Our Plan for Moving Rural - any advice please

perennial · #1 03/01/05, 07:24 AM

Well, we want to move this summer after kids finish school.

We are thinking of putting house on the market at end of March.

Hubby is in touch with atleast one company that called him regarding a job - it's not a dream job, but it would get us there and we would have health ins., etc. We would move within a 45 min commute of a couple of cities with alot of companies that need people in his line of work. He would continue to look for the next 4 months and has headhunters looking for him also.

In two weeks he wants to go down and meet with people at the company and see if it's a "fit", meet with a builder of modular homes we have been talking to and see his work. Also he will hopefully be able to look at land and find something or an area.

We will then buy blueprints for house we want because they take about 4 weeks to get to builder.

House will be up for sale here and then we figure sometime the end of april? we would have them start the modular house. It takes 3 months for a turnkey house.

We will be here and hubby will be working here during all this time and paying bills and we will be saving.

The big question is the job, do we just commit to doing this and then if the doesn't have a job lined up in the next four months we go anyway and find something simple just to have a positive flow of some sort? We do have
$$ saved in a retirement fund which in a true emergency could use (we prefer to leave it though). The other scenario is that i go down to the new house with kids and he stays at his parents if necessary and keeps this job atleast until the end of the summer which he will have very little bills (no mortgage or anything to pay) and will be able to save enough to give us a few months (very basic living) when he shows up at the end of summer.

We will have a better idea when he goes down in two weeks to check things out. He also in the process of lining of interviews for then also.

The big thing is, do we just commit to this and do it - the worst case is i'm with kids during part of summer while he makes the $$ here. The real estate market has leveled off here and i fear he will have a heart attack from stress of his job if we wait another year. We will not have a mortgage when we move, we will be building a house that is not huge and not fancy.

Any guidance or someone who has done a similar thing would be very helpful.
Thanks so much.

Shygal · #2 03/01/05, 07:32 AM

I haven't done it, but my gut feeling is do it. Life is too short to wait and wonder "Should I?" I spent too many years wondering that, and finally got the courage to do what I was wondering over...and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

Go for it, your worst case isn't bad at all, and the best case is that you will be where you want and be happy and healthy.

fordy · #3 03/01/05, 07:42 AM

..................Sounds like DH will be assured of a job with little problem of having Too look and thusly NOT being UNemployed which means a Continuous cash flow to pay bills . My biggest concern would be ...IF...DH accepts a New job in your "new" location , and IT takes Longer to sell your current home . This means he must pay rent and living expenses while maintaining your current residence concurrently . IF , you have sufficient Cashflow to keep body and soul together for 2 sets of living expenses then DH can accept a new position , and Move and You can stay put until your Current home is disposed of . Otherwise , I wouldn't Move until your have sold your current house and removed that Liability from your balance sheet . ..fordy..

romancemelisa · #4 03/01/05, 07:46 AM

i have done it and i'am still doing it and wish i wasn't, my husband is working in seattle and the children and i are in s.e. texas, what is the longest you would be away from your husband? my dh has been gone since november and it is about to kill me, i have been sick since thanksgiving, have just finished fourth round of antibiotics, hubby has also been sick the whole time, we have come to the conclusion we are sick for each other. i was a single mother for 18 yrs. so i was used to being alone. my husband makes in the six figure range and right now i would just as soon he come home and get a job at the local walmart gathering buggies. i think the stress of him being away would be just the same as the job stress. the kids and i are living in a small 2 bedroom trailer, saving to build our home. i do have 2 pigs and 10 chickens and will be tilling the garden today. hopefully dh will be home at the end of april. think long and hard.

perennial · #5 03/01/05, 07:48 AM

Fordy, we are writing in our sellers contract that we will NOT move until end of June - it's common around here. Houses around here sell in about 45 days because there aren't enough. Once we have a contract, i imagine we would get a bridge loan to pay down payments for modular (BIL) did that. He wouldn't start new job until july. We would leave this house at end of June, and we would have the $$ to pay small bridge loan for modular and remainder of modular costs. Does this make sense to you? Also, if he had to stay it would be for 6-7 weeks only. With kids starting new school i wanted him with us. At that point, we would either get simple jobs or live off retirement if we had to. I don't think that will happen because hubby can't wait to leave his job and i think he will be with us - that was worst case - enjoy summer with kids for 6 weeks.

BamaSuzy · #6 03/01/05, 08:01 AM

If husband is under so much stress now I'd say do it and move and don't look back.

fordy · #7 03/01/05, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brural

Fordy, we are writing in our sellers contract that we will NOT move until end of June - it's common around here. Houses around here sell in about 45 days because there aren't enough. Once we have a contract, i imagine we would get a bridge loan to pay down payments for modular (BIL) did that. He wouldn't start new job until july. We would leave this house at end of June, and we would have the $$ to pay small bridge loan for modular and remainder of modular costs. Does this make sense to you? Also, if he had to stay it would be for 6-7 weeks only. With kids starting new school i wanted him with us. At that point, we would either get simple jobs or live off retirement if we had to. I don't think that will happen because hubby can't wait to leave his job and i think he will be with us - that was worst case - enjoy summer with kids for 6 weeks.

....................Sounds like you'll have already covered your "a--" . So , if he is under stress at current job , the whole family will be better served if he removes himself from the source of the stress . Part of the Fun of living is experiencing new places and new people which , will always , have a certain amount of financial transition costs but you'll would seem to be well prepared . ..fordy..

Helena · #8 03/01/05, 08:44 AM

I guess it surprises me that "young homesteaders" to be worry so very much about money. I don't know what faith anyone has and that isn't the point here either...don't need to know what god you pray too...but keeping the family together is what it is all about and if in your heart you both agree on this life change ..go for it NOW !!! We are only promised this heartbeat and not the next 10 years of life. Especially the family whose husband is in Seattle and they are in Texas !!! I wouldn't care if we lived in a tent on the side of the road ..at least we would be together. We never and don't have money to worry about..just don't have any. Of course hubby's pension when he retires...but that is about it. I think it actually makes you learn to live with less and have a better life because of it. Please think of why you want to be in the country doing for yourselves..family is important..you can make a living anywhere..might not certainly be the money you make now. My husband still doesn't make the salary he made 25 years ago whe we left suburbia life...but I wouldn't change it for anything !! Is your family going to remember the new car and big bank account or will they remember the whole family being together chopping wood and eating bacon and eggs before a wood stove on a winters night...for the 3rd time that week !! Life is short...don't wait for the perfect time because it will never, ever come. Good Luck !!!

oz in SC · #9 03/01/05, 08:45 AM

Don't wait until everything is safe and secure and all bases covered-it never will be.

This is y'alls dream-go for it.

My parents had a dream to travel the world as a family,they waited until a better time,more money ,etc and it didn't work out in the end.

It isn't like you are jumping in without exploring all the options,you have a back up plan.

I would however get the house on the market ASAP and get it sold.

sisterpine · #10 03/01/05, 09:02 AM

Bural I forgot where you are moving too? In any case, DH and I were waiting untill the kids grew up, money was all saved up, bills all paid off before moving from arizona to our wonderful montana. We almost waited too long. The very day I was DX with MS we both gave retirement notice at our jobs, listed our home, ordered a u haul and told all the family we we moving. We moved 9 days later with the house sold and the yard sale behind us. We have never looked back, some times have been tough but each day I look out that window and see my dream and all of the uncertainty has been worth it. Go for it- time is not as long as you would think.

Jan Doling · #11 03/01/05, 09:10 AM

I'll pray for you which ever way you decide, but I think your DH deserves a break. This is when your faith and courage get tested. Sometimes if a person just hears you say "Let's do what is best for you" and you give him permission to take a risk, the stress will be less and he can struggle on a bit longer, knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel. If he is really at the end of his rope, however, drastic measures may be needed. Do what is best for him as the kids will probably finish the year before all the transactions take place anyway.

perennial · #12 03/01/05, 09:38 AM

Thank you so much for all your encouragement. It means alot.

Sisterpine, we are looking at Southwest Virginia. It seems to have everything
we will need and still only a 12 hour drive from family here.

Realtor was just here with her report and told us what we might list our house for (already had another realtor do a report also) - good news there. She is coming by tonight to go over everything with hubby, so i expect him to be in a better mood.

I just spoke with him on the phone and we decided we are going to do it like planned so say a prayer that he finds the "right" piece of land for us out there in
two weeks.

thanks again, brural

homebirtha · #13 03/01/05, 09:49 AM

I don't think you'll be sorry for doing it. It's a great way of life and it sounds like money won't be an issue once you're all moved. So, you can handle the stress for a few months in order to be living your new life!

One suggestion though.. BEFORE you list your current house for sale. Bridge loans are expensive and are a rip-off. I'm assuming you planning to use the proceeds from your current house to buy the land and new house??? Instead of a bridge loan, look in a home equity loan or line of credit. The rates are much better, just make sure you get one that doesn't have an early-payoff penalty. The only catch is you have to do it before you list the house with a realtor. Once the house is appraised for the loan, you can go ahead and list it. We did it this way a few months back when we bought our homestead and it saved us a lot of money. Plus, it's easier to qualify for a home equity loan than it is for a bridge loan. Basically, with a bridge loan, you have to qualify for two full mortgages. Not easy for most folks.

3girls · #14 03/01/05, 12:21 PM

May I suggest that you rent a house or apt for 6mo? Then you can take a little more time looking for the land, learn the lay of the land in your area, etc. It will be helpful to get to know something about the culture of the area before you choose some land. If you decide to do it this way, you can pack things in such a way that you can only pull out what you will need in your temporary home. You can get lots of ducks lined up in 6 mo.

This is a beautiful area you are moving into. Andy Lee of The Chicken Tractor, and Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm both live in the Valley. I sure wouldn't mind living down there. The place is loaded with history, beauty, nice folks, etc. Just to have mountains to look at would make me giddy!

Good luck and GO FOR IT.

Dreams30 · #15 03/01/05, 02:51 PM

we have just been there and done that. We were afraid and did it anyway. Decided 6 months early to pack and go. We are doing well and fine here. Still heating water on the stove but, doing great. Things seem to fall together just when they need to. Good luck and follow your heart.

goodlifefarmer · #16 03/01/05, 04:11 PM

Brural. I did that changed my life.I left a high paying job to go to the country.I don't think i understood what it really meant.I did'nt understand that less money may mean scary.I now make 1 tenth of what i did make. but,I now feel more in touch with the real world and i would'nt go back.It was and is scary as hell after so many years being in control.I may not have control but i feel more alive.The kids will do fine it's the parents that need to relax and let er rip.It's worth it. Good luck.

perennial · #17 03/02/05, 06:16 AM

Hubby is going down very soon before we list house and get a feel for the area and have a realtor show him many plots of land. He is also going to meet with
the builder and see his work.

Now i have my work cut out for me here, i have to clean out a mudroom/playroom and paint it.

We are trying to deal with one thing at a time. Now it's the land/builder.