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  • Agi Tiara Pranoto

    Agi Tiara Pranoto

    Seorang Blogger Indonesia yang berdomisili di Yogyakarta. Selain menulis, dia juga sangat hobi bermain game FPS. Cita-citanya adalah mendapatkan passive income sehingga tidak perlu bekerja di kantor, apa daya selama cita-cita itu belum tercapai, dia harus menikmati hari-harinya sebagai mediator kesehatan.

    [disclaimer; I wrote this not to scare you guys from buying a house, but merely sharing my experiences and get some of my point across. Buying and having your own house in your 20s is totally cool and awesome. But then, there's a lot of things goes behind the scene that most of you won't even realized now that it's there]

    Most of my friends will hate me for saying this. Afterall, the best investments around here is still properties; house, lands, apartments, you named it. So, in just a few months after my 20th birthday, I bought a house. A small cute home near an airport, 15 minutes from the city by car and 10 minutes by bike (traffic jams ftw); 7.5 meters times 12 meters. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Perfect for a small family, too big for a 20 years old. 

    I paid quite a fortune for this house, and it's under my name. It's a sign of significant success from my workplace (I earned quite a lot as an account executive). My parents also donate me a huge sum for me to be able to have the house repainted and renovated a bit since the contractor did a lousy job on the house. 

    Most of my friends (which is around my age) were envious with the revelation that I already had my own home. After they graduate from college two years later, some came to me asking for a few tips on managing the household, as they just apply for a mortgage. 

    The thing is, two years later; I (slightly) regret(-ish) my decision on buying a house. 

    ***
    People think that owning properties makes you a great investor, that you have invest on something you could sell or rent later. Now this is where most people are wrong.

    Once you buy a house, you get comfortable and settling down, you get attached. You don't want to sell the properties because you thought the price could get higher and higher with each day goes by. You think that "this house is my accomplishment, I won't sell until I get the right price".

    Then you started living in it, on your first month you pay for electricity and water you realized you can save a lot more by not turning on the air conditioner. Then you realized it's hot as hell. In the rainy season, it feels better (I save 40% more money on rainy season because of this) but in Jogja, in the middle august, it feels like you're living in the middle of the Gobi. It doesn't help that your place doesn't really have a lot of big trees as a shade because tree leaves are troublesome and you have to rake it up every evening. 

    You then realized that there were ants and mosquitos. You constantly battling your food vs ants and the winner, you can guess: it's the ants. You can't leave food recklessly and had to stay clean, and cleaning a house everyday is a chore when you got 9 to 5 job in your hand already.

    Then you realized that you have to pay for taxes! As every year goes by, your house started to deteriorate and need maintenances, but the taxes keep bubbling, and you hate the government so hard for making you pay for a mere shelter. The house maintenance itself were always a pain in the arse as something is always not right, when you think you can relax, the water from the tap starts leaking, there will be lightbulbs that needed replacement, your cable tv not working, your internet not working, such and such. 

    Well, when you think it's over, came your neighborhood watch. You pay for security, trash pick-up service, and a few neighborhood fundraising you have to attend or your neighbors will start talking about you behind their back. Sometimes even if you attend and help out they will still talking about you behind your back. Nobody is to be trusted these days (although I have a few amazing neighbors whom I'd do anything for them, just as they'll do anything for me). 

    You then realize everything that has a price tags keeps getting more expensive. There's phone bills, electricity, water, internet, cable tv, and at first you'll think "oh i won't need cable tv" then you realized that you need that form of entertainment after long days at work and the local channel were not as entertaining anymore. Then you'll say "broadband internet? a 3G/4G modem will do since my office had a good internet" and then you realize the cable tv came with broadband internet and it's so much cheaper you only have to add a few more thousand rupiahs to it, and there you are swayed by the power of advertising only to realized that their connection sucks and you have to spend time waiting for technicians to take care of them.

    But then people always say this to me; when I got married, I don't have to worry where will I live with my husband, I got it all sorted out.
    No you're wrong.

    My carport were so small that it fits only one car and one or two motorbike. Both of us were driving. Imagined how we scrambled to fight for the rights on using the carports.
    You then realized your significant others consume just as much electricity, water and phone as you. And it's time where you share the bills, but somehow you want everything to go with your way and don't want to compromise. Sharing the bills means you compromise in how long you get to use the phone and the goddamn air conditioner (without the AC I will be only paying 1/3 of what I paid each month, seriously) and you don't want that privileges taken away from you. But on the other hand you're happy to have someone so handy at home that could save you money from calling maintenance technicians.

    Then you start comparing your expenses and it's a lot bigger than when you still renting. And you were swayed to rent again and sell your house, but then you already have too much furnitures and love the house (because it's your accomplishment, remember?)

    ***

    Having a house has its own perks and downside. I was lucky that I get to learn this at such young age, So hopefully by sharing this experience with you, you can consider what will you need to make that house your home. Because buying a real house, needs a lot of consideration and weighing every options that you have. Be smart and be wise. 

    In this economy a lot of things could happen. Mortgage can rises, property prices bubbled up and then went south. There's more to investment than just lands and houses. If you think you are not ready to managed a house of your own, think again, you might be right. But if you think you are capable of doing so on your own, go ahead. It's always good to have somewhere where you can cool off privately.

    Much love from the duck-chess.
    . Jumat, 28 Agustus 2015 .

    The Worst Decision I Ever Made in My 20s: Buying a House

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    IBX5B00F39DDBE69
    . Jumat, 28 Agustus 2015 .

    [disclaimer; I wrote this not to scare you guys from buying a house, but merely sharing my experiences and get some of my point across. Buying and having your own house in your 20s is totally cool and awesome. But then, there's a lot of things goes behind the scene that most of you won't even realized now that it's there]

    Most of my friends will hate me for saying this. Afterall, the best investments around here is still properties; house, lands, apartments, you named it. So, in just a few months after my 20th birthday, I bought a house. A small cute home near an airport, 15 minutes from the city by car and 10 minutes by bike (traffic jams ftw); 7.5 meters times 12 meters. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Perfect for a small family, too big for a 20 years old. 

    I paid quite a fortune for this house, and it's under my name. It's a sign of significant success from my workplace (I earned quite a lot as an account executive). My parents also donate me a huge sum for me to be able to have the house repainted and renovated a bit since the contractor did a lousy job on the house. 

    Most of my friends (which is around my age) were envious with the revelation that I already had my own home. After they graduate from college two years later, some came to me asking for a few tips on managing the household, as they just apply for a mortgage. 

    The thing is, two years later; I (slightly) regret(-ish) my decision on buying a house. 

    ***
    People think that owning properties makes you a great investor, that you have invest on something you could sell or rent later. Now this is where most people are wrong.

    Once you buy a house, you get comfortable and settling down, you get attached. You don't want to sell the properties because you thought the price could get higher and higher with each day goes by. You think that "this house is my accomplishment, I won't sell until I get the right price".

    Then you started living in it, on your first month you pay for electricity and water you realized you can save a lot more by not turning on the air conditioner. Then you realized it's hot as hell. In the rainy season, it feels better (I save 40% more money on rainy season because of this) but in Jogja, in the middle august, it feels like you're living in the middle of the Gobi. It doesn't help that your place doesn't really have a lot of big trees as a shade because tree leaves are troublesome and you have to rake it up every evening. 

    You then realized that there were ants and mosquitos. You constantly battling your food vs ants and the winner, you can guess: it's the ants. You can't leave food recklessly and had to stay clean, and cleaning a house everyday is a chore when you got 9 to 5 job in your hand already.

    Then you realized that you have to pay for taxes! As every year goes by, your house started to deteriorate and need maintenances, but the taxes keep bubbling, and you hate the government so hard for making you pay for a mere shelter. The house maintenance itself were always a pain in the arse as something is always not right, when you think you can relax, the water from the tap starts leaking, there will be lightbulbs that needed replacement, your cable tv not working, your internet not working, such and such. 

    Well, when you think it's over, came your neighborhood watch. You pay for security, trash pick-up service, and a few neighborhood fundraising you have to attend or your neighbors will start talking about you behind their back. Sometimes even if you attend and help out they will still talking about you behind your back. Nobody is to be trusted these days (although I have a few amazing neighbors whom I'd do anything for them, just as they'll do anything for me). 

    You then realize everything that has a price tags keeps getting more expensive. There's phone bills, electricity, water, internet, cable tv, and at first you'll think "oh i won't need cable tv" then you realized that you need that form of entertainment after long days at work and the local channel were not as entertaining anymore. Then you'll say "broadband internet? a 3G/4G modem will do since my office had a good internet" and then you realize the cable tv came with broadband internet and it's so much cheaper you only have to add a few more thousand rupiahs to it, and there you are swayed by the power of advertising only to realized that their connection sucks and you have to spend time waiting for technicians to take care of them.

    But then people always say this to me; when I got married, I don't have to worry where will I live with my husband, I got it all sorted out.
    No you're wrong.

    My carport were so small that it fits only one car and one or two motorbike. Both of us were driving. Imagined how we scrambled to fight for the rights on using the carports.
    You then realized your significant others consume just as much electricity, water and phone as you. And it's time where you share the bills, but somehow you want everything to go with your way and don't want to compromise. Sharing the bills means you compromise in how long you get to use the phone and the goddamn air conditioner (without the AC I will be only paying 1/3 of what I paid each month, seriously) and you don't want that privileges taken away from you. But on the other hand you're happy to have someone so handy at home that could save you money from calling maintenance technicians.

    Then you start comparing your expenses and it's a lot bigger than when you still renting. And you were swayed to rent again and sell your house, but then you already have too much furnitures and love the house (because it's your accomplishment, remember?)

    ***

    Having a house has its own perks and downside. I was lucky that I get to learn this at such young age, So hopefully by sharing this experience with you, you can consider what will you need to make that house your home. Because buying a real house, needs a lot of consideration and weighing every options that you have. Be smart and be wise. 

    In this economy a lot of things could happen. Mortgage can rises, property prices bubbled up and then went south. There's more to investment than just lands and houses. If you think you are not ready to managed a house of your own, think again, you might be right. But if you think you are capable of doing so on your own, go ahead. It's always good to have somewhere where you can cool off privately.

    Much love from the duck-chess.
    . Kamis, 27 Agustus 2015 .

    Dearest B.

    I know I should've talk to you in person, I'll do it if I could. I'll swam across the ocean. I'll drive for months. I'll walk for miles. I'll do everything in my power if I could, sadly, this has been bigger than me. 

    I missed those long days where you, H and I were sitting on your porch talking about dreams from a junior highschooler perspective. How you will be a news anchor, H will be a CEO of a diamond company and how I will be a fashion designer. Everything we knew as perfect, is those afternoons with lemon teas and shorts and our nokia phones.

    I missed those birthday parties we threw for each other, those very small and sloppy cake we bake on H's oven. Those foods that I snuck off my brother's secret stash. Those laughters that three pre-teens shared over smallest things like my untamed frizzy hair or your first pimple. We were quite a team and we know it.

    I regret every single day I spend on not answering your call. I regret every time I hit that red button and just threw my phone to the side. I regret every fucking goddamned time I didn't try to ask you what's wrong. That's my ego, that's where I'm wrong and that's when everything going downhill for us.

    I was a selfish teenager with an ego. You and H are far more beautiful and smarter than me. I don't have even the smallest confidence when we walked together to our tutors. I was this girl with greasy hair, thick glasses, acnes and I don't think there's anyone out there having the slightest interest at me. Until today, it always is like that. Between the three of us, you're the one who were carrying the nuclear bomb inside of you, yet you're always the most calm, glowing and radiant. And that's how I always remember you.

    You're a person with flaws. I get it. Sometimes I re-read your last letters, asking for our understanding that we've treated you like you're an alien. You got it wrong. We never treated you like an alien. It's just that it feels good for once having the attention for myself. It feels good that for once, I'm the one that people asked for and not you. And this is my fault. I just hope that you find it in your heart to forgive me for my selfishness.

    You are a very beautiful and strong person. It's just that you forget the strong part sometimes.
    You never once complained about your life. And it's our fault for not remembering that you got it harder than us.

    I cried on your funeral. The first time in years I cried like I've been scolded really hard by an unseen powers. That it's the first time I truly lost a friend, and lost a beautiful friendship we had since we were so little. Losing a friend is the worst feeling I've ever felt so far.

    Maybe that's why I kept having this second thought about being very social. Because life sometimes filled with backstabbers and it's so hard to keep track of a very loyal friend.
    Of all my entire life, I partially spent it blaming myself for losing a friend like you. And you blamed yourself for all the pain we have caused you. 

    After facing too many deaths of a loved ones I finally realize that there were some things that were left unsaid. Most of it were not the voice of anger or disappointment but rather the voice of love. Chinese people believed that this is the gui yue. The hungry ghost month where the soul of your families, friends and loved ones roam the earth for a month. I just hoped that this will be enough to give you some peace up there.

    Our life has been different since you left. H moved to Sydney and then get married and stay in Brisbane. I was her maid of honor. It sucks that I'm not able to see her sooner since now she's following her husband jetsetting around. D is an aspired filmmakers trying to met his end meets in L.A, he's still the old D. O already had a daughter few years back, she looks very pretty. K... well K is nowhere to be seen. I heard she just graduated. 

    And Me? I'm still insecure of how I look like. Still doesn't understand why the world goes around. Still asking for you every time I visit your grave to forgive me, and now I'm asking the same things I've been asking for years, to forgive me for being such a lousy friend. I had hoped you heard and understand my feelings. I hope the afterlife offers lemon tea, and we can visit each other's porches even after both of us had no longer linger in this world.

    If you happened to have time, 
    Love, J.
    . Sabtu, 22 Agustus 2015 .

    hola amigos! summer holiday is almost over and unfortunately i have some good news and some bad news.
    the good news is: i am accepted in a grad school. I'm taking my master on healthcare law! Finally!!! after 4 years of undergraduate study majoring business law and working as a branding consultant part time I'm finally here. This is a huge step.

    the bad news is: I'm not ready yet. 

    Well, I mean, nobody is ready for their dreams when their dreams is about to become true. I bet Kurt Cobain wasn't ready for his stardom when he became the person who shaped grunge and the 90s. I bet Mark Zuckerberg wasn't ready when facebook became the #2 website in the face of the earth (with the #1 being google, of course).

    My dream as shallow as it was started here. And it's happening right now. A very expensive dream with an equally expensive tuition. Well, it's not that I couldn't pay for grad school, fortunately I was blessed with education savings that my parents had set up for me a long time ago (and most of my pocket money and allowance goes here) since I was dreaming of Yale, but well, long story short, I decided to enrolled at my alma mater. 

    Oh God I'm so nervous. 

    This is like a dream, I mean well, for starter I'm the first in my family that were in law school and I probably has set some example for my younger cousins, nephews and nieces. Like, life is not just medical school and business school. I'm their role models now. If I succeed in law school, and majoring on some "hocus pocus" law they've never heard before (yes, most people doesn't know that there are healthcare law in Indonesia) chances are they will follow my footsteps. If I'm not succeeded (or at least not succeeded enough by my family ridiculous standards) well, I'll be damn for the rest of my life and let my struggle become a joke on its own.

    Truth is, I don't even know what to prepare. I'm still this 22 years old that looked like a clueless highschooler. I love my baggy jeans and my comfy t-shirt that i wear for class (even though it's forbidden) but now in grad school, i don't even know how should I look like. this is killing me. I can't even plan what I'm going to wear accordingly.

    Plus everything is so sudden, they just gave me the letter of acceptance last wednesday night, and next monday i'll be taking my almamater coat and have my first lecture in tuesday! 

    Now, it's the end of the month and fortunately I have my leftover stationery so I don't have to buy a new one, but for those who were from outside the region, I can't imagine how they could find housings and school stuffs in less than a week (insert sad face here).

    So here i am trying to figure out what to wear and what to bring and do we get an orientation week, where will i have my class, and such and such. I haven't even got my hands on a syllabus and can't predict what books to buy. 

    This is it. The new chapter has just begin.