Tommy Joe wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Jul 6, 8:20*pm, "cshenk" > 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.
>
>
> As an adult I have never lived in an apartment with a bedroom. All
> I've lived in are singles. I don't mind a bit. Hell, I could take
> this room and cut it in half and still be satisfied. Even if I hit
> the lottery I'd still live in an apartment. But there is no argument
> on the issue, that would be stupid and wasteful. When I moved in here
> 16 years ago the rent was $210. Now it's $420. That's very low, but
> now so low when you're out there driving a cab and making less than
> $150 a week of late. So it's all relative really. Sometimes I feel
> fortunate just to have a roof over my head. I won't argue that
> either, but I think it can be a good way to think sometimes. My view
> is that everyone is renting one way or another. All who live must
> die. That's when the lease is up.

Yup. In Hawaii when Don and i first met and later married, we had a 1
room sort. 27th story with a glorious night view out the patio door to
a tiny porch.

The kitchen was quite a laugh as you could not open the stove and the
fridge at the same time but it worked for us. If it were just me, it
would work fine even today.


--