Confession: I Went House Shopping

More specifically, I went house shopping in Arizona. As you know, one of my favorite pastimes is looking at real estate, so... when I was on vacation last week I met with a realtor.

And before you ask, no, I didn't buy anything.

Why I Was Looking

I having been dreaming for years about a having place - somewhere that's warm - to get away. The older I get, the more I think that moving to a warmer climate may be the way to go. The allure of temperatures that are perpetually above 50 degrees farenheit sounds like heaven to me right now.

So why buy a second home now? This will probably be the best opportunity in my lifetime. Mortgage rates are still really low and prices are now on their way back up. My parents always talked about having a vacation home but never did, and I want our family and friends to enjoy it now while we are young enough to enjoy it and to make memories as our kids are growing up. A second home hopefully will be a gathering place where new traditions are born. And, a family vacation home may eventually become my family legacy.  I'm looking for a resort community of sorts, with scenic beauty and recreational opportunities that we don't have at home but also with conveniences and luxuries that we have always wanted. Purchasing a second home in the place where I may want to retire years from now gives me wonderful vacation opportunities or it might also persuade me to retire elsewhere.

No Decisions Yet

I met with the Arizona realtor and had appointments to see four houses. The day before I drove around to look at the houses that I liked. By seeing houses from the outside, and driving around the neighborhood, I was able to cross several houses off the list. Narrowing the list down to just a select few allowed me to not waste time with the realtor and not get overwhelmed. The last time I was in Phoenix was about 13 years ago. And wow, has the area been built up since then! It was not the Phoenix I remembered. Also, house prices in Phoenix just a year ago were super cheap, but now the prices are way up!

While many of the houses were nice, they just weren’t what I was looking for. Will I buy in Arizona? Probably not. I know I want to stick with the West coast because of proximity to my brother in Alaska.  I have family in Arizona so that's why I decided to start there. I also have family and friends in different parts of California so I will have to check those out next!

We’ll see what happens!