Buying a house...

Well, we're now trying to buy the retirement house. Which does not mean that we are retiring, but we have this opportunity to by something that has some specific interest.

I'd forgotten how complex and time-consuming that process is...it's been > 20 years since we last bought.

Timeline:
Dallas, Fall 1982: my first house. Not big, but fine for me solo. Interest: 11% ? [ouch!]. ARM.
Fairfax, Summer 1991: first house with family. Wife is pregnant with second child. Interest: 9%
       Refi: 1996. Interest: 7%.
       Refi: 2002. Interest: 5%
Central VA: Spring 2013. Retirement house. Interest 3.875%. Fairfax house refi: 3.75%--yay!

It's been great how the interest rate has come down each time. And as of this writing, Fairfax house will be paid off in about 5 yrs. [later: we did a third refi, it's at 3.75, minimized monthly, but now back out to 30 years]

So why this house? Incomplete information, but it's the middle of really old family ancestry area. Many people in the area will turn out to be distant cousins. The house is pretty cool, in our price range, the view out back is great (instead of car traffic, it's a mountain ridge, although not at the same distance), it's very quiet (cow noise is all you hear during the day). I couldn't afford anything more than what I have now if we stayed here in Fairfax, which would be kinda boring.

Plus, it feels like time for a new adventure. It's a fairly rural area, so we'll be doing a variety of things differently. Our current plan is that we will continue to primary-house in Fairfax for a while, be at new house weekends/holidays/vacation/etc., and gradually move into it permanently over several years. This is an ideal approach, as it lets us slowly figure out what goes where, rather than do it all in a rush, which is what I have *always* done in the past. What will be awkward is furnishing two houses for a while, with things we won't all keep.

Well, it's been an adventure so far. More complex than I remembered, more paper to worry about. As it's rural, different things to worry about: we will have a well, and a septic system. That means no water and sewer bill, or at least not in the same way: a little bit of electricity for the well pump, and an occasional septic pumping out. Undoubtedly less than the monthly amount here in Fairfax. Satellite for cable/internet, maybe phone too. And if I manage to inherit enough money, we may even see about a solar installation, so as to eliminate that as well--the property will have more than enough space.