Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I need some advice...

So, you know how we go through stages in our lives? Most of us start out with nothing and then work our way to something. Rarely is anything really handed to us.... we must work, save and achieve. Am I right?

Have you ever said to yourself "This is just a stepping stone" ? I know that we have. Our first house was and is a stepping stone to a bigger house. It's the "starter home" - you know the one... 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms and small square footage. My husband's first job out of the Navy was a stepping stone job to get him to something better. You have to gain the experience needed to get you the career... following me?

Ok so here is my thought process... we are moving out of state... that is a fact. We can practically move where ever we want because he has to drive to specific stores....that is a fact. We own a home...that is a fact. Enough for the facts... now to the question....

Should we take another stepping stone or should we jump to where we want to be? In other words.... do we move to the town that isn't really so nice - that we'd want to move from in a couple of years? OR do we move to the nicer town...smaller house....but a town we could see ourselves living in for quite a while?

We were cautioned to not settle for the stepping stone if we don't have to.... we don't HAVE to buy a house since we already own one... so we could rent.... so why not rent in the town that we wouldn't mind staying in for a while? Sometimes it seems like those "stepping stones" turn into anchors and you get stuck where you really didn't want to be.... make sense?

Our oldest will be in Jr. High in 3 years and High School in 5..... so I don't have too many more moves in me... I refuse to make the Jr. High years more difficult by making her the "new girl" over and over...

Have you made multiple stepping stone choices? Have you regretted any of them? Have you said "screw stepping stones...we're going for broke!!!" ? If so.... I want to hear about it.

Keep us in your prayers.....

Tamar

1 comment:

Tracie said...

Hey Tamar!

My advice: move to a nicer area, smaller house with a GREAT school district.
As far as the real estate market goes, it's definitely a buyers market, so your gonna get more for your money.
First off: Check out foreclosures. Next check out houses that have been on the market for a long time and go in with an offer WAY below asking, hey ya never know. That's how we got our house: they needed to sell quick, our low offer came in at the perfect time and the next thing you know, we got this house for 30K off the asking price.

There's really not a better time to buy a house with the market the way it is. Take advantage of that.