A long time ago, in a city not so far away, my wife Laura and I bought our first house. Since we were nervous about whether we could afford our house or not, we opted to purchase a duplex so that we could have a renter help us pay the rent.
Just like most typical families buying a home, the first thing we did was make it our own by fixing up things and making improvements. It was at this time that I discovered that Laura had a disorder that I have come to learn is "HGTV Syndrome". I am sure there are other husbands that may know of a loved one with this condition and I am not sure there is a cure. She had me fixing this thing and that thing and improving something else and then as she would drive down the street she would notice a pretty house for sale and talk about it when she arrived home.
But instead of just reminiscing about the house, she would do something and put in an offer to purchase. I entertained the idea and said that I would be willing if the bank was willing, while thinking to myself that the bank would say no. This miscalculation is how we ended up with a few duplexes.