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Nords · 03-24-2006, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldcrowcall

The house has doubled in value since I sold it for $365,000 some years ago.

Can I introduce you to my father-in-law?* He still occasionally kicks himself, 23 years later, for selling too soon.

He bought a Levitt home in 1964 for $17,500 and sold in 1983 for $122,500.* Bowie, MD is probably going for close to $300K today.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam

I have many friends and relatives living through the 1986-90 Houston crash.

I remember a friend buying a Houston condo then for $20K. We thought he was an idiot. Today he knows that we're idiots...

Arif · 03-24-2006, 08:21 PM

We're in the process of buying our dream home right now. Almost embarassed to say how big it is but it's located in a gated community with an ocean view. Despite the home being a great deal I don't think we'll ever move as I have always wanted to live by the ocean.

wabmester · 03-25-2006, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arif

We're in the process of buying our dream home right now.

Heh. We're in the process of selling our dream home right now (it goes on the market next Monday). When we bought it, I didn't think we'd ever sell. After living there for five years, we found another place that was just more practical for us. So, we're selling the Holy Grail of houses to somebody else.

Of course, I'm doing a little market timing too. I'd probably keep the place if I didn't think the market had peaked and if I wouldn't lose that killer capital gains exclusion by not living there.

I'll probably kick myself in a few years, but I think I prefer dreaming about dream houses to actually owning them.

Ol_Rancher · 03-25-2006, 06:32 AM

"The house has doubled in value since I sold it for $365,000 some years ago.
Can I introduce you to my father-in-law? He still occasionally kicks himself, 23 years later, for selling too soon.

He bought a Levitt home in 1964 for $17,500 and sold in 1983 for $122,500. Bowie, MD is probably going for close to $300K today."

.. 101 shares of American Funds = Washington Mutual Investers at $11 per share bought in 1967 = $1111 invested

That holding is now just under 9000 shares at around $32 - $33 per share - no maintenance .. tell Dad not to kick himself too hard. now around $330,000

AltaRed · 03-25-2006, 09:16 AM

House value is just house value. Have to live somewhere and I can look back on any one of about 10 homes I have owned throughout my life and say they could be worth a lot of money now. But that is not relevant.

What is important is what you have now AND it is an extra bonus to have the ability to downsize if you so choose. My last house was the McMansion type, but when I took an assignment we downsized from well over 4000 sq ft to about 2600 sq ft. With my pending retirement, we will re-locate again to about 2000 sq ft for our retirement bungalow. We do not care, or have interest in, all the trappings and costs of a fancy house.

grumpy · 03-25-2006, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords

Can I introduce you to my father-in-law? He still occasionally kicks himself, 23 years later, for selling too soon.

He bought a Levitt home in 1964 for $17,500 and sold in 1983 for $122,500. Bowie, MD is probably going for close to $300K today.
I remember a friend buying a Houston condo then for $20K. We thought he was an idiot. Today he knows that we're idiots...

Ol' Rancher,

We sold our Bowie home in 2004. Bought it in 1979 for $78.5K. Sold it for $325K. It was your typical Levitt 4 bedroom colonial. We hadn't put much $ into it except for new roof, windows and HVAC.

Grumpy