Finding Home

We're in the middle of a move, and in the midst of headaches around the closing date of our sale, the closing date of our purchase and dealing with banks, real estate agents and real estate attorneys, Sarah and I have tried to have a healthy perspective on our home.

There are a lot of things to consider when buying a home, and people understandably have different perspectives on what's important. The conventional wisdom is "location, location, location" in a macro (e.g. that it's wise to buy property in town where value will be kept high due to, for example, the quality of a school district or proximity to a major city where jobs exist) or micro (e.g. don't get a house on a busy street or right underneath high tension power lines) sense. And then there are principles around the structure of a house that guide a purchase. For example, Sarah and I are big believers in the the spirit of Hebrews 13 ("Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels") hospitality, so one principle that we held was having accommodations for overnight guests as well as ample space to host gatherings, including fellowship and Bible Study, even if our individual bedrooms were tiny.

I thought about this as I read an article a few weeks ago about the smallest studio in Manhattan, a 175-square foot "microstudio" which actually is near my former stomping grounds at 110th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam. Purchased for $150,000, I have to say that I was envious of the new owners' find. I certainly have dreamed (not very seriously) of having a second home in the city, where I work and where Sarah and I continue to have a group of strong friendships at the church we had attended for the last nine years. There's just something special about New York City - Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' song is just the last in many cultural references of its excellence - these streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you.

It's true. I lived in Manhattan for a little more than four years, and I really loved every moment of it. There's simply nothing you can't do (granted, there are some things that you do that cost twice as much than doing the same thing in the 'burbs) and the always changing nature of people and places can be exhilarating. Manhattan is wonderfully walkable, as well, and with some good walking shoes and a MetroCard, you can pretty much go anywhere and experience anything, from fine dining, night life, cultural treasures, world-class music, and great sports... okay you don't get good basketball, but there's always hoping for LeBron in 2010. When you have all of that to surround you, your "home" tends to extend to the city in which you live - Central Park becomes your backyard, Starbuck's becomes your eat-in kitchen and Barnes & Nobles becomes your study.

That's why people are willing to plunk down $150,000 (still a big chunk of change from a cost per square foot perspective) to live in a glorified walk in closet. When people stress location, location, location in regards to a purchase in Manhattan, sometimes being in Manhattan is enough in itself.