House It Going?

To Buy Or Not To Buy... is that your question?

Growing up in Taiwan, we have this notion imprinted in our minds, "raise a child for your retirement". It seems like when that is the case, your life is pretty much set. Here are the milestones, getting good grades, graduating on top, entering a prestigious company, buying a house, getting a wife, having children, and finally you can enjoy retirement... or rest in peace. The order may have changed due to education and the generalization of technology, but once you fall into that thread, you are obligated to follow a set of instructions. To retire earlier, you must burn harder.

The life-changing notion of what burdens us both mentally and physically is buying a house. It is the single most expensive item one can purchase, normally speaking. Thus, to buy one, we'll have to depend heavily on how much money we make, which is the root of all evil. Make no mistake that money isn't evil; it makes people more inclined to be so. In the world of commerce, the more the merrier. If one possesses any goods, one wants to sell them at a higher price. It is really this simple. Therefore, housing prices along with others, have always been on the surge no matter how hard governments claim they have tried.

Must we buy a house? To answer this question, let's first think about the possibility of not doing so at all. Excluding the least likely scenario that one becomes a nomad, renting a unit is what people usually do, or at least until they think they can afford to own one.

One of the most popular arguments is that "the rent you pay every month could have been for the installment of buying a house". The thing is, obviously, that those of us who haven't had a permanent home yet don't have a few million NTD to spare for the down payment, not to mention the fixed installments followed in the next few decades. To trace back to the logic of this argument, we would realize that it is from those who already have one or more units, those who invite you to the same misery they have, or those from the previous generations(or benefactors down the family tree).

We all know the benefits of having one, which may be a sense of security, a far better chance of forming a family, and of course...procreation. What can go wrong, right? Since it would be the first and biggest decision one could make, we are prone to mistakes, regrets, and unknown changes such as relocation, expansion, and even pollution. All are under the assumption of this decision being only once in a lifetime. Are you capable of being burdened with 30 years of debt or how much time do you have in order to start again and make a new plan? If you have no choice but to go on this path, you have chosen not to live your life but the expectation of others.

Can we rent forever? Certainly, yes. The crucial point is whether that's a choice or not. Who's to say that you cannot rent until the opportunity comes? No one. The problem with housing is that people before 35 or even 40 think more about it than living. The purpose of life is not surviving but living. This poison of settling down only reaches further and further back to the youth of our country, which derives and brainwashes them from searching for their true selves. 10,000~20,000 NTD a month for rent is perfectly reasonable for any functional persons or a couple to feel secure and do what they really like for 10~20 years. Don't you think so?

Have fun; enjoy life.

There are more opportunities than people, more houses for people, and definitely more choices if we just break from the trap mindset of must. Why must you retire? Let's think outside of the box for a moment. If retiring means you finally get to do what you want and rest, why don't you do it now instead of squandering your best years while young?

Deep down, many of us seek stability over ideals, more or less because of the influence of authorities. How much are you willing to sacrifice in the name of... meh? At times, we hear people saying that they just want to "be ordinary" or "live an ordinary life". Would you only do enough work so you get fed, or work harder for a better meal? The answer is simple. Mediocrity is the end of progress while excellence isn't the pursuit of finance. You don't need a house to live a happy life; you live a happy life, and if you want, buy a house.

#selfreflect