Choosing A Home Size When You Buy A Home In Woodbridge Or Manassas Virginia
Your Basic Standards Exceed Your Parent's Biggest Dreams
Are We Spoiled Rotten?
You would be surprised, even stunned to find out that a typical first-time buyer EXPECTS to get a home with at least 2,500 - 3,000 finished square feet, 3-4 bedrooms, 3-4 bath rooms, a gourmet kitchen, and a family room, a theater/media room for watching movies, and a home office.
If what I said in the previous sentence did not surprise you, consider this: we Baby Boom babies grew up in homes that typically had 1,000-1,200 square feet, 2-3 bedrooms, 1 bath room, a black-and-white TV in the living room that didn't have a remote control.
It was common for the bedrooms to be called Mom and Dad's room, the boys bedroom, and the girls bedroom. Yep, the kids shared bedrooms.
Gentle reader, your humble author shared a bedroom with my older brother in 2 different 2 bedroom houses over 4 years on Air Force bases in Texas and Hawaii. I didn't get my own bed room until I was 10 years-old.
We had neighbors whose religious faith prohibited birth control, and, in fact, encouraged large families. It was common for the boys room to have 2 bunk beds for 4 boys and 2 twin beds for the 2 girls in their room.
We had a telephone in the kitchen.
Then in 1967, Mom and Dad had a home built, with extra wiring for a phone in the master bedroom, in addition to the phone in the kitchen. The TV was still black-and-white. It was in a new room we never had before... the Family Room (Wow!).
I enjoyed visiting my great-uncle Van because he had a color TV with a remote control that changed the channels among the 3 networks, a button that raised the volume, and another button that turned the volume down.
Some time around 1972 we got a color TV and an automatic garage door opener.
Only Dad's income was needed to support our home, pay for food, clothing, cars, and entertainment.
Today, it takes 2 incomes for first-time buyers to support their 2,500-3,000 square foot homes with 3-4 bedrooms, 3-4 bath rooms, a gourmet kitchen, and a family room, a theater/media room for watching movies, and a home office.
Astounding.
In days of old, lenders would pre-approve buyers, based on credit scores, employment, income, and debt amounts. Next, the loan package would be reviewed and blessed by an underwriter. Done deal.
business.