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David Adesnik, a research analyst in Washington DC, received his doctorate in international relations from Oxford.

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Friday, October 02, 2009

# Posted 4:00 PM by Ariel David Adesnik

SAY IT THREE TIMES, "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME": I've been off the network for almost two weeks now, while my wife and I were in the process of moving into our new home in Northwest DC.

This move will mark the end of an era. I've packed up and moved almost every 12 months since graduating from college ten years ago. Now, I've found a place where I hope to live for ten or twenty years or longer.

For the moment, it still feels like we're just playing house and pretending to be grown-ups. Maybe if a couple of kids show up and keep us up all night with their crying, it'll seem more real. For now, it's just fun.

Once again, a big shout out to Uncle Sam for his pro-homeowner tax policies, which have made it remarkably affordable to upgrade to from an apartment to a house. It's still hard to believe, but we are now paying less per month for a mortgage than we were to rent a nice two-bedroom.

Now back to serious blogging.

Cross-posted at Conventional Folly

(3) opinions -- Add your opinion

Comments:

To your article's question about the gov't promoting the financial bubble, the answer is YES.
The mortgage interest deductible promotes ... investment (good) and speculation (not so great), which really are synonyms.

Your article talks about your house payment: (which is 100% deductible). No. Only the interest (speculation) is deductible, the equity principal is not.

A similar but better gov't support would be 30% tax credit on full house payment (interest plus principle). You'll find, in a few years, the interest-only deduction becomes an incentive to re-finance and take the equity out of the house. This is the terrible incentive.
(Tom on wife's account)

# posted by

Unknown : 11:36 PM

Congrats on settling down. You may find, as I did, that it is difficult to get comfortable, to stop calculating whether this or that repiar is worth it, to fully stop living out of boxes.

In short, to give up the habit of expecting to move on in a few months and put down roots.

# posted by

tim maguire : 1:10 PM

David,

Welcome back and congratulations.

# posted by

Neil S : 2:58 PM

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