Taking Stock

That's Sal from Jenna's farm, courtesy of 468 Photography. Doesn't he look chilled?

Today's Taking Stock is here, because I definitely have the farm on my mind. There's all kinds of thoughts tickling on my brain today.

The ink is barely dry on the new lease, and I'm angry. Angry at how very stuck we are, and how much that stuck-ness is of our own making. Yes, it's that much harder to save when you're only dealing with 1 income for 2 people, but telling myself that moving forward isn't realistic until we've done A, B, and C...when I haven't researched yet whether we need to do all three (in theory) in order to move forward....doesn't serve our futures any better either.

The real estate market is unbelievably soft right now. I spent time this morning torturing/educating myself by looking at homes for sale in western NC. The only real criteria I threw in the search was less than $150K. I was BLOWN AWAY by the selection. Sure, there's fixer-uppers and a ton of research to be done (I had to laugh at some of the fine print..."no septic of note"....yea, even a greenhorn like me can decipher that one) before we can really start looking, but if we don't start now, we're going to be sitting here 14 months from now, signing another GD lease. I can't do that.

These thoughts were also prodded by the inspection we just had. The lenders for our apartment complex did a full walk-through with no other explanation given. I've lived in apartments for 17 years now, and have never had that happen. It spooked me; and while I'm sure it was routine, it got my wheels turning. Sure, they'd have to give us plenty of notice if something drastic came down the pike (like buying us out of our leases if the lenders decided to shut down the place), but it also really brought home how dug into that place we are. Not just physically, but the concern that we'd have real trouble finding other housing because my credit ain't the greatest. Much as we like to talk about how our reliable rental history will work in our favor, it's hard for it to compete when it's going up against a credit score in the low 600s.

Thoughts like that certainly help with the mindset of: "you must maintain stability, because your options are limited." You read about people moving back home in an interim situation, but that's completely not an issue for us. My mom downsized to a 1-bedroom apartment, and his folks' house is busting at the seams (6 people living in a 1500-sq-ft split level). That's fine, we're grownups, I have had no trouble keeping a roof over our heads. I guess the fear comes from the thought that by wanting to disrupt everything to move out of state, you're no longer keeping the wolf at the door...you're opening the door and inviting the damn thing in.

I want a yard for a garden. I want a house. I want to live north of Florida. Those are the big 3......what the hell's stopping us? If we save X amount with each check with a total saved goal in mind, while continuing to improve the credit and research the move, it doesn't make a damn bit of difference when it happens. I don't have to stay in web editing, not even sure I want to, and I'm willing to work my arse off if it means getting us the hell out of Florida. I'm through being pissed because we're not there yet. Our time is now.

Outside: too pleasant right now (mid-70s)...but it's dropping Friday and we're due for our first freeze already on Friday night/Saturday morning...

Inside: meh.

Wearing: jeans, black flats, two shirts, wild hair ponied

Reading: Animal Dreams and whatever credit repair/first-time homebuyer advice websites I can get my mouse on...immense gratitude to Jenna for being the initial bug in my ear with this post.

Creating: lists

Going: OT Saturday

Hoping.....see above.