I've always wanted to live in a "house" rather than a "manufactured" home, but we've never been able to afford the payments that my kind of house would require (I confess I have expensive taste). Recently, I got a raise and figured out that we actually could afford a house now. Plus, the property value in our area is on the rise and we could make enough off the sale of our place to pay off our bills and thus be able to afford a higher mortgage payment. So we began getting our place ready to sell. We cleaned, organized, and downsized items we didn't even remember we had. I donated carloads of items to charity and threw away tons of stuff. The house, as a result, looks fantastic! What a difference decluttering makes!
In the meantime, I began look around our target areas for houses. House hunting is so exciting to me. I could do it all day. But the more I looked, the more I was dismayed. The problem is that the housing market here in Tallahassee is absolutely through the roof. It's ridiculously overpriced. Houses that cost $150,000 four years ago are now selling for over $260,000. NO JOKE. So, basically, to get a house in our price range, in the school districts we want, we would have downsize from our current 1836 square feet to around 1200 for a newer home, or around 1500 for an older home (translation: dump).
I found some possibilities and David and I went to look at them. It was depressing. The houses were either too small, too close to (or on) a busy street, didn't have a yard, needed major repairs, or were just plain dumps. And all of these were in the price range of $199,000-220,000. A $220,000 house sounds like it would be a mansion but not so in Tallahassee. After talking to our banker we found out that our mortgage payment would be around $1800 a month on a $220,000 house. That's more than double what we pay now!!!
As a result, I've realized we actually have it really good where we are. We have a nice home with lots of space and storage, with nice big yard, on a quiet street, in an excellent neighborhood, in an excellent school district. And, best of all, sprucing up the house and yard makes it feel like we're in a new home. Eventually I would like build or buy a house. Hopefully the housing market here will crash -- or the maybe interest rates will go back down. But, until then we are staying put.
Dark Night
8 years ago
2 comments:
I sure do agree with you about the housing market here!!!! The only reason we're able to move into a house is because we're willing to take on the work of making this "dump" a home. It's a pretty nice "Dump" as far as they go - in a good location and the school district is looking up according to the paper today. Godby is still the thorn, but we don't have to worry about it for another seven years. Maybe they can turn themselves around by then. Griffin did - it's an A school now!
Your house is certainly not a dump. It has much potential. I'm quite envious you know!
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