Closing Time

Today I closed on a house. I found the whole property buying experience interesting as well as some of the charges that the title company threw on top of my purchase. I do not understand what I am paying for when I spend $720 for a origination fee, $300 for a processing fee, $695 for a administration fee, and $250 for notary/processing fee. I do know what I got for that last fee. I got some lady to watch me sign my name about a hundred times on a bunch of documents that I did not read and probably wouldn't understand anyway for about a half of and hour. I don't really know if she deserves $500 an hour, but all these fees are out of my hands. I took the pain and now I am a proud home owner, even though I really have no intention on living in my house, mainly because a five hour commute is not my style. I think that my house will be a good investment in the long term, and it gives me a little justification for renting myself. I was a little taken aback by signing a mortgage that bound me to payments until 2037. By that time I will be ... 54. I wonder what the world will be like in 2037. Will people still live in houses? If the Jetsons have taught us anything, the answer is no. I must say that I feel much more comfortable buying a place as an investment rather than a residence. Being bound to live somewhere for that long seems kind of like prison to me. I know that you can always sell, but the paper you sign doesn't mention that.