Page 30 of Here You Are

“Oh shit,” Cora mutters. “I hope this house isn’t way over your budget because you’re totally buying it. It’s okay, but I’m annoyed at how far away it is.”

“It’s like a fifteen-minute drive,” I remarked back, continuing my twirl. “You would be fine.”

“Not if I’m drunk and need to come over. I'll be in jail, and it will be your fault.”

“If you're drunk, I'll come to you as long as it is during business hours.”

Cora shoots me a major side-eye and sighs. “It’s pretty perfect. I just hope you don’t get murdered living out here in the boonies by yourself.”

“I wouldn’t be by myself. I have cows!“

Linda chimes in to provide some factual context to our conversation. “So, they are not complementary cows. The person who owns that land has been holding out on selling, but I’m guessing he will eventually sell when the right price is thrown at him. The developer would then continue to expand. So it is likely not a forever home for the cows. Second, most of these homes are under contract and expect that people will be moving in over the next month. If you were to put in an offer and everything went as planned, most of these houses would be occupied by the time you got here.”

“It’s so pretty. Why do you think it hasn’t been snatched up by someone yet?”

“Looks like it was under contract and their loan fell through recently. A lot of people want to pick their finishes in a new construction home, so that is part of the reason it’s still available. I don’t expect it to last for long, so if you're thinking of putting in an offer, you will want to do it right away.”

“Right away? Like this week?”

While I’m sure Linda thought I was an idiot, she looked at me with understanding and grace. “I mean today. I know there are several other showings this evening.”

“Today?! Wait. I’m just looking today.”

“Here are the things you should ask yourself: Will you regret it if you let this home go? And do you have your finances sorted and a letter from your bank?”

“I don’t have a letter yet because I didn’t know that was a thing. Help me; I’ve never even considered buying a house until this week. What should I do?”

“I can’t tell you what to do. My philosophy when seriously looking at a house that you intend to live in for a long time is the 80/10/10 rule. You have to love 80% of the house. You can be willing to change 10% and willing to accept 10% as it is what it is. What percentage do you love this house?”

“Uh, I would say like 98%, and the 2% is just because I’m scared of being a grown-up.”

“Well, let’s head back to my office, and you can call a trusted adult for some advice. If you aren’t ready to put in an offer when we get back to the office, then just go home and sleep on it.”

On the ride home, I start by asking Cora what she would do because she is an adult I trust, even though she is younger, wilder, and sassier than I am.

“Cora, what would you do?”

“First, she told you to call an adultier adult. Are you having a stroke? That ain’t me, babe. But if you love the house, buy it. You’re rich; you can handle it.”

“Do you think I should call Mom and Dad?”

“Ugh, I don’t know. Neither of them is known for their financial prowess. If they tell you not to buy it and you still want to, are you going to listen to them?”

“Probably not.”

“Sounds like that would just be confusing and annoying for you, so let’s skip it.”

“I'm a strong, independent, financially secure woman.”

Cora stares at me. “Ok, and?”

“I’m just psyching myself up.”

“Do you need a mirror to look in while you say nice things about yourself?”

“Shut up. I’m thinking.”

The rest of the ride is silent while I think about all the potential downsides. I know there will be home maintenance and repairs, neither of which I am good at. However, it’s a new home, so that shouldn’t be a major concern for a while. The HOA takes care of all of the snow and lawn care, so I wouldn’t have to worry about that. I know I can afford it because I kept my maximum mortgage cost on the low end of my budget. And then there are the major deciding factors of the closet and the cows. The cows may be temporary, but that closet is forever.