caitlinsmom
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Posts posted by caitlinsmom
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If you live in cold climate I would be concerned about insulation and heating expenses.
Good point. The house does have a wood stove in addition to the furnace which would help with heating costs.
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The difference in .25 acres really isn't much. I'm coming from a background of "it's not acreage until you're talking 50+ acres". I would go for the move in ready.
Someday I will own 50+ of acreage. :) This area is surrounded by your type of acreage that can't be subdivided or divided (thank goodness!!) so these smaller acreage plots are highly coveted. Last week in church someone said "I know it sounds so bad but it's kind of nice that the elderly are starting to die. Now we get fresh faces in town." Good thing I wasn't drinking anything. I would have spit it through my nose.
The extra .25 adds quiet a bit of value because of the areas zoning restrictions. That said I do lean towards the move in ready house anyway. :)
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My dh got an amazing job offer last Friday. The best thing is we get to stay right where we are! YAY! I am so glad that we don't have to consider Texas anymore lol. I know the heat would have killed me.
We are finally able to start looking for a house. In our small town of 400 we have 5 options to choose from. 2 are out of the question due to the price. Of the other 3, only 2 are viable options.
House 1: At the top of our desired price range. Lots of living space, garage, greenhouse and mature landscaping. Lots of potential. Move in ready. Smaller acreage than we want. Late 70's construction.
House 2: CHEAP! foreclosure on acreage we want. No landscaping or fencing. Needs painting and possibly some flooring to be move in ready. Small living space and no garage. Cheap! Lots of potential to gain quick sweat equity. Manufactured home, only 5 years old.
We do not want to move from our tiny town as we are quite comfortable here. Surrounding areas are much more populated and expensive so they wouldn't be a good fit for us anyway. I don't know if I want to go to the top of our price comfort zone (still lower than approved amount) but I also don't know if we want to buy a Manufactured home. Manufactured homes retain value in this area but in my experience construction is generally not very well done. We have no problem putting improvements in either house. We have lots of materials left over from a previous remodel so the cost would be fairly low at this point. I like the idea of the garage and living space in option 1 but the outdoor space for kids and animals appeals to me in option 2. The difference in land size is .25 acre. I like to garden so the greenhouse calls to me but the options for a large garden at option 2 sounds great too.
So knowing those few details, which house would you pick.
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Share all that you know!
- What is the town and surrounding areas like?
- Home school friendly area?
- Cost of living?
- Scenery?
- Weather?
- Stuff to do?
- Mentality?
I am researching the area but having others input always sheds light a google search can't. :)
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I've moved for far less reasons than that! Yes, I would do it, provided it did not require me to move to any really cold states. But that's just me. :)
What are your reasons for staying?
My main reason for staying is because the job is in Texas. :) I am a cold weather lovin' kind of girl. The very thought of getting sweaty and hot makes me want to run screaming. OTOH gardening for more than 2.5 months would be fabulous. I am sure there are great things about Texas and the heat but so far I haven't really found any (haven't looked either if I am honest lol).
Dh got the call this morning, they want to talk with him again tomorrow. :)
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So far so good this morning. I appreciate the advice here. I woke up knowing he needed to work first thing this morning so dd played with him for an hour. He is snoozing now. :) One accident this morning but I didn't get out of bed in time so totally on me.
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What is a clicker?
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I also have a party everytime they go in the right place, think over the top silly happy sappy puppy party, complete with yummy treats that are in my pocket all day long so I can catch them being good and reward whenever possible!
What kind of treats do you recommend? The ones we picked up give him horrible gas, like cover your mouth and run because you will taste it for 30 min after the fact, horrible gas. :)
ETA-- Picture of the cute guy before he had a good bath and a combing.
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I'm not a dog trainer, but you sure got a tanker full of trouble! I thought we would be fine with our choice of pup in November, a 6 week old supposedly Border Collie/Blue Heeler. At this point we think she's part Australian Kelpie and we know the mother is a blue heeler. Our pup looks just like a Kelpie. In her early weeks she was very nippy and trying to herd any of us...but you didn't ask for that kind of advice. Yeah, she was like your pup too but we run out the door with her and keep running until we're an acceptable distance from the door. Snow, cold, rain, warm, coat or no coat, we run her out into the yard. We were making sure to take her out every hour to pee, yes, every hour.
We learned to do the dominance down posturing with her when she would get too nippy.
Soon, but it's not soon enough imho, we are taking her to obedience class.
ALSO, I would insist my dh give the dog at least a 15 minute run out side before he goes to work. These are working dogs and he will become destructive if bored. We've been wearing our pup out by just running her at least 4 times a day. They have non-stop energy.
Good luck. Post a picture!
Edited to add: I don't think your dh will become destructive if bored, just your puppy. :laugh:
:D
I didn't think about the bored factor. I will have to figure out a "job" for him. He does like to rope pull with the kids.
I have been taking him out every 1.5 but I will bump that up to every hour.
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Two weeks ago dh brought home a puppy, 8 weeks old Border Collie/Pyrenees mix. He's a beautiful boy with caramel coloring like his mama but he has his dads size. He is great with the kids, is getting the chewing under control, and so far he has been fine with the chickens. The problem is the potty training!!!!
Tonight I am standing with the door wide open and calling for him. He comes running over, takes a look outside then walks 2 feet away and starts to pee! What! This happened 3 times today all within 4 feet of an open door. He did really great last week with two accidents. This week he just pees wherever he wants to. It is driving me crazy.
I have never done the puppy phase before, heck I don't even particularly like dogs, so this is a whole new thing for me. I though he was doing so well last week. I almost reconsidered my disinterest in the canine species. :)
How do we train him quickly and efficiently?
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I faced this situation years ago with my Grandmother. My grandparents were not well off nor were they insured. After Grandpa dies my grandma recieved $700 a month from his social security. She blew this multiple times until I took her checkbooks and started paying her bills. Her health with Parkinson's deteriorated to the point we had to find a home. I was moving out of state and no one else was around to take care of her. First we put her into a high end assisted living, more retirement living than anything. I talked with the admins and they were able to reduce her fees to $500 a month if we agreed that she would provide her own meals in her cottage. However she began to lose bladder function and her balance became even worse so she stayed in her private cottage most of the time. She started to overdose on her pills as she could no longer remember which to take when. She started to starve herself because she would forget to eat. Because her cottage was private no one knew what was going on until I hired a senior companion to check on her a couple times a week. In the end she had to live in a nursing home for 30 days to prove she was high functioning. After than Medicaid moved her to an assisted living and covered the bill by taking all her assets and her monthly social security. We made sure that the home was safe, in a good area and well staffed. She was very well taken care of by the staff.
If I could do it over again I would have brought her to live with us instead. There are programs/grants out there that will pay for a family member to take care of an elderly family member. My MIL is a coordinator for such programs in her region of our state. My grandma only lived 2 years after she went into the assisted living. She died alone the day I was giving birth to our 3rd dd. I would rather her have been close by
Good luck. It is such a hard decision to make. I hope that you can find services that will be good for your mom. The key is to ask lots of questions and talk to lots of people. The more help and knowledge you have the better equipped you will be to handle everything.
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I say kiss the creepy weirdo landlord goodbye and go for it. One of the hardest parts of the battle (for us at least) is seeing ourselves in a place. Some just won't work. If you can see yourself in it, can afford it and like it, do it!
It sounds wonderful. :)
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Love this! It turned out great. I can't wait to see with all the books in.
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I read fluff. The fluffiest cotton candy I can find. Debbie Macomber or Nora Roberts usually does the trick. I also will go for a drive, wander around Barnes and Noble, or check out Pinterest. I find that the activities I choose are ones that allow me to completely withdraw into myself while still being present in some sort of way.
I am easily over stimulated and highly anxious most of the time. I have learned to check myself before I get to full stress mode as have the kids and dh. I try to keep it all in check with a once a week "me" night. Since I am such a party gal I usually spend the time at BN or this great used book store. Taking this night to myself has really helped me cope in the long run.
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If there truly were no opportunities for the same where we currently lived, yes. However, if he can find a similar job, even without the $500, that would give him the skills needed for that $20k raise later on, AND if I didn't want to move, I would encourage the latter.
The probability of getting a job in this field here is very slim. In our state he would never be able to get the substantial raise as we just don't pay well for the field. Regardless we would have to relocate to make more money eventually.
Most jobs in our area start in the $9-$12 hr range. :( The only thing that really pays here is medical and dh would rather die than be in the medical field (much to my dismay).
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Everyone is handed a monthly newsletter the first Sunday of the month. The calendar for every activity is on the back of this. On top of that each week we are handed a bulletin that outlines the activities for the coming week in case. If there is a big announcement, say the youth will be at camp on such and such date, it is frequently read from the pulpit after opening pray. I believe we can sign up on a fb page and the leaders text both the adults and kids (if applicable) the day before.
My kids are all younger still but I always know what the youth are doing as well as everyone else. :) Makes it nice to stay on top of everything.
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The job would require a 1500 mile move, gain of income by about $500 a month, no benefits (we've never had them) or retirement, and no upward movement in this particular town. However if dh were to take it he would gain experience that would later (within two years) qualify him to transition into a position that would have all benefits plus a 20k+ year raise. Added to that this particular job is his passion.
So would you encourage him to take it?
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Does anyone know where to get some free seeds? We would qualify under low income because we have food stamps and wic
I have lots and lots I would be willing to share! PM me with a list of what you would like and I will put a package together. Years ago I went crazy with seed buying. I bought over $300 worth of seeds because I just couldn't decide what varieties I wanted the most. I have been using the same seeds since. :D
I will second what has already been said. Food stamp benefits cover seed purchases and I do believe vegetable plants also. I would try Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer or any other one stop shop that accepts food stamps.
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I have been reading over my catalogs too. My goal this year is to double the size and keep my motivation at a high. :) I want to be able to have enough produce coming in for spaghetti sauce, salsa, stew, jams, etc. I want my pantry stocked! This last year has been a very tough one and I want the security of knowing that we have lots and lots of food.
I hope to add at least 1 beehive, a Dexter mini cow, and possibly a pig. We have the space and a few contacts that will do trades and bargain deals so the animal portion might just be in our grasp. We will also be adding to our chicken flock.
Now of course all that depends on if my husband gets a job locally or half way across the country. Where ever we land I will at the very least have a few tomato plants growing because there is nothing so happy and tasty as fresh ripe tomatoes.
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For a long time I sung passions praise. However I am at the point in life where money is everything. I have reached that breaking point where passion has become a crock and I just want to pay the bills, save and have some freakin' security already.
On the other hand if your passion CAN pay the bills then do it. I love your idea and have thought of it myself on more than one occasion. The only way that I personally would feel good about it is if we were living a debt free lifestyle. I would get rid of anything I could (debt wise) to make the transition to a lower income a comfortable thing. I would look at my current budget and see just how much we could cut out. If it came close to what I could make in my passion then I think I would give it a shot. The only thing is regardless if you go passion or CFO there is always a chance it won't work out. Prepare for failure but plan for success if that makes any sense.
Living a sustainable farm lifestyle can work and it can work wonderfully you just have to be creative. The more you can provide for yourself the better but realize that medical bills still come up, dental visits still have to happen, and the engine will go out at the worst possible time. If you won't have insurance then you will need to be diligent in budgeting and preventative care.
Good luck with your decision. Making choices for the future is always a bit nerve racking :)
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I have known a couple people who have kept houses like this. I used to babysit for one such family. It was appalling. It would take me hours just to clean their kitchen, which I did because I couldn't stand the smell. The house was a reflection of MANY MANY harmful issues that were going on in the family. Based on the experiences I had growing up with the families that lived this way I am glad CPS was called. The environment is clearly not healthy and way beyond needing a weekend scrub down.
Found the bathroom pics. Oh there are no words and I can not imagine living in that house. :ack2:
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It seemed like there was a post asking about books to read if you're having a hard time. I wrote a reply and then something happened and I couldn't find the post again. So maybe I'm just making it up. But in case I wasn't, this is what I said:
I've had a rough go of it lately too. I've enjoyed "The God Who Weeps" by Teryl and Fiona Givens (I'm not sure their names are spelled right) and really anything by Eugene England, especially "Why the Church is as True as the Gospel." EE's books are older, but still very, very good.
Hope those help. If I think of more I'll let you know, but those have kept me going in more ways than one lately.
I'm sure you read it, but I am reading Our Seach for Happiness. Its a book on the basics of the Latter Day Saint belief and why. Its written in such a light tone. Very quick read. Takes you back to the basics.
Chandi
"Believing Christ" is a great one. http://deseretbook.c...inson/i/4499076 Also anything by Elder Bednar. I've read his last two books, and they were amazing!! This is the first one: http://deseretbook.c...ednar/i/5072000 And this is the latest one (which I got for Christmas): http://deseretbook.c...ednar/i/5092930
Oh and Caitlin'smom, I've been struggling a lot for the past four years, ever since my parents' divorce. Believing Christ has helped immensely.
Thanks everyone. I will see if I can find those books at the library this week. I have Believing Christ and have started it multiple times. I need to make a goal to finish it this month.
The initiatory is my favorite thing to do at the temple (although I agree that it could use a better name). It's very short, and sometimes it gets a little overshadowed by the endowment, but I love that it's women performing the ordinance.
Lots of people are surprised when I tell them I like initiatory best. I like that it is simple and quick but it always resonates with me somehow. I always leave with fresh perspective on life.
Random question: how many wards are in your town? Our current town has 3 wards, and is where the Stake Center is located. Our new area that we'll be moving to has two STAKES, which will be new for me.
I guess this is more a question for those of us outside of Utah though, as I doubt those of you there couldn't even begin to count. :lol:
We have two wards in a very small town. Our stake covers a bunch of outlaying towns. Now if I was in Rexburg (not to far away from us)? Oh boy who knows! :) The size of the churches around the BYU-I campus are massive! I think they have multiple chapels so they can have more wards going through than normal.
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Utah- Ugh. Utah. My home state. We call it the vortex because it has the horrible habit of sucking one in and never letting them go! Gorgeous scenery, 4 spectacular season, judgmental, keeping up with the Jones mentality prevails. Relaxed atmosphere for the most part. Decent housing costs low wages. Always seemed stagnant to me.
Portland Oregon- Gorgeous. Love the rain, the smell, the breezes, the sun bursts. People were nice but not overly friendly. Amazing things to see. The beach is 2 hours away. Berries! Amazing berries from little road side stands. Scary places on the NE side, really scary. NW was a mix unlike I had ever seen before. Craftsman houses everywhere which I loved. Traffic was horrible especially near down town. Coffee shops everywhere which I loved to see even though I don't drink coffee. I was there as a newlywed so I imagine my views of it would be different now. If I wanted to live in the city I would probably choose Portland.
East Idaho- Beautiful views of the Tetons right from the highway. Clear skies, no pollution. Farms, mountains, potato fields, rivers, lakes, sand dunes all within minutes of my house. Views so far you can get lost just looking. Friendly people. No traffic. Cheap housing. Horrible job market. Lots of chemicals used in the fields during the summer. Rural with low population. Even our "Big city" is the equivalent to some of your 'burbs. Quiet. Not much for cultural opportunities but with the wide open spaces who needs it? Large active homeschool population. Best homeschool laws in the country! Four seasons with cold and long winters. We were -25 last week and 30's this week. Summer time we peak at high 80's-90's for a week or two then drop back to the high 70's to low 80's. Lots of snow machine, skiing, and snowshoeing trails. Short growing season for things like tomatoes but peas and other cold lovers do amazing. Bears, wolves, mountain lions, moose, deer, elk, coyotes, fox and rattlesnakes can be found walking down main street in the winter time (well not the snakes anyway) or in your backyard in the summer. Camping comes with many warnings but is amazing for the adventurous (not me!). Huckleberries are to die for, as long as you bring a gun on picking days because Bears are fond of them too. Yellowstone National Park is just up the mountain with sights unlike any place on earth. We can visit the park anytime we want which pretty much makes this best place to live in the country.
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:D Yay! That is such a great feeling and one I hope to have in the very near future.
Congrats. May those pennies add up to something spectacular!
House hunting- What would you do
in The Chat Board
Posted
We checked out home #2 again yesterday. Honestly the price is what interests me here. The listing price is 70k less than what it appraised at 2 years ago. Obviously there has been some damage but it is all cosmetic at this point. Dh used to be a home inspector so he went it in ready to tear it apart. :) Other than the cosmetic issues (carpet and paint) and a poorly installed drip edge/gutter the house was totally solid. I was surprised to be honest. The foundation is in great condition as is the roof which are nig concerns for me. The house also qualifies for some special type of loan to repair the issues since is it is listed through HUD. It is insured which had some sort of importance for financing but I can't remember what now. HUD has already done the appraisal so we wouldn't have to do that.
House #1 we couldn't get into again yesterday. I want to look at it more closely.
After looking at #2 yesterday I was ready to make an offer. The price is just amazing and if we wanted to rent it out after we got it taken care of we would make a good amount each month. The resale value in the future would be great. However this morning I am not so sure. I've looked around the MLS again and the options are limited within our budget. We want to buy something now, or at least in the near future, to take advantage of the cheap prices and great interest rates. What I would ideally want is not something we can afford and probably never will. :) As my mom always said: I have champagne taste with root beer money. :)