Hang On To That House

Three years ago, when my son graduated andyear.
left our beautiful home, I started to worry aboutIt became obvious to me that selling my home
the future. At age 59, I knew that I wouldand my treasured past was not only
probably never generate more than the 9.00 perunnecessary, it was even a financial loss. I felt like
hour which had been my lifetime earning capacity.all options had been closed to me. I grieved with
I had dipped into my home equity twice in orderagony over the home I had so carelessly thrown
to pay off credit card debts. I had visions ofaway, for a price that would soon not even pay
scrounging around in alleys and eating out offor a boathouse. I could not imagine why my
dumpsters, and I decided to do something aboutrealtor was so adamant in talking me into going
it.through with it every time I tried to pull out.
Consolidating my life experience down to a(Commission, maybe?) She really had me
two-room condo was quite traumatic. I had toconvinced it was the only move to make,
give or toss away at least two thirds ofsomeone in "my position," and of course, she was
everything I had ever accumulated. I had to letthe expert in real estate, so I made myself
go of my dog because I would be living on thebelieve her.
second floor and I would not have a yard. OfIf I had lost that home due to a hurricane or a
course, that meant no more rose garden either. Ifire, I could have accepted the setback with stoic
had to give up all of my son's childhoodendurance because I would know that it had
memorabilia which was still part of my ownoccurred outside of my own personal power. But
identity. I sacrificed my life as I knew it in orderthe fact that I had PURPOSEFULLY ditched a rare
to save $600.00 a month.opportunity to be happy, even to own something
I could not stand it. I felt like I lived in a lifelessthat was ensuring my future security, was simply
coffin and that I had aged myself by ten years. Imore than I could bear. I had done something
had no inspiration, I was literally sickened by theirreversible. I had taken a situation which requires
confinement of my living space. I decided in ordera lifetime to put together, a few rare breaks, a
to save my sanity I would have to try to findlot of unique timing and I had thrown it away. I
another house, so I started hunting.had now priced myself out of the market and I
The house which I sold had cost me $210,000.00would never own or live in a house again.
in 1997. I sold it for 255,000.00 in 2003. When II encourage anyone to hang on, anyone who is
looked around at what was available to me afortunate enough to have belonged in an era of
year later, I almost fainted. In the six years that Ihistory when ordinary people still had the option of
had lived there, housing prices had climbed sobuying homes. It won't come again. You are
much that I started reeling with sick regret. Thehanging on to a rare commodity. You have an
$210,000.00 that I paid for my lovely brand newextraordinary possession. Even if your home is no
house in 1997 would now buy a soggy, two orwhere near being paid off, you are still
three room bungalow. Any house even remotelyaccumulating at least 20% equity every year that
comfortable was now going for at leastyou remain in it. The best part is, on top of
$250,000.00 to $300,000.00. Even the house thatbuilding up security, you are also living the lifestyle
I sold for $255,000.00 had climbed to overyou choose to live, and I found this to be the
$300,000.00 in just one year. My condo, on themost important asset of all.
other hand, had appreciated around 3,000 in that