[Oggie]

We've decided to sell our house and eight acres (originally 12 acres) 15 miles from town and move to a house on one and a quarter acres on the edge of town.

I love the larger place and the quiet and wildlife it brings and would probably stay and continue to work on it, but the price of gasoline and the time it takes to commute is taking too large of a toll. And our two children (ages 6 and 16) need to be closer to school, activities and friends. My wife spends even more time in the car running them back and forth and going to work than I do.

The new place has a good metal barn that's ready for horses, cows or goats. The previous owners are friends of ours who kept one or two horses. They have five horses and needed to move to a larger place.

A very scary part of this is that, for a few months, we'll have to carry two mortgages. That was the only way we could pull it off. It will take me about three weeks to repair our house in the country and get it on the market.

I'm already feeling a little penned in by thoughts of being on the edge of the city but I believe it's something that needs to be done for the family.

 

[AngieM2]

Oggie -
are you sure the town won't be out at your old place in "no time".? I know where I live the town is coming out to get me, and new schools being built, shopping centers going in 2 miles down the road, etc.?

But, I'm sure you've evaluated that stuff, and are doing the best for your family.
I hope the new house is comfortable, and less grass to mow.
It does have at least a few good big shade trees doesn't it?

Angie

 

[Vanne]

That sounds like a nice little place. I'm in the city too and dong my best. I hope you like the new place!

 

[trixiwick]

You gotta do what you gotta do. Your kids will be grown soon enough (the one's almost there already) and then you and the DW can do whatever you want. In the meantime, a few goats and chickens can do a lot to make a place feel like home.

My best wishes for a very speedy and profitable sale of the first house! That'll be a load off your mind.

 

[NickieL]

And here I'm trying to escape!!!!

 

[Oggie]

I know it seems to be the polar opposite of some of what I want in life.

When we moved to Oklahoma, I looked and looked for a place where we couldn't hear traffic. As time was running out I found a house on four acres with eight other acres that I could buy. It was only about one and a half miles from relatives who had become much like parents to us. But, as they got older, they couldn't handle 80 acres and cattle and we were in no position to buy them out. They've moved into the city.

Our daughter will be driving soon and the roads out where our place is are terrible. The dirt and gravel roads are actually better than one of the paved sections. And our son is becoming more social and needs to be near other children his age. The network of friends and neighbors we had hoped to built never really happened. Here, folks seem to move out to the country to be by themselves, not to find commonality with like-minded folks.

So, we'll try the city for a while. It definitely won't be our final home. But, while the kids are in school and my wife works as a teacher, it should give us all a bit of peace away from the commute and the continuous chores that clearing and keeping the 12 acres created.

I'll miss it greatly, though.

 

[Dente deLion]

It sounds to me like you're making the right decision. What good is it to have 12 acres if no one's ever home to enjoy them? After you move, you'll have more time to spend at home, and your son will grow up knowing the smaller parcel far more intimately (I still know every inch of my childhood yard, every lump and pit on the neighborhood streets - and I love that feeling). It will surely be better than spending his childhood in the carseat, which is something I fret about with my DS, as well - but our situation is improving now, too.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

You gotta' do what you gotta' do, but I hope your housing market is better than it is here. It takes months to sell anything it seems.

 

[Christine in OK]

Wow. Um, where exactly is the place you're selling? It's still in "our" school district, isn't it? There's always firefighters looking for a place with some land, and if I'm not mistaken one lives not too far from you. Lance would be happy to put the word out that there's an acreage with house for sale if you'd like. PM me with the details. Ooh, maybe not; knowing my husband, he'll be wanting it for us - more land is definitely on his agenda.

And congratulations! The new place will be just fine, you'll see. Since you (or your wife) won't be spending so much in the car you'll have more time to get to projects you want done around the new place, and with cooler weather coming you can spend plenty of time outside.

If you'll tell me where you're moving to, I'll bring you some peach, strawberry and blackberry jam as a housewarming present!

 

[Wolf mom]

Why not consider renting the property you are moving from??

If you really are happy there and are only moving for convenience and for the children it's a way to keep the property. Just think of what it would cost to replace it when you decide to have acerage again.

It will increase in value, the house payment will be covered so you don't have 2 house payments and you can write off the cost of repairs and improvements.

Just an option...

 

[bill not in oh]

And here I'm trying to escape!!!!

Nickie - I'll bet Oggie knows where you can buy a place to escape to...

 

[A'sta at Hofstead]

Sounds like the right decision for your family Oggie, kind of stinks tho huh?

 

[donsgal]

A very scary part of this is that, for a few months, we'll have to carry two mortgages. That was the only way we could pull it off. It will take me about three weeks to repair our house in the country and get it on the market.

I'm already feeling a little penned in by thoughts of being on the edge of the city but I believe it's something that needs to be done for the family.

Forgive me for being blunt but you are insane to do this. There are no guarantees that your house will sell in a few months or years. Are you able/willing to pay two mortgages indefinitely? The housing market has taken a down turn and will continue to do so. Even strong seller's markets are going to feel the pinch. If you cannot financially carry both properties indefinitely, you could end up losing one (or both) and having your credit rating destroyed in the process.

I'd really think it over before making this decision.

donsgal

 

[Oggie]

Forgive me for being blunt but you are insane to do this. There are no guarantees that your house will sell in a few months or years. Are you able/willing to pay two mortgages indefinitely? The housing market has taken a down turn and will continue to do so. Even strong seller's markets are going to feel the pinch. If you cannot financially carry both properties indefinitely, you could end up losing one (or both) and having your credit rating destroyed in the process.

I'd really think it over before making this decision.

donsgal

We can do it for about six months before we have to start eating the pets.

Then, it will be the children; unless they catch on and get us first.

And, yes, it's not something that I'm very comfortable with.

 

[Triffin]

The previous owners are friends of ours who kept one or two horses. They have five horses and needed to move to a larger place.


The last thing you want is two mortgages .....
If the above is true .. sounds like you two should just swap properties ....

Triff ..

 

[Oggie]

The previous owners are friends of ours who kept one or two horses. They have five horses and needed to move to a larger place.


The last thing you want is two mortgages .....
If the above is true .. sounds like you two should just swap properties ....

Triff ..

Our location doesn't work for them. It is too far from their extended family and they want to attend a school in a smaller district. We did talk about, but they didn't bite.

 

[LvDemWings]

With the foreclosure problems and the mortgage industry tightening up you may want to consider whether you can afford to hold the mortgage for the right person.

 

[Cheryl aka JM]

I wish you luck on the sale. I'm trying to sell my city house in So Cal right now. The market is so down I've listed mine for 120K LESS than the exact same model across the street sold for last November~ and I've put in new carpet and paint. Been on the market two months~ I'm lucky to get one showing a week (and I know for a fact some of those people can't afford our house~ they just want to see if it really does have 5 full bathrooms~ it does).

I've already made an offer on a new place with property in our new location in Alabama. There is NO WAY I can afford to pay both mortgages~ but luckily for me there is a corporate buy out option for us because hubby transferred through his work. It will be a few more weeks before we find out how bad it is~ but we already know the corporate buy out will be MUCH less than our already low asking price. But I don't really have a choice. At least I have the option of the corporate buy out. My realtor says my house~ for it's size, location and amenitites is the best deal on the market right now in our area......but there are just NO BUYERS.

I hope your situation will not be so bleak~ but do yourself a favor and bring out three realtors to interview and discuss the current market condition before you get yourself in a situation you can't get out of. A VERY important question is "How many buyers are you out showing each week?" and "Is that number representative of the average in our local market over the last couple months?" If no one has buyers to show houses to you need to know that before listing your house.

Good Luck!

 

[Wildwood Flower]

I think your idea to move closer to town is sound. I was very happy when my children were young living on the outskirts of our little town. They walked to everything. And so did I.

Then I moved out to the country--single. What a nightmare. Snowed in. Repairs. Running the kids back and forth to town. I hated it.

As far as the 2 mortgages goes, can you swing something with whoever you are buying from--a lease/option or something. In these days and times, I'd sure not go out on a limb too far.

Be careful.

 

[trixiwick]

The only advice I can give you is to knock yourself out in these next three weeks, making everything in the for-sale house as perfect as it can be. Clean out every bit of clutter, scrub those windows, paint and carpet and fix as necessary, put some pretty annuals into the ground, cut the grass, make it look as much like a showpiece as you can. We KILLED OURSELVES in the weeks leading up to our house sale, and DH thought I was nuts with my list of 1,000 things to do, but it paid off big-time, in $$$ and in peace of mind (the house sold on the first day).

Again, good luck!