HGTV and House Envy

Right now I am obsessed with basically everything that airs on HGTV. Shows like Income Property, Cousins on Call and List it or Love it have been perpetually playing on the TV in our house. I even got Chris hooked on it and we have been swooning over the gorgeous kitchens and open concept floor plans. Not to mention the ridiculously low housing costs of basically everywhere else in the United States in comparison to where we live. The SF bay area is about neck and neck with Manhattan these days and trust me when I say there is no housing slump going on here. In fact just this past month two townhouses in our very small complex went up for sale and were sold within a week or two of being listed. Not to mention the fact that one of them was listed for $639,000 ...for a 3 bedroom 2 bath 1500sq ft townhouse with HOA fees of $450 a month! Insane I tell you.

For the most part I never had a major desire to own a home. I have always appreciated the no strings attached approach to living that renting gives you. No property tax, no repairs and reno costs, freedom to move at any point...and then again there is also the downside of having no write offs when it comes to tax season. After filing for the first time as a married person this year I felt that dagger straight to the heart ...or more appropriately my checkbook. All that to say that this is the first time where I have been actively pining over the thought of owning a home.

I absolutely love where we live now and if we could I would buy the place in a heart beat. It's a definite fixer upper but it's all cosmetic stuff that could be fun to tackle. I have been finding myself thinking more frequently... "If we bought this place, first thing I'd do is get rid of this old carpet. yuck!" or saying "hey husband, I think I found my dream kitchen" Something along these lines would do. :)

It's hard not to get incredibly discouraged when I watch these shows though because realistically, I can't imagine ever being able to afford buying a house in this area and yet I have no desire to move away from here.
So for now HGTV will continue to be my vice and maybe someday I will be lucky enough to have a space where I can actually put paint on the walls.