We are buying a house.  I find this idea quite distressing - bit too PERMANENT for me.  We owned a house once before about 16 years ago.  It was the 'dream' house and we were going to be there forever - no more moving .... we were there for 6 months ......  something else came up somewhere else ... we've moved 12 times in 26 years - really moved - as in Mungindi, Northern Territory, Bourke, another town 100km from Broken Hill, among other places - and the most challanging move -  to outback Nigeria. We have always been on the move - now we are buying a house ..... things happen for a reason...do you believe that or not??