If you use the "new" math....

I've been crunching some numbers, and while it still might be a stretch, I think that we really could swing the bigger house that I have been wanting. Now, granted, there were a lot of assumptions (like a decent interest rate and profit on our house that we have now) built in, but I have to say, I am somewhat optimistic about the entire thing.

I've been over the reasons for the bigger house before, so I won't go there. The more that I think about it (and man, how I have been obsessing about it), the more I think that this would be the right decision for us. I just have to convince Husband that I'm not nuts. However, after a perusal of what is available, I think that he would be able to find something that he would be able to more than live with.

I understand why he is fighting me on this. I really do. First, he hates to move. Quite honestly, if I ever meet anyone who actually likes to move, I would seriously question their mental status. It sucks. It probably will suck more with Son and animals in tow. I just don't see that as a viable excuse. Second, we have put so much into this house to make it what we want it to be. Due to our fire, we have a virtually remodeled upstairs, including the high-ticket items like the kitchen and bathroom. We have added a 20x20 composite deck, a new bathroom, landscaped, replaced all of the windows, and just got done siding and adding stone. I know. I know, I know. However, there is only so much that we can do to make this place what we want, and need it to be. In order to get over the hump, we need another bedroom upstairs, a master suite, and a three car garage ('cause I refuse to pay almost $500/mo to store the boat over the winter...ack!). In order to add all of that, we would end up pricing ourselves out of our neighborhood, which doesn't make financial sense. We don't live in a dumpy neighborhood, but the average house doesn't have all of the features that we (OK, maybe just I) want.

It's a hard question, since I have invested a lot in the house and property too. I've spent a lot of time and effort adding plants, tearing up sod, tilling, etc. I have a lot of myself in it too. A lot of things that I would hate to leave. However, I also want to be able to be able to have some space. I don't mind streamlining, but there is a point, especially now that we have Son, where it can't just be pushed as much. Then there is the issue of #2, assuming that we are able, and I just don't see how we are going to make it work. The bottom line is that I want another baby more than I want to stay in this house. I don't think that Husband really grasps how badly I want this, or how much things would change if we added another one to the mix.

I guess that I have been thinking about it a lot because we are rapidly approaching the time of the year where we have to make our benefits elections. How does that even remotely relate? Well, I have to decide how much to put in our flex spending account. If we decide to pursue #2, I will have to elect the max amount and hope and pray that (1) we get lucky on the first or second try and (2) that nobody gets really sick during the year (read: Husband). I would have to make an appointment with Dr. RE in the near future if we want to start in the beginning of the year. However, I can't make any of these decisions with the whole house thing hanging out there. To be honest, I think that I am probably the only one in the relationship that feels that this is a deal-breaker or a big part of the decision.

I know that Husband will probably come around once I show him the numbers and the business case, if you will. I just hope that it doesn't take him as long as it did to come around on what stone to put on the house (that only took, gee, two years). I don't think that we have that kind of time...to quote a lawyerly movie: "...my biological clock is ticking..." In the meantime, I'll just keep searching the realty sites, and pray that Husband will come around. If anyone else wants to pray too, I wouldn't say no...