Top Viewed For Sale Postings

I love where I live today — a fabulous apartment on Queen Anne with the Space Needle watching me as I meander around my kitchen. I have a safe, undercover parking spot and can walk to anything and everything I need. And thus, moving is very far from my mind.

However, I do realize that someday I will have to say goodbye to my apartment in the city and hello to a space where I’m not “throwing away” my money in rent but rather investing in a home. Which home though? Which area? How many bedrooms will I need to cater to a future I’m unsure about? With all the real estate choices coming into play, just thinking about buying a house stresses me out and I’m not even close to being able to afford one!

Yet, it is always fun to dream, and this week’s top viewed for sale postings really got me thinking. Take away the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the square footage and the exterior paint color. At this point, I think about aspects that are important in my lifestyle today, the activities I enjoy with friends and family — and try to avoid thinking about what I will need 10 years down the road. Things like how big of a Thanksgiving dinner can we have in that enormous, pink Fremont, CA mansion? And how big of a Christmas tree can I get with those high ceilings? When winter comes, will there be enough snow for me to sled down the slope on this West Warwick, RI Home? In the summer, how great would it be to have a pool party in Walnut, CA or a front yard BBQ in Baltimore, MD? Do you think that neighborhood of that San Jose, CA home will allow me to light off fireworks on Fourth of July after the annual neighborhood potluck?

The greatest appeal of a home seems to be the creativity and memories put into it – that’s probably the main reason why I love my apartment so much now. But with friends, family and memories, any of these top viewed houses can be a home!