# Own Your Own Home explained — Fred Gross Stories > Chapter companion for Fred Gross Stories by Ring Lardner. ## What happens Fred A. Gross writes to his brother Charley about his and Grace's decision to buy a lot and build a house in the suburbs, detailing their financial plans, the bank loan process, and their excitement about the new home. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Suburban Dream Fred and Grace's aspiration to own a home in the suburbs for a better life. ### Financial Struggle and Debt The couple's careful budgeting and reliance on bank loans to afford the house. ## Character check-ins ### Fred A. Gross Narrator and protagonist, planning to build a house. ### Grace Charley Fred's wife, enthusiastic about building a house. ### Brother Charley Fred's brother, recipient of the letters. ### Mary Gross Brother Charley's wife, mentioned in greetings. ## Key lines > Charley wear going to have some house. The plans is drawed & the contrack let & there going to begin building tommorrow that is brakeing ground for the foundashun if I can get things fixed up down to the bank this p.m. Charley, we're going to have a house. The plans are drawn and the contract is let, and they're going to start building tomorrow, breaking ground for the foundation, if I can get things arranged at the bank this afternoon. _Fred announces the imminent start of construction._ > Ive gave the archateck $25 as 1st payment for his work & I dont half to give him the other $75 till 30 days after the house is done next march. I've given the architect $25 as a first payment, and I don't have to give him the remaining $75 until 30 days after the house is finished next March. _Fred explains the payment plan for the architect._ > The house is going to have 7 rms. 3 down stares & 4 up stares. The house will have seven rooms: three downstairs and four upstairs. _Description of the house's layout._ > Its going to be set bk. 50 ft. off the st. & that will give us a big lawn beside a big bk. yd. where we can have chickens & a garden. It's going to be set back 50 feet from the street, giving us a big lawn and a large backyard where we can have chickens and a garden. _Fred highlights the benefits of the suburban lot._ > If Id knew how easy it was Id of build a house long a go but I thot a man should ought to know some thing a bout building him self before he tackeld it but a man dont half to know nothing because the archateck takes it all off of his hands & does all the worring for $100. If I had known how easy it was, I would have built a house long ago, but I thought a man should know something about building himself before tackling it. But a man doesn't have to know anything because the architect takes it all off his hands and does all the worrying for $100. _Fred reflects on the ease of building with an architect's help._ > Well Charley I dont see how it is that these banks ever gos broke & blows up & they take a bout as many chances as the phone Co. that makes you put in your nickle before you get a hold of central. Well, Charley, I don't see how these banks ever go broke and blow up, they take about as many chances as the phone company that makes you put in your nickel before you get a hold of central. _Fred criticizes banks for their risky practices._ > I went down to the bank yest. p.m. & seen the man in the lone dept. & showed him the lot was all payed for & I had the plans all fixed up for the house & he says how much is the house going to cost & I told him $2,000 & then he stalled a round for ½ a hour & come back & asked me how much did I want to borry & I says $2,000 & he says well we will lone you $2,000 but not no more then that & I says who asked you to lone more then that & then he says let me see your contrack with the contrackter & I showed it to him & he says the only way we do busness is to have enough money to pay for evry thing includeing the extras & the archateck & all that & we do the paying down here to the bank & you dont have nothing to do with it but we keep the money and pay it out on the orders of the archateck. I went to the bank yesterday afternoon and saw the man in the loan department. I showed him the lot was fully paid for and had the plans for the house. He asked how much the house would cost, and I told him $2,000. He stalled for half an hour, then came back and asked how much I wanted to borrow. I said $2,000. He said they would lend me $2,000 but no more. I asked who asked him to lend more. Then he asked to see my contract with the contractor. I showed it to him, and he said their policy is to have enough money to cover everything, including extras and the architect, and they handle the payments at the bank. I wouldn't have to deal with it, but they keep the money and pay out on the architect's orders. _Fred describes the bank loan process._ > can do now is save up & pay off the $700 we still owe on the lot & then we can start building & meen time we can be planing the bungello & we figure that we can save $30 per wk. in sted of $25 if we live pretty clost & can have the lot payed for in less than 6 mos. All we can do now is save up and pay off the $700 we still owe on the lot, then we can start building. Meanwhile, we can be planning the bungalow. We figure we can save $30 per week instead of $25 if we live frugally, and we can have the lot paid for in less than six months. _Fred outlines their savings plan to pay off the lot._ > Well Charley we got our lot payed for sooner then we figured & its all payed for now because Graces old man come acrost on her berth day & give her $100 & says it was for her to buy cloths with but she says we would stick it right in to the lot & the old man wouldent never know the diffrence & I says all right thats fine. Well, Charley, we got our lot paid for sooner than we figured, and it's all paid for now because Grace's father came across on her birthday and gave her $100, saying it was for her to buy clothes with, but she said we would put it right into the lot, and the old man would never know the difference. I said all right, that's fine. _Grace's birthday gift is used to pay off the lot._ > But we aint going to build no bungello after all because Grace lerned from her brothers wife Gus Walters that bungellos was all out of date & no good & they wasent no room in them & if you was going to build a house why not build a good 1. But we aren't going to build a bungalow after all, because Grace learned from her brother's wife, Gus Walters, that bungalows were all out of date and no good, and there wasn't any room in them. If you were going to build a house, why not build a good one? _The decision to build a two-story house instead of a bungalow._ > So we been talking to a young archateck & he says we can put up a swell 2 story house for $2,000 & he will draw up the plans & see that the house is built OK & all we half to give him is 5% of what the house cost or $100 & he will over look the hole busness & hes a good archateck all right because he graduated out of the univ. & got his office way up on pretty near the top flr. of the Jackson bldg. So we've been talking to a young architect, and he says we can put up a swell two-story house for $2,000. He will draw up the plans and see that the house is built OK. All we have to give him is 5% of the house cost, or $100, and he will oversee the whole business. He's a good architect, all right, because he graduated from the university and has his office way up on nearly the top floor of the Jackson building. _Fred describes hiring an architect for the two-story house._ > I figure the hole thing includeing the lot will amt. to a bout $3,700 & thats a lot of money but look what wear geting a nice home of our own where decent people lives & a big yd. where we can let the kids run a raund & may be raise chickens & have a garden. I figure the whole thing, including the lot, will amount to about $3,700. That's a lot of money, but look what we're getting: a nice home of our own where decent people live, and a big yard where we can let the kids run around and maybe raise chickens and have a garden. _Fred justifies the cost of the house._ > I guess thats better than paying $25 per mo. rent & being cooped up in a 4 room flat eh Charley. I guess that's better than paying $25 per month rent and being cooped up in a four-room flat, eh Charley? _Fred contrasts homeownership with renting a flat._ > Charley we made up our minds to buy a place some wheres out in the subburbs & build a house not a grate big house of corse but a house where a man can move a round in with out bumping in to the walls all the wile and have enough ground so the childern wont half to be cooped up all the day like in a flat but can run around & get some exxersise. Charley, we've made up our minds to buy a place somewhere out in the suburbs and build a house—not a great big house, of course, but a house where a man can move around without bumping into the walls all the while, and have enough ground so the children won't have to be cooped up all day like in a flat, but can run around and get some exercise. _Fred explains the motivation for moving to the suburbs._ > Then Grace says lets buy a lot some wheres & build our own house & I says what do you think I am rockefellow & she says no but you dont half to be rockefellow to build a house now days because you can borry the money & pay it back a little to a time & just like paying rent only your getting more for your money. Then Grace says, 'Let's buy a lot somewhere and build our own house.' I said, 'What do you think I am, Rockefeller?' She said, 'No, but you don't have to be Rockefeller to build a house nowadays, because you can borrow the money and pay it back a little at a time, just like paying rent, only you're getting more for your money.' _Grace convinces Fred that building is affordable._ > I am going to get off tomorrow p.m. and Annies comeing over to look out for the babys while I & Grace gos to 1 of the subburbs & we are going to look them all over 1 to a time before we chose the 1 we want so it may be will be 2 or 3 mos. before I can write & tell you where are we going to locat at. I'm going to get off tomorrow afternoon, and Annie's coming over to look after the babies while Grace and I go to one of the suburbs. We're going to look them all over one at a time before we choose the one we want, so it may be two or three months before I can write and tell you where we're going to locate. _Fred plans to visit suburbs to choose a location._ > But now I cant hardly wait till we got our lot & started to build our bungello because a man aint realy liveing when he is liveing in a flat & espeshaly when youve got childern. But now I can hardly wait until we get our lot and start to build our bungalow, because a man isn't really living when he's living in a flat, especially when you've got children. _Fred expresses his eagerness to build._ > I dident think I would be writeing you this news so quick but we got our lot all ready & its out to Allison 16 mi. west of the Loop on the c d & x & it dont only take 40 min. for the trains to come in to town & it takes me 35 min. now to go in on the L. I didn't think I'd be writing you this news so quick, but we got our lot already, and it's out in Allison, 16 miles west of the Loop on the C D & X. It only takes 40 minutes for the trains to come into town, and it takes me 35 minutes now to go in on the L. _Fred announces the purchase of a lot in Allison._ > We was going to look over all the subburbs but Allison was the 1st 1 on the list & Grace got stuck on it right a way & so did I & we went a round with the real estate man & he showed us some swell lots & 1 that you couldent get a way from because it was big & roomy & 3 big trees on it that the real estate man says is maple & a real bargun because its 100 ft. frontidge & 150 ft. deep & only $1,500 & we can pay for it when ever we get We were going to look over all the suburbs, but Allison was the first one on the list, and Grace got stuck on it right away, and so did I. We went around with the real estate man, and he showed us some swell lots, including one that you couldn't get away from because it was big and roomy, with three big trees on it that the real estate man says are maple, and a real bargain because it's 100 feet frontage and 150 feet deep, and only $1,500, and we can pay for it whenever we get [the money]. _Fred describes the lot they chose in Allison._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fred_gross_stories_se/chapters/own-your-own-home - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fred_gross_stories_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/fred_gross_stories_se/chapters