Does God’s wisdom merely guide us along the correct moral path? Has it
no relevance to us when we make mundane decisions in life—like
buying a home?
Whether
we intend to purchase a house from a developer or a homeowner or plan to build
our own house, we have to be sure we’re able to afford it.
There are many hidden costs as well as pitfalls for the unwary, which we would
do well to take heed.
Luke’s
Gospel reminds us to count the cost before we
think of constructing anything—be it a tower or house:
“For
which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see
it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to
finish’” (Luke 14:28-30).
Truly,
we need much wisdom when we contemplate buying a
home as it is—for most people—the largest single investment we will ever make
in life. By the way, have you come across anyone who has bought a yacht that
costs more than his home?
By
wisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
by
knowledge the rooms are filled
with all precious and pleasant riches.
A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for
by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.
(Proverbs 24:3-6)
Some
of the factors to consider when purchasing a home include location, price,
timing of purchase, track record of developer, freehold or leasehold status,
whether it is guarded and gated, its proximity to amenities as well as any
negative factors such as traffic jams, tolls and the noise level. Future
developments may impact the value of one’s property. For example, if it is near
to an upcoming MRT station or international school, then it would have greater
potential for capital appreciation.
Those
homes with favourable factors naturally cost more. So while we may have such homes
on our radar, we must also be realistic. Can we really afford it?
Of
course, it is generally safer to buy a ready-made house where one can view the finished
product and assess the neighbourhood before making a decision—rather than try
to picture how it would be like from a brochure or model of the house.
A
property under construction carries the inherent risk that the developer may
not be able to complete the project due to various reasons. Once that happens, one
may be hit by a double whammy—as if being saddled with a bank loan isn’t bad
enough, one is forced to rent as one’s dream house is still adrift in the clouds.
Thus, if one is eyeing new property launches, it is wise to buy from an
established developer with a good track record of keeping their promise to
buyers.
Money
has to be allocated too for renovation and moving-in costs such as buying
furniture and appliances. As for renovation cost, the longer one waits, the
more one has to pay for less work done; cost of labour and building materials continue
to escalate. So there we go again; we need to count the
cost.
We
really need to pray for wisdom, seek counsel from trustworthy property agents and friends
as well as do our own research as to what
constitutes a good buy.
While
we seek help from others, we must also play our part such as attending property
fairs and new property launches, and browsing through property magazines. We
need to be reminded of God’s rebuke: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
Nehemiah,
the cupbearer, prayed hard before he went back to his homeland to rebuild the broken down walls of Jerusalem. But he
also worked hard. On arrival in Jerusalem, he
first surveyed the extent of the ruins and ascertained
the scope and nature of the work before he rallied a team together to implement
the task of reconstruction (Nehemiah 2: 11-17).
God
specifically told the prophet Jeremiah to buy
his uncle’s field. And true enough, this uncle approached him, asking Jeremiah
to buy his field. How we wish that God would speak to us with such a clear rhema
word that we need not doubt whether our decision is aligned to His will (Jeremiah
32: 6-8).
Have
we earnestly sought God for His rhema word before committing ourselves to a
property deal (Proverbs 3:5-6)?
Next,
we must build our house on a solid foundation. Jesus exhorts us to be wise by building our
house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27). That rock we must build on is the truth of God’s word. At the physical level, it means we must not
build our home on soft soil such as former mining land or at a location where there
is an underground stream. Regarding the need of a solid foundation, nothing drives
home the point better than the shocking Highland Towers tragedy. http://bit.ly/1catYLk
Finally,
we need to remind ourselves that though we may have freehold property in our
name, we are all “leasehold”. We have been given an average lease of three score and ten
years (Psalm 90:10). So let’s not get
carried away by the thought of building and staying in a lavish home on earth—that
we quickly forget we will have to vacate it one
day and live in our eternal dwelling place.
Jesus’
words of comfort remind us that God the Father is preparing a place for us in
the hereafter:
“Let not
your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In
My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:1-2).
Truly,
we need to stay humble and set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-3).
And
not forget the goodness and faithfulness of God who has blessed us materially:
“Take
care lest you forget the Lord your God by not
keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you
today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them” (Deuteronomy 8: 11-12).
“Beware
lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the
might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it
is He who gives you power to get wealth” (Deuteronomy
8: 17-18).
Is
it any surprise to you that scripture provides guidance on earthly decisions
such as buying a home?
God
is interested in every aspect of our lives. His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2
Peter 1:3). And that includes the mundane
aspects of life—like buying a home.
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