Tonight I want to talk about #12 though...
I think Joe and I have often chosen the path in life that is safe,
rather than the path in life that was right when it comes to jobs, school, etc.
I think Joe and I have always been 'safe'. We've always taken the safe route, the conservative route, the 'for sure' route. And right now, for once, we are talking about doing something that maybe isn't as safe, isn't as comfortable, and isn't a 'for sure' thing....
If you have been following my Twitter or Facebook feed during the past few weeks, you know that Joe and I have been meeting with a Realtor and talking about the possibility of relocating. Several of you have asked why we would like to relocate or what we are looking for in a new house. Truthfully, I would love to keep our current house! It is perfect for us. We remodeled the kitchen and it is exactly what I want (well... except that it could use a little larger pantry and a few more cabinets, but really, it's mostly what I want...) I've also figured out in the last few weeks that there are things that I will be so sad to leave... we've measured our kids growth against our lemon tree and our fountain for years! However, we live approximately 30 minutes from where I work and where the kids go to school. With Julia now in 4th grade, we are at a crossroads. We will need to either transition her to a school near our house so she can make some friends before middle school OR we need to relocate near where her friends are, and have her go to middle school in Kyrene. I have gotten so used to the kids being in the Kyrene system and having them close to where I work, I can't imagine moving Julia across town for school. It is also really hard for our kids to have relationships with other kids outside of school... just a birthday party can mean up to an hour in the car going to and from.... And so we've decided to investigate the possibility of relocating into the Kyrene area.
This isn't a safe thing. The real estate market is bad right now. We still owe a sizable amount on our current home- and it isn't clear if we can make enough to cover all the fees, costs, commissions and walk away with a positive balance. We need to make some small repairs to our house as well- and that will be additional money.
The upside is that houses are at an all time low. We could get into the neighborhood that we want for the least amount of money- and get a fairly nice house in return. We will likely need to dig into our savings, our safety net, to make a down payment on the new house.
We have some time. 2 years until Julia goes to middle school. But who has the crystal ball that would tell us if the housing market will stay the same or get worse (we already know that it will likely not get better). Should we wait, hoping it will get better, and we can walk away with a little more? Or should we move forward, knowing that it is possible that in 6 months it will not be financially feasible AT ALL?
These are hard decisions, hard conversations... especially for the 'safe' folks. We want what is right for our family, but we are trying to balance the financial end with things that are less tangible like schools and friends and commutes. What is it worth to us to relocate? Is it worth part of our savings- our safety net? Is it worth the financial risk? What if we make the wrong decision? Is now the time? (and am I HORRIBLY LAZY for thinking that it is almost fall... when we have birthdays and Christmas and everything else and I really don't want to have to keep my house spotless for the 90-120 days it will probably take to sell our house?)
Wow... what started as an 'what about' conversation between Joe and I when we were at the Salty Senorita early this summer has suddenly turned into what could be a life altering decision....
What are your thoughts? Have you ever taken a risk like this? I'd love to hear your thinking... post a comment, please!!
C
PS I do want you all to know that Joe and I have a Realtor that we have a great deal of trust in. We have been talking to him for a few weeks, met with him tonight, and he is a great fit for us. He is factual and kind and willing to wait it out with us. We are going to see a financial adviser next week. That will hopefully put more perspective on the entire situation and provide us with more answers about just how much of a risk we may be taking.... (just wanted you all to know that we are still being 'safe' even if we are thinking about making a decision that isn't our normal style....)
3 comments:
I have NEVER once regretted stepping out of my comfort zone and taking a crazy chance! Sure, sometimes things don't work out exactly as "planned" but they always work out.
I can't imagine all the fun (and kids!) I would have missed out on by taking the "safe" path. :)
On a side note, keeping a house in "showing" condition isn't that bad. We put our house up for sale Labor Day weekend of 2008 and it sold March 2009. The market is a bit different here, but I don't think we had one showing in December, then things picked up again in January.
Ok, so two years ago my husband and I decided that, for the first time ever, we wanted to throw caution to the wind and take the untraveled road--we moved to Oregon! Matt and I were both beyond exhausted from spending 3 hours a day each in the car commuting to and from work, we felt like we weren't getting enough quality family time, and we craved a more mellow, slower and peaceful daily lifestyle. So we rented out our house in Mesa, hired movers, traded in both of the cars and bought one new SUV and took off with our 18 month old son, 15 yr old dog, my coffee pot, air mattresses and our laptops and moved to Bend! It was not easy--we lived in our rented home (that we had never actually seen except for a few pictures on the internet until we arrived in Bend) for three weeks without any furniture or our stuff (stupid moving company!). Additionally, we had the grueling transition of me becoming a stay-at-home mom for the first time and Matt working at home. It was difficult--and wonderful--and the best thing we could have ever done for our family!!! Within a month we met a ton of new friends, had the thrill of discovering new places in a new town and way of life, and finally felt like we were "home". Our move, as terrifying as it was at the time, was the absolute BEST thing we could have ever done for our marriage and family.
There WERE financial repercussions for our decision (our house in Mesa turned into a money pit and most of our meager savings disappearedas a result). Additionally, with the real estate crash in AZ we are now over 100K upside down on a house we don't even live in anymore. Bye bye money that we put down and into that house! :( However, despite all of that, I am happier than I've ever been in my entire life. Quality of life and family time is MUCH more important to me that financial gain. To me, happiness isn't measured in money--it's measured in time with my family and being surrounded with loving and supportive friends. I'm SO glad that we took the chance and wouldn't EVER change a thing. :)
I've heard once and totally believe it...when you look back at the life that you lived, you will most often regret the things you didn't do or try rather than the ones you did.
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