Labor Day weekend

We are in contract for the house! This week we had the inspection and the house is in great shape. We did realize, a bit late, that it has an electric water heater which will means a higher electric bill. A normal gas water heater & vent won't fit because of the duct work in the ceiling above the area so we will have to consider if the extra cost for replacing the water heater and a special vent set-up is worth it. The water heater is something the inspector thinks will need to be replaced within the next couple of years. We are in the midsts of the "Request for Repairs" with the sellers - what are they willing to fix/handle and what will reduce the cost of the house. We also are shopping around for mortgage loans and have two contenders...now we'll see who can do the best rate and closing costs. It kills me that over the life of the loan we pay just as much in financial expenses/interest as the house is worth!! Going through my first house-buying experience just reiterates to me that the whole housing/mortgage crisis was created by greedy people lending money for amounts people couldn't really afford and by people wanting more than they could truly afford. Thank goodness we both have always lived within our means.