Living is learning and when kids are living fully and energetically and happily they are learning a lot, even if we don't always know what it is.
Around the house
Posted March 12th, 2008 by TraceyWe are trying to move far, far away from New York State. I HATE the weather (yes, I grew up in Maine, and went to college in NY...but I guess living in the southwest for years made me a wimp!), I am shocked by the general attitude towards natural birth here, I cannot justify the homeschooling laws here, and I just don't like it at all. We moved here from New Mexico (about 2 years ago now), and that's where we want to go back to.
The company that my husband works for (the reason that we moved to NY was for the job) has opened up some stuff near the area that we want to live in...so we're very hopeful that we can transfer to NM soon. But, I don't know what I mean by "soon". I'd move today (or a few months ago!), but it might be a year or so away...or more.
We own a house here, and got a crappy ARMortgage on it...and it's going to adjust next month. We don't know what our payment will go up to, but since we'd like to move *soon*, it hardly makes sense to refinance. SO, we're actually debating putting the house on the market in a few months. We'll just rent somewhere after the house sells until we actually move from the state.
In this COLD area, most houses go on the market in the spring and hope to sell before it gets cold again. We *could* put the house on the market in late April (I think that's when it warms up again)...but there are a few things that make this maybe not a good idea...
* one house on either side of us is on the market...it might look like this just isn't a good neighborhood if THREE houses in a row were for sale.
* our baby is due late June/early July...and we're planning a homebirth (I would actually like to have the baby HERE, and I don't want to tell a realtor that they can't show the house because I'm in labor...try next week!).
* we have work to do on the house before we put it on the market...nothing major, just painting and major cleaning and the like (but honestly, whatever isn't done by the time the baby is born probably isn't going to get done for a long while, anyway...).
* some people point out that I don't want to have our house on the market when I'm all hugely pregnant...I answer, "do you think it'd be easier being pregnant with three little boys...or later on with FOUR young children?"
SO, here's the plan we've come up with. I've made a big to-do list of stuff that we NEED to get done before we could list the house (I actually have another list of stuff that we might WANT to do--if there's extra time! HA!), and have pencilled a schedule attempting to get these things done ASAP. In NY, a seller gets 60 days to move out after a house sale is agreed upon...it takes 60 days to close on the house...so once we get stuff done and we're ready to list, we'll pick the earliest date that we wouldn't mind moving (say when baby is a month old or so), and count back two months. That's when we think we'll try to list the house. Whew. I'm tired just typing all this.
In addition to cleaning the house up for a sale, I also have to weed out all of our crap, too. The less stuff we have, the less mess there is to run around and pick up when a realtor calls (and move to a new home!). So, we're going through everything and tossing, getting it ready for a yard sale, pre-packing for storage, or finding a neat place for it in our current home. Yesterday's and today's project has been weeding through all of our files, papers, pile of papers, etc., etc....and filing what we NEED, and shredding the rest. I have a huge box that I need to shred. Actually, I overheated the shredder, and that's why I sat at the computer and am posting.
It's probably cooled down by now...I've typed a lot longer than I intended...
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Same boat
Well, almost the same - we're planning a move to Costa Rica, and it's totally dependent on selling our house. Which we are also trying to get on the market next month, with stuff to do. Selling the house is something I loathe - especially peeps taking 6% for services that I don't think are worth that much. I could understand a flat fee or even something based on hours, but not a fixed percentage of the selling price. It sounds like an utter racket to me. We re-fi'd an ARM last year. My gut told me to sell, and I should've listened.
But like you, we have a lot of Stuff. And the majority of it won't be heading down to Costa Rica, so it has to go. But firstly it has to go so peeps can walk around our small house without contorting themselves.
One of our neighbors, after hearing about us planning on selling, has decided to sell. I have this fear that when they finally get off their asses to do it that they'll pick a selling price that will totally screw us over.
I suppose it's like having kids - there's never a really good time. Just gotta make the decision and try to create the life you want.
6%
Yeah, that % ticks me off, too. We're hoping to sell the house and not be OUT any money. The market's so bad, and the "zestimate" on our house looks good...but, the house is only worth what someone will pay for it, you know? I'm having to reshape how I think about this whole thing.
Our familiy's happiness is what's most important to us...not making some money. We know what our goal is, and I think that we need to just do what we can to move towards it. If we can break even (or not lose too much, after factoring in the realtor), then we should go for it. You're right though, I'll bet there is no *right* time.
After talking to Carlos some more about it, we'll probably list the house at the end of May/early June. If someone wants to see the house while I'm laboring or whatever, they'll have to wait...but that way, we'll still be living in the house when the baby is due, and for a few weeks after.
Costa Rica sounds lovely...I've never been, though! Is it just a place that you love, or are you from there or something?
I hope it all works out for you too...sometimes I think you just have to go for it. Plus, I'm finding that it's therapeutic to go through all of your "stuff" and weed it out. I've had stuff (books, mainly) that I've moved from Maine to Arizona to New Mexico to New York in the past 7 years...and I'm finally now going through them all and getting rid of like 75% of them. (My husband is shocked, BTW) You get less sentimental as you go...and it's starting to feel good! (Maybe I'm nesting early??) :)
~Tracey
the 20/80 rule
Last year I read The 4 Hour Work Week, which sounds hokey but has a LOT of practical info & advice in it. One point mentioned was an obscure economist's rule that 80% of income is reaped by 20% of people, something that's generally held true (to even greater extremes). The author extrapolated this to other things - like realizing that 90% of his business came from some 20% of his clients (when he had a dayjob). And further down to his possessions and wardrobe.
When I thought about it, I had something like 20 t-shirt of which I wore 4-5 regularly. So I went through my clothes and got rid of a LOT of stuff. Anything that I wouldn't realistically wear at any point got tossed. It's been helpful when getting rid of stuff, especially since I'm a born packrat.
Costa Rica is a dream in the making - you can read up on the whole story at our blog.
...and, practically speaking...
how much easier is it to keep up with the laundry when you only have a limited number of clothes? how much easier is it to keep the playroom clean when you only have a few, good toys?
sounds like an interesting book....
~Tracey
I got to read some of the blog
Thanks for sharing it.
You know, I'm similar in my "not settling in one place" thing. I lived in Maine (moved in and out of various places there) until I left for college in Rochester, NY. After three semesters (and three different living situations), I transferred back to Maine (a new city, though). After a few years, and quite a few apartments later...I moved to Phoenix. We lived in three different places in about as many years...then moved to Albuquerque. We lived in three different places in the 18 months that we lived there. Now, we're in Buffalo (lived in a hotel for two months, and now our house). We've actually been in our current house for two years...that's a record for us. After about 9 months, I get tired of a place...if I can't move to another city, I'll at least try to move to a new apartment/house/something.
While your wanderings take you to other countries, mine take me around the US (or at least around a city a bit).
Interesting...
~Tracey
I do have a US itch...
But it's limited to 2 things: driving across the country in an RV and hiking the Appalachian trail. A few years back I did consider moving within the US (San Francisco was an option) but once the new old dream (ie my desire since I was a teen) took hold, the US lost its appeal. I think the familiarity trumps the sense of adventure. Nothing's forever though - maybe I'll feel differently about it after living abroad for a bit.
The AT!
I dream of hiking the AT as well...maybe once my kiddos are older a few will do it with me...
~Tracey
Yeah
I'm definitely not down with carrying a kid for a hike like that!
On our first anniversary we camped in Harriman State Park and met an AT hiker the next morning. It was July and he'd been walking since February. I relish the idea of walking amidst nature for several months.
:P
Yeah, I was thinking when they're like teens or something...not carrying them in slings. :P My husband isn't "outdoorsy", and I'm hoping that at least one of my children will be.
About nine years ago, I was camping by myself near Mt. Katahdin, and hiked a tiny portion of the AT...I ran into folks who were actually doing the whole trail. Amazing. I got home from that trip and placed my first order on Amazon, ever...three books about the AT.
I'm busy being pregnant, breastfeeding, and helping out wee ones right now, that it's not going to happen for quite a while. Plus, I need to get into shape A LOT before then.
Maybe we'll run into you in 15 years or so... ;)
~Tracey
One house sold!!
One of our neighbor's houses sold!! So, it won't be THREE houses in a row up for sale...maybe TWO...
~Tracey
Nice!
A house down the block went on the market, but I'm hopeful the feds will keep their band-aids going long enough for us to sell. My new reading is Crash Proof, about how the US financial system is pretty much a house of cards. Scary stuff - good luck!
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