Man secretly outbids in-laws for house without telling his wife and people are hailing his 'genius' move

While small, harmless secrets between partners are absolutely fine, those involving families can often be tricky to navigate. A man—who goes by u/okmine9845 on Reddit—shared how he secretly outbid his in-laws for a nearby house without telling his wife. 

The man began his post by explaining his wife's not-so-good relationship with her parents. "My wife has a somewhat difficult relationship with her parents. The usual stuff you see on this sub: a lack of respect for boundaries, bossiness, and unsolicited opinions about personal choices," he revealed. However, he explained that his wife did not push back, partly because she was a "natural people pleaser" and partly because her parents had spent money on her expensive education. Meanwhile, although the man had no major issues with his in-laws, he had no trouble saying 'no' to elders, having grown up away from his parents during college and becoming wealthy before turning 30. 

Finally, when the couple, along with their two young kids, moved away from their parents, the distance improved their relationship. On the other hand, the man shared that his in-laws kept moving between his wife's natal city and California until his mother-in-law retired.

"They started making noises about selling their primary residence and buying near us. Until fairly recently, though, it seemed like no more than a velleity," read the Reddit post. However, the in-laws' simple desire seemed to be turning into reality when a house in the couple's neighborhood went on the market. "In-laws excitedly told us they were putting in a bid. Their sense of entitlement extends to real estate, and they put in a low bid full of conditions. Still, my wife was very worried. She does not want them as neighbors," he revealed. 

Worried about having his in-laws as their neighbors, the man immediately formed an LLC and made a full-price offer on the house, which was eventually accepted. "I did NOT tell my wife. Our finances are mostly separate. I did not want to put her in a position where she would have to lie to her parents or reveal what would be taken as a very provocative action," he wrote. Furthermore, the man shared that he has not told anyone about this except for his brother, who actually called him out for his actions. The Reddit post received an overwhelming response on the platform, with people sharing their opinions about the whole incident. 

For instance, u/beneficial-job8782 commented, "It was a smart move, to be honest. It’s better to stay away from toxic people. Your in-laws would probably be constantly in your wife’s face, criticizing her or saying mean things, and it will definitely affect her mental health."

Similarly, u/asianblush2006 commented, "I agree! This was a tactical genius. You protected your wife’s boundaries and your family's peace without forcing her into a direct confrontation. Her parents tried to lowball their way into your neighborhood—someone had to block that move!" u/most-device-7298 remarked, "For real! You saved your wife the misery of having them as neighbors, you spared her the discomfort of lying to her parents and you’re increasing your assets and monthly income to boot! Dude! You are a hero!"