A month or so ago, one of my favorite hobbies was house hunting. I enjoyed reading the section in the paper on Saturdays and haunting Realtor.com, keeping an eye on what was available in our area and the prices as they went up and down.
I could drive around our town and tell you the asking price on many of the homes, how long it had been on the market and if they had dropped the price lately. I liken my hobby to a guy that knows a lot of about cars that he will never own. You know that guy…the one that can tell you how many horsepower a Lamborghini has, but has never even seen one? That was me with homes.
That has all changed now. The love is totally gone. Now that we need to move, I am finding nothing that I want and it is really frustrating. I have also lost my zest for decorating which is a darn shame if you ask me!
It is hard to get excited about whipping the perfect something up to put on the wall when I don’t know how long it will be there or if it will fit the look of our new home.
We are looking based on three scenarios, so you would think that we could find something. These are the ideas…
- We find a new rental.
- We buy a home on a modest budget that somehow we can qualify for even though banks hate me because I am self employed.
- We eat crow and talk my parents into buying a nicer house, which we will then rent, maintain, rehab, etc. (and eventually buy from them)
That is a lot of options, but there just aren’t many houses out there right now that fit our other criteria.
So, I am so sorry that I have been AWOL. I have just been in a royal funk.
9 comments:
Okay m'dear, use your knowledge about your area -- is it rock-bottom now in prices? Or are dramatic decreases yet to come? If it isn't anywhere NEAR rock-bottom, using your best guess, then I wouldn't buy anything...just rent a mold-free house, but if it's near or near-enough, try for a house.
We are looking to move, too, but waiting for it to really sink where we wish to move...otherwise my financial future would be most unpleasant if I get upside-down on a house...
Good luck friend. I know all will work out, it always does.
I can just imagine your frustration, and I'm sure you're blue bacause you've sort of been forced into a situation you'd rather not be in. That can always take the fun otr of something we enjoy. I sure hope you two can think things through and make a wise decision. And, even if you can't feel creative, I always find Dear Daisy Cottage blog uplifting when I'm feeling less than stellar.
Mary Lou
I was wondering where you were Gwen. I am sure that that perfect house for you will show up. I know too well about the self-employed problem. This is why we are still renting....we just keep telling us that it will one day be our turn, and that we are lucky to have a decent income.
I am really hoping you are able to find a good place, where the house isn't effecting your health anymore!
I'm so sorry to hear where you are in your doemstic situation. I have moved a lot and I know it's tough to get motivated to decorate when you're going to pack it all up soon. And we had an equally frustrating house hunt when I was 6 months pregnant and our choices were between a dump, another dump, and a decent house that had potential.
Oh, I hear you. The pleasantly nosey world of a lookie-loo suddenly becomes very different when you have real needs and real budget.
Despite having bought at the top of our local market in 2007, I'm still a big fan, in general, of home ownership if you can possibly afford it. Have you looked into mortgages and qualifying? It might be worth a try as, in some areas at least, the banks seem to be sick of sitting on properties they've found themselves owning. But I do recall homes might be in shorter supply in your part of the world.
Which do you like best? At least you don't have a house to sell...especially a house with mold problems...before you find something else. Keep us posted about your progress...
Good share
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