Practical Vs. Emotional

     As many of you know, Mr. Wonderful and I have been wanting to buy our first home for quite some time now. We've looked at countless houses in various neighborhoods for ages, and our realtor Michelle, patient and amazing as she is, has developed the knack for knowing what we'll like and what we won't right away. You see, I am drawn to certain types of houses...and it's entirely an emotional connection. Turns out, I'm not alone! According to International Communications Research, the following are true when it comes to gender and home-buying:

• The majority of women said that they had made up their minds the day they viewed the property for the first time, as opposed to men who needed two to three visits to decide.
• Women prefer living closer to their extended family as opposed to being near work.  Men would prefer a shorter commute to work.

Similarities of the sexes would include:

• Security or lack of security would be a deal breaker for both sexes.  Home security is one of the fastest growing businesses.
• Spare rooms would be used by both sexes as an additional bedroom, office/study or family room/den.  Although most men in the study would prefer the spare room be used as a "man cave" for recreational purposes.
• Couples say that neither sex "wears the pants" in the family in terms of making financial decisions.  Mutual decisions of this magnitude are important to both sexes.

     All that being said, I'm fortunate that my husband lets my penchant for glass doorknobs, leaded pane windows, stained glass and elaborate wood trim carry some weight. Because here's the honest truth: I want to fall in love with a house. I want it to be a passionate, romantic relationship that begins the instant I set foot inside. Like a man, the ideal house for me would be charming, well-established (read: old, although Mr. Wonderful is 2 years my junior), interesting, let you have room to grow and....overly practical need not apply! Aesthetics are going to win out for me every time. The only place I encourage a house to be practical is the kitchen--practically overflowing with stainless steel appliances, that is. The bathroom wins extra points if there's a claw-foot or free-standing tub. 

     Welcome to the world of real estate as I know it in Kansas City. It is quite clearly divided in the simplest of ways--by the state line. (Kansas vs. Missouri). Currently we reside in Kansas. Homes here are practical, not old (by that I mean you don't come across homes that are older than the 1950's), you can get more space for your buck, and the further south you go in the county, the newer the houses get...and the more my interest wanes. Houses begin to look alike...a-line roofs and various shades of beige and taupe. 

     In Kansas City, Missouri on the other hand, you have homes from the late 1800's and up...but not too far up...to the 1950's. These houses are loaded with details from a long-ago era that make my imagination race when I'm walking around from room to room. It becomes easy to imagine (in the oldest of these) that I'm Scarlett O'Hara--albeit sadly misplaced in the midwest, and in those from the 1940's that I'm a housewife waiting for my man to come home from the war, and in those from the 20's I imagine my 1921 Victrola playing in the living room while Mr. Wonderful and I slow-dance to "Moonlight Serenade", our wedding song.  We do this now, on occasion, only our current rental house is the same age as me and has about as much romance and character as a slug. 

                                                 There I am, racing down the driveway at Tara...

     The only issue with these exciting homes in Kansas City, MO is neighborhood. Plenty of times I have found myself impressed with a 1920's bungalow or a 1940's colonial, and already begun to imagine myself living there...when somebody (usually Mr. Wonderful) points out the nearness of a crime-ridden neighborhood, intersection, etc. And he is right. And I, romantic as I am when it comes to real-estate, begin to look at these houses with new eyes--eyes that see me at home alone some evening in my cute bungalow when somebody decides to break in. And--POOF! The romance is gone, and so am I--onto the next house, in a different neighborhood. After all, we may have a big dog, but his teeth aren't as sharp as they used to be!

     Having gone through this rigamarole off and on for years now, we have finally decided on a neighborhood. No hesitations, no niggling doubts--nothing but enthusiasm for the future and a desire to make it happen! And not that it helps, but Junior is due to arrive within 45 days...!

So while I'm not likely to end up with something along the lines of Tara, I'll be absolutely thrilled to end up dancing with Mr. Wonderful in a Tudor from the 20's. :)

So, tell me: When making a large purchase decision, what's your approach? Practical or emotional?