Hausliebe

Hausliebe. Ist das ein deutsches Wort? (And on a related note... when will I get used to capitalizing every, single, freakin' noun?)

Well, is it? Is there a German word, or phrase, for house lust, or as I've seen it described in The Atlantic Monthly, house porn? If there isn't, there should be. I'll work on it in my spare time. There's probably a better word than "hausliebe," but I wasn't clear on whether the Google suggestion for the German word for lust -- "Sinneslust" -- was entirely sexual in meaning or not. In America, we lust after everything, not just people, but before I attach the word "Sinneslust" to "Haus" I'd like to make sure it makes a certain amount of sense.

Anyway, I have hausliebe, if there is such a thing, or even if there isn't. We were shown four -- or was it five? -- homes today, and there was only one that made my heart race. I want it. I want it bad. I want it so bad I won't even tell my RL friends about it until I've signed the lease. I'll only tell you, my virtual friends, my electronic Dear Diary.

It's a 70s ranch, though I would have guessed it was from an earlier era (50s, or at least 60s). It's been rehabbed, but get this: tastefully! Im Deutscheland! An affordable, tasteful remodel -- FOR RENT!

Oh. Mein. Gott.

It's so beautiful I can barely stand it. I wanted to beg to be allowed to sign the lease right there on the spot. I wanted to say, "this is the house of my dreams, and if I have to live in any other house, I'll never be happy, never."

But of course, I'm afraid I will jinx things by wanting them too badly. You may sense a trend, those of you faithful readers who have been with me from the beginning. It's true; even though I'm an atheist, and don't really believe in "anything," I am nonetheless afraid to break mirrors, walk under ladders, or say anything optimistic without knocking on wood.

I am a creature of the 18th century. With serious hausliebe for a rehabbed 1970s ranch house.

WTF?

P.S. If I get the privilege of signing a lease on this jewel of a house, dear readers, I promise I will provide a detailed description of it for you.