Gorio wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> cshenk;1634864 Wrote:
> > Tommy Joe wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> > -
> > On Jul 5, 6:29*pm, "cshenk" wrote:
> > -
> > The glory of owning is you can do what you want. *The pain is no one
> > fixes it for you no matter what it is. *You build equity but you
> > can be hit with a 2-5000$ bill suddenly.-
> >
> >
> >
> > Good luck with Aunti Mabel. Yes, what you say above was just
> > stressed by me in another post. No matter which way you turn
> > there's something to pay. Everything has its positives and
> > negatives, and when things are going ok I'm laughing at the world,
> > content in the knowledge that I made the right decision, that I had
> > it right all along - till something goes wrong and I begin to
> > wonder about it. But with me renting vs owning was never an option
> > anyway as I really can't even begin to imagine having the cash to
> > own or even rent a house. It's not a contest or argument. I can
> > see the positives either way. The only way I would own a house is
> > if someone gave it to me. But even if I hit the lottery tomorrow I
> > would choose an apartment over a house. Top floor, not too high,
> > with the windows always open, a fan blowing air out or in. I think
> > of people who live in really huge homes, like mansions, and there's
> > something scary about it - like the place is so huge with so many
> > rooms that you don't know who's in there with you. You buy a big
> > home, you need a big fence. Then something to guard the fence.
> > Then something to guard the things guarding the fence. That is my
> > fear of ownership - lack of responsibility and openly admitted
> > laziness of which I am oddly proud.-
> >
> > Yup. One makes choices. I chose to move me and my family about the
> > world for 26 years in the Navy. That meant apartment dwelling
> > until we hit a sweet deal on this house. It was the right time for
> > us and unlike many fools, we took a straight fixed mortgage at what
> > the banker was saying was foolish but over time, we were dead on
> > right. We paid more in the first years but it did not go up and we
> > could bank the excess once we had it.
> >
> > Now, I could not touch an apartment for 800$ a month which is my
> > total mortgage and taxes/insurance payment. Instead, I have a 4 BR
> > 1.5 bath with fully fenced backyard and a fireplace. House will be
> > paid off in about 6 years so it will drop to about 350$
> > tax/insurance well before I hit retirement age.
> >
> >
> >
> > --
>
> Smart man. You saw the scam and thought with some common sense. I
> bought my first house fifteen years ago, and moved up to a very nice
> home in the country, with acreage. I'm paying $630/month. I have to
> also pay to maintain it; but it is an appreciable asset even with the
> economy down. Since it's affordable, I bought some land that I use
> for camping and hope to build my retirement crib there.
>
> I'm about 8 principle payments from paying off my home and another 15
> on my other property.

Yup! I don't need extra property but the one i have if i want to pay
off faster, I can. I like the tax advantage i have now as i have hit
my max earning cycle.

Had i followed the greedy eyed banker and realtor who said 'but you
qualify for (obscene amount) and in the first years it will only be
(low amount)' I'd have lost my shirt like so many. I bought well under
what i 'qualified' for. I bought best i could afford the monthly
payments for in a sellers market. Snapped this one up at full asking
price of and held on for dear life.

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