I am sure many of faced this situation when you have house warming ceremony or friends are visiting you at the new house. They just simply ask you without even thinking twice, “How much you spent on this pretty house?” You are stumbled and don’t know what to say because you are not ready to reveal you best deal. You don’t want to say less because you got a good deal or more to show that you paid too much. It makes it even tough if you invited your neighbor who also bought the house recently in the same area. I have faced this issue myself and I was prepared for it and able to shoot out the answer quickly. Are you ready for it? If not, here is what I found out from an article from time magazine.

People pose the question for different reasons. For example, it may be that your friends from the city are thinking of moving to the suburbs, and want to get a sense of what they could get for their money, says clinical psychologist and financial coach Eric Dammann. Or it may simply be good old-fashioned competition. “A lot of times nosy questions have to do with low self-esteem and how we measure up,” says Dammann. “From childhood on, we’re always comparing ourselves to other people. In adulthood, one of the ways to compare ourselves is money.” In such cases, sharing numbers may heighten tension and envy between friends.

Assuming the person who’s asking is someone you know—as opposed to a nosy neighbor over the hedgerow—you probably have a sense of what’s motivating the question, and whether you feel comfortable answering. If you don’t feel comfortable, you shouldn’t feel pressured to divulge. Here are three ways you can avoid revealing what you paid, without leaving the person feeling dissed:

USE YOUR SPOUSE FOR BACKUP: “Jim and I decided that we wouldn’t talk about the price.”

“You don’t want to come off as dishonest,” says Puhn. “So discuss in advance with your husband or wife what you’re going to tell other people, and in the moment, use your partner as an ally.”

KEEP IT LIGHT: “How much did we pay? More than I would have liked!”

A joke can do double duty, diffusing tension and tacitly conveying that you’d prefer not to respond. While this response is more subtle, “most people will pick up on the cue,” says Dammann.

Still, since it’s not direct, you might want to change the subject quickly.

TELL THE TRUTH: “I’m sorry, I’m not really comfortable talking about the cost.”

If your friend really presses you, you don’t need to be dodgy. Just be honest. This comes off as authentic, since you’re talking about your feelings. And you’re putting the questioner in a bind—by pushing for a response, he or she knows that he will be making you even more uncomfortable since you’ve already said so.

You can learn more detail about it at time.com

These tips might help you to get out of the situation when someone might feel awkward and don’t really feel answering it. In reality, many really want to pride themselves by saying that you got a new house which you always dreamed and paid good money to get it comparing to staying in an apartment. Don’t hesitate, just be prepared and have fun sharing!!

About Vijaianand Thirnageswaram

I am a Proud Realtor of Texas, trying to guide and help clients to find their dream home and educate them to buy them for right price. I am also a Candidate for CFP who has more financial knowledge which allows me share and educate clients in any financial decision making process.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•