed up into the shower we realized there was a problem. We visited with my father that day and he "told" us where to dig for the septic tank. We got home and grabbed a couple of shovels and started digging. We dug for hours! Father stated that the septic tank would be very easy to find, that he had put sand over the top of it so it could be dug up easily....YEAH RIGHT!!!! We dug and dug and the beautifully landscaped yard looked like we had a mine field blow up! We finally gave up and lived with the problem. Father got out of the hospital two days later and about had triplets when he saw the back yard. He grabbed the shovel angrily and walked up to a spot and started digging...and of course it was right over the darned septic tank!!!
Bill stated that when we go to town on Thursday we are going to look for a new freezer for me. The one that just died is 12 years old and wasn't an expensive one...but still it isn't fun realizing that something else quit! I love my home, but I ain't rich and let's face it repairs cost big money!
Now for those who are wondering about the septic tank, back in 1974 my father ended up in the hospital deathly ill from a tick bite. Mom and I stayed in their home that wasn't used a lot because they spent most of their time at their vacation home. Well when the toilet backed up into the shower we realized there was a problem. We visited with my father that day and he "told" us where to dig for the septic tank. We got home and grabbed a couple of shovels and started digging. We dug for hours! Father stated that the septic tank would be very easy to find, that he had put sand over the top of it so it could be dug up easily....YEAH RIGHT!!!! We dug and dug and the beautifully landscaped yard looked like we had a mine field blow up! We finally gave up and lived with the problem. Father got out of the hospital two days later and about had triplets when he saw the back yard. He grabbed the shovel angrily and walked up to a spot and started digging...and of course it was right over the darned septic tank!!!4 people like this
7 responses
@BabyCheetah (1911)
• Australia
10 Apr 13
Wow my aunt and uncle must be millionaires for owning 2 houses!
It's always the way but I still think it's better to own than to rent. Even though things break down you are not forking out hundreds a month on rent so that money goes towards your home. I think there is also some sense of achievement and satisfaction having your own home and also not having to worry about being evicted. The only down side is having to pay when thing break and council rates 
It's always the way but I still think it's better to own than to rent. Even though things break down you are not forking out hundreds a month on rent so that money goes towards your home. I think there is also some sense of achievement and satisfaction having your own home and also not having to worry about being evicted. The only down side is having to pay when thing break and council rates 1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
10 Apr 13
My parents technically own their home but they have a mortgage they pay on it every month, like $800 per month so they still have to pay every month! If you cannot buy it out right, then yeah you have the payment every month like they do. Most people now a days have a mortgage they have to pay.
1 person likes this
@BabyCheetah (1911)
• Australia
11 Apr 13
This is very true, see they are all paid off so that parts all good but if you have the mortgage that sucks but at least it's going towards your home and not someone elses 
1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
11 Apr 13
The thing is even after you finish paying off the mortgage you still have property taxes on the property. Plus, especially in our area, there are tons of people that bought homes when the mortgage rates were through the roof and they have lost their homes. Unless you have a great payment record you could be stuck paying huge amounts for a home that hasn't increased any in value because the interest rate is more than the value of the home.
Even with my "owning my home" I still have additional fees. I have a home owner's association and have to pay monthly fees. Plus we have to maintain our own roads and that is an additional fee. Periodically the HOA's decide on a special assessment that ups our costs from between $100 to $2000 for the year.
You're right about having my own home, but it sucks when someone thinks you're so well off they can mooch off you indefinitely. I dumped the lady, but it still burns my soul that she has the guts and stupidity to believe that I have an indefinite source of funds...like I fart fifties and crap hundreds!
1 person likes this
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
11 Apr 13
I know all about the costs that come with home ownership, and I know that home ownership certainly doesn't translate into being wealthy. My parents were what I believe one would describe as "land rich, but cash poor."
I do, however, also despise renting. I feel that it is a trap that drains me financially in ways that owning would not. With a rental, I am not building equity; I also do not control certain aspects of my home environment that can make a difference in terms of things such as how much we spend on electricity.
I'd rather deal with fixing things myself in my own home. For me, that is the only thing that will ever truly work. I would rather own a shack than rent a mansion...
1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
11 Apr 13
The other thing about renting is that IF you have rotten neighbors you can't do anything about it except move...especially in an apartment building.
I always despised renting, it is so nice to have my own space without worrying about neighbors, landlords, rules, regulations, restrictions and more. Plus when I decide to sell my home the money is all mine free and clear. But for people on such a limited income they need to do a thorough research before even thinking of buying. The person who thinks I am so rich is currently renting a very nice apartment for $250 a month. The median rental or mortgage payment in the area runs between $850 to $3000 a month. So, it wouldn't be wise for her to move out of her low rent apartment.
I love owning my own home, but for someone on a VERY limited budget the person I referred to doesn't have the income to afford to buy a home. Since she feels that I am so rich by owning my own home she can borrow from me constantly. I finally put the skids on her borrowing and won't have a thing to do with her.
1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
11 Apr 13
That's when it makes sense. I heard that the property values dropped enormously in California and my boyfriend's grandson is starting to invest in property. I swear that kid is going to be a multi millionaire before he's 40!
I have to say that renting keeps a roof over the woman's head. She has a tendency to "piss" away their income each month. She buys specialty foods that I couldn't dream of buying. In fact one of my favorite foods is relegated to "special treat" status. I love sea food and will buy shrimp and fish at the butcher shop in our local grocery store...when it is a special occasion or the sea food is on a super ridiculous sale. The shrimp I bought myself for Easter was because I had received four twenty five dollar gift cards for the local grocery store. That's the shrimp I ended up sharing with Khuay, AFTER we played the game of steal and chase! He is a very proper cat when it comes to begging and stealing food, but that shrimp was just too much for his tiny nose and drooling mouth!
I have to add that my son in law had cut off the tip of his thumb and filed a work comp suit. My daughter and the son in law decided that they were going to get hundreds of thousands of dollars. They where property shopping and planning their house! Imagine their disappointment when they got about $2,000! I was more seriously injured on the job and only got $30,000 so think of what you would have to go through to get the amount they were counting on. Needless to say my daughter and family were very disappointed.
He is a very proper cat when it comes to begging and stealing food, but that shrimp was just too much for his tiny nose and drooling mouth!
I have to add that my son in law had cut off the tip of his thumb and filed a work comp suit. My daughter and the son in law decided that they were going to get hundreds of thousands of dollars. They where property shopping and planning their house! Imagine their disappointment when they got about $2,000! I was more seriously injured on the job and only got $30,000 so think of what you would have to go through to get the amount they were counting on. Needless to say my daughter and family were very disappointed.@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
11 Apr 13
Our rent here is more than what many pay for a mortgage. Add in overly high electric bills, and it has swayed even my once reluctant boyfriend to the side of home ownership.
That woman sounds as though she has seriously warped views of money. For her, renting makes sense. For someone in my situation, though, owning is the only way that really works; the amount we spend in a place like this over the span of two years would cover a cheap piece of land and the foundation for a house. Owning pays for itself within less than five years, and we likely could resell later at a decent profit (given how I want to do things).
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
11 Apr 13
And if owning a house does not send you to the poor farm, the car or cars will be delighted to help. I still prefer the freedom of going broke in my own home, though. I can do it more creatively.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
10 Apr 13
Wow, that sounds like something my husband would do, "It's right there" yet I can't find it and he ends up getting whatever he had, what I call, "Hidden"
I don't own my home outright, we have a mortgage, but the items you mentioned, yep. There is no landlord or maintenance guy to call up about problems, you either fixed it yourself or you hire someone else to and that is VERY expensive, especially for a plumber.. Plus another thing to consider, you have to have a good working mower in the summer, or not only will your yard disappear, but if you have neighbors like I do, complaints will start coming in.
I don't own my home outright, we have a mortgage, but the items you mentioned, yep. There is no landlord or maintenance guy to call up about problems, you either fixed it yourself or you hire someone else to and that is VERY expensive, especially for a plumber.. Plus another thing to consider, you have to have a good working mower in the summer, or not only will your yard disappear, but if you have neighbors like I do, complaints will start coming in. 1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
11 Apr 13
I hear you, and you are right about managing money and keeping a home. I don't know how my husband thinks he can spend his money like he has an overflow and keep up on the mortgage payments and now we so far behind, I am sure he will either have to get it together or we will have to sell, and when I mean sell, I mean sell without a profit, so we'd end up in a tiny apartment after selling or throwing away his junk..
Anyways, didn't mean to rant, but you brought it up about managing money..
I can also see a hardware guy treating a woman like that, I am glad you walked away and hopefully the guy knew why...
I can also see a hardware guy treating a woman like that, I am glad you walked away and hopefully the guy knew why...1 person likes this
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
10 Apr 13
Owning a home does not mean you are rich. I know this. Do I want to own my own home someday? Yes of course I do. Only because it will be mine and I can do what I want with it. If I want to put a fence up, I can do it (If I have the money) without having to ask the landlord first. Those kind of things.
But I also know it is a LOT of work as well! My siblings and my parents own their homes and I see how much work it is for them to maintain their houses and how costly it is...
Plus all of the extra taxes once you own. I know all about it! Lol. So I do know owning a home does NOT make you rich at all. In fact, my parents are more poor than I am and we rent. So, yeah most definitely owning a home adds to your expenses and does not make you rich.
Sometimes my parents tell me they wish they kept renting because it's cheaper. I know they don't really mean that but I do know what they are saying, it's a lot of money to own a home and everything is on YOU then, not the landlord!
1 person likes this
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
11 Apr 13
I can relate to your parent's statements about renting. When the homeowner is responsible for the repairs and maintenance of the home it gets very expensive. If you don't handle money well and don't budget to save towards repairs every month you end up in a difficult position when something needs to be repaired.
I love my home. I don't have a mortgage on it, but it is an older home so there is a LOT of repairs that needs to be done on it. There are times it seems overwhelming, but I still wouldn't trade my home for anything. I can make changes, have pets, allow my grand kids to come visit, and not have to worry about tons of rules and regulations that a landlord can impose. Home ownership is worth the expense, but not worth friends who think you're rich because you own your own home.
this is one big expense that we can never avoid. @Loverbear (4918)
• United States
11 Apr 13
Thanks for the reminder! And of course the property taxes keep going up when we have elections. People either raise property taxes or sales tax every other year. And of course the property insurance and how much it is depending on your source of fire departments.... and and and. I love owning my modest little home, but I HATE people who have it firmly embedded in their feeble little minds that I am rich and can hand them money hand over fist like I am a bank or I can fart fifties!
1 person likes this
@rocketking (189)
• Singapore
10 Apr 13
Haha you certainly put home ownership in perspective! Yes sometimes it seems like your home owns you rather than the other way round. I think what is important is that you enjoy where you stay. Sure you need to take care of your house if it is yours rather than rented, but you get stability and do not have to worry about rising rentals. Of course, if you haven't paid off your mortgage then you still have to worry about rising interest rates or losing your job and not being able to pay the mortgage.
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
11 Apr 13
Fortunately I own my home free and clear so I don't have to worry about interest rates. The other thing I forgot about renting is that the landlord would have hot and cold running fits about the number of furry children I have...three cats and three dogs....I would be homeless!
As I say, I love my home, it is very modest but it is comfortable and I thoroughly enjoy living here. I live beside a lake, out in the country, and have wild life come through every day. I just gave my stale bread to the local mooches (deer) who come to my fence hoping for hand outs. Then there is the clean up crew that comes through every night...the clowns of the wild world, raccoons. Oh, and I HAVE to add the wild pigs. That's just a small portion of the hairy citizens of the area...there are badgers, mountain lions, bob cats, skunks, big horned sheep, and the list goes on! I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
1 person likes this
