Our big yard just got bigger

We're buying the empty lot next to our house.

The story is that we've been back and forth on this decision for awhile now. We've been really nervous ever since we started this "building a house" project that we'd end up with lousy, noisy, messy neighbors and thus regret the whole thing. It's been almost a year and a half in the new house, and we felt really lucky that the builder has been busy with so many other things that he hasn't had time or interest in actively selling the remaining two empty lots. We investigated buying the lot next to us back in the beginning, but with the prospect of such a large investment in front of us we did not think it was feasible. And as you might guess, by the time the house was finished we had spent more than originally planned and so it really didn't seem feasible then anymore; especially when the builder raised the price on the remaining lots.

So last week we noticed that there were new "For Sale" signs on the street in front of the empty land, and thankfully we got a call from the builder's secretary. He lowered the price back down some and wanted to give us first opportunity to buy. We looked at the numbers again, and felt that it is within our means. Not only is this an investment in our future -- a piece of land that will hopefully become more valuable over time -- but it is also an investment in our current peace of mind -- we now know we don't have to deal with a bad neighbor for a long time.

As part of the deal, we get the big white barn that is currently sitting on the lot, which Justin is thinking of turning into a workshop. Personally, I have no problem with just leaving it there to be an obstacle in our new, back-yard disc golf course. :)