How would you handl this home-buying situation?

[PineFarmMom]

We live in a place we really like, but it is a mobile home...a super nice, very large, new mobile home on 5 acres, but still a mobile home. We purchased at a steal, with the knowledge that we would build in 3 years after purchase. I know this sounds weird, but if I built a house, I think I'd build it to model many things we have to this place. The kitchen is huge and open. It has 4 bedrooms and a huge playroom/homeschool area, etc. We've struggle in some ways with our area, but have come to love our neighbors. There are 16 kids, including ours, in this neighborhoold (most of them are younger than my older kids) and I really love them all. We have had issues at times, but I've seen God work so much here and I love all the little kids coming in and out of my house. I can't explain it...it just makes me happy to see these 4yo twin girls come pop their heads in my door and come in and play. There's a rough little boy with a rough mouth from a rough home situation who comes down and we've had to lay boundaries several times, but he follows them now and I just adore him. He is always down here doing bike tricks wanting us to watch him, liking the attention we pay to him. I just love him!! I would miss them all.

 

There is the background. 1 mile from our home there is a brick home that is the same size as ours but with 3 bedrooms. It is on 6 acres of cleared land, with huge, beautiful oaks, fenced and cross-fenced with a barn with horse stalls, another huge barn, an outbuilding that will hold four-wheelers and yard equipment, and half of it is an apartment. It has a 2-car garage with a shop. And the piece-de-resistance (sp?), it has a HUGE arena with cattle shoots and everything...it's amazing!! The whole place is beautiful! We qualify for it and wouldn't be strapped to purchase it.

 

First, I'd miss our neighbors, but we'd be close by. The location is just nicer than where we are...there is no doubt. We're a little afraid of the hoops we'll have to jump through to sell this place and buy that one. I mean, if we put this place on the market, the ONLY place we want is that one...how do you do that? I've never done this type of thing before. We're afraid of getting the paperwork going on this place and the deal falling through on the other, then we'd be without a home. Oh, I don't know what to do!!! WWYD?

 

Teresa

[Mom2GirlsTX]

Teresa, you can put an offer in on the other home with a contigency to sale your home. The seller may or may not accept an offer with a sale contigency, but they might given the economy. I'm sure they would put something in that if they get another offer, you would have about 30 days to close, meaning at that point if you have not sold your home, you have to make the decision to move forward and close on new house or let the new contract go forward with a different person buying your dream home. The way this typically works is that you place an offer, they accept, then you try and sale your place. Now remember, if they get another offer, you might have to move quickly to go ahead and get a lone or just let it go. I'm thinking that if it is your dream home, I would go for it, it sounds DREAMY to me from what you have written. The worst scenario is that you place an offer and they won't accept a contigency, but you can at least try, and if you don't try, won't you always wonder, "what if?"

Best regards from a fellow Texan.

[Rosy]

I would try for it with a contingent offer. Building a home never goes as smoothly as it should, it seems, and in this market I've heard it's much harder to get financing to build than it used to be (that could be wrong though, esp since you own the land). Even if they won't accept a contingent offer, you could still list your house and then take it off the market if the house you want sells. Talk to a real estate agent, they should be able to guide you and work with your priorities.