What does it take to buy a house?

I can clearly remember the moment when I thought my new, young husband had lost his mind and that I had married someone who must have bumped his head as a child. It was when, as we sat in a Chinese restaurant on the town square in Chelsea, Massachusetts that Cute Husband said, “We need to buy a house”.

I blew noodles and soy sauce all over him laughing.

I was only 23. He was only 21. Yes. I was a child and he was virtually a toddler. And we had a new born - the wonderful Lindsay - to boot.

Buying a house was something I associated with magic. Or at least with adults. Who were we to think about doing such a thing?

But the truth is, it ain’t magic. Or brain surgery. Or impossible.

And even in these weird real estate times when the sky seems to be falling, buying a house is pretty straight forward. What it takes is determining your price with a good lender, getting associated with a good Realtor (hmmmm… To whom could I link you on that score?…) and jumping in.

It’s all about the numbers. If you pay your bills on time, have a job and want to join the ranks of those who get to itemize deductions on tax returns, then start the process. I am happy to answer any questions you have, whether you live in my area or not. I believe in homeownership.

After I stopped laughing at Cute Husband for having the nerve to think we could buy a house, we started looking and - wonder of wonders - we bought a house. He, Lindsay and I moved our little selves in and never looked back. Since then it’s been two more children, a few more houses and and plenty of admitting that if all had been left to me, we’d still be living in a 3rd floor walk up with bad heat, paying too much in rent.

So, don’t be like me. Be smart. Be brave. You won’t regret it.