Leo and Roxanne

I don't mind a Hansel & Gretal Gingerbread House!

I never know buying a house can be such a difficult task. After all, I am a simple man. I did my sums and calculations, decided for a 3room flat, and decided to ballot for it directly from HDB.

But alas, the 1st ballot attempt, we drew a number 196 out of 200 flats. My ideal flat was already taken on the first day of selection. The 2nd ballot, we drew 1143 out of 150 flats available. We placed our hopes on the 3rd ballot, and drew 5899! By the 4th try and just 6months before wedding, the HDB letter to us wrote something like, “Because your queue number is much over the number of flats on sale, we will not make an appointment with you. Should there be left over flats, we will contact you again.

For resale flats. We saw a total of 20/30+ flats, but there was none that both of us can agree on. My fiancee, a woman of faith, asked for all these in her dream home:

1. Corner Unit for privacy
2. North South facing to avoid direct sun, and hence reduced electrical bills in the long term
3. Convenient amenities nearby
4. Safe, uncomplicated neighbourhood
5. Cool flat i.e. windy
6. High floor

While these are my criteria:

1. Near to parent’s home
2. Unblocked view (windows not face to face with nearby HDB blocks)
3. Walking distance from MRT and bus stops
4. Good price with less than 10k COV (Cash Above Valuation)
5. Low floor (more functional i.e. if lift spoils)

So 30 over flats and counting, the closest flat we almost make an offer, we decided to walk out of it in the end, because it did not fulfill the ‘no direct sun’ condition. 5mins after we walked out, the agent messaged us, ‘flat sold’, to the visitor that came in as we are walking out.

Another house, which fulfills much of our criteria, was going at valuation price. This means that the COV is $0! We felt logically, we should jump to get it. But somehow, in both our hearts, we just don’t feel convicted that is the house of the Lord for us. With our agent highly recommending the house and our perceived deadline for getting one running out, we decided to let this opportunity pass purely because we don’t sense God in it.

By that time, we were all fully surrendered to God. Maybe, God wants us to rent a house and to grow our investments? Maybe, God wants us to stay in my old house till the prices drop due to the bad economy? Maybe this, maybe that. Whatever it is, we have decided not to fret. We have decided we will not force God’s hand and will, to anyhow buy a house that we do not feel convicted to. If we have to rent, we will rent.

So was the Lord’s will for us to buy a house or to rent? stay tuned for the 2nd part of ‘Dream Home’…