Six years ago, I moved into a mini-home with my (then) girlfriend. We were happy and blissful and thought we had the world by the tail.
Mind you, we’d only been dating about a year or so.
Fast forward a couple of years and we’re already married, expecting a child, and having the marriage fall apart. Quite a bit happened in that mini-home.
Fast forward until now and I’m still in it. I’m content. Sure, the bedroom isn’t a color I’d like and the bathroom isn’t a color I’d like and some of the decorations in the house aren’t exactly what I’d like to have…but I’m content.
The problem, however, is that it’s too expensive. I mean, I got a great deal on the place when I first bought it but the lot rent has just increased to the point that it’s economically unrealistic to continue to live there. I’m throwing away money on land I don’t even own even thought I own the house that sits on top of it.
I'm wondering if I should see this movie....
My dad, being a real estate agent, has convinced me to go look for a home that won’t be such a financial burden to me. His thought process is to buy a duplex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duplex (or even a triplex) and use the rent money from whatever tenant is in there to cover a chunk of the overall mortgage payment…leaving a few extra dollars in my pocket.
I’ve got mixed feelings on this.
On one hand, it’s gonna be exciting to have a place all of my own that isn’t rented…someplace I can make MINE…a place that will have new memories build from scratch.
On the other hand, my tentative plans are to be with Sunshine and her girls sometime within the next calendar year (depending on circumstances, obviously). This kinda throws a wrench into those plans because it makes no sense to just jump into a house and re-sell it less than a year later. In addition, she has already been thinking of moving into another place that would be a bit easier on her wallet, too…and this location wouldn’t really be ideal for the two of us and the kids to live on a permanent basis.
Because of our unique situation, we both realize that we won’t be living together any time in the very near future. We know it totally sucks, but it’s something we’re working with because we know that the long-term plan is to eventually live together in the same house in the same city. As long as we keep our eyes on that prize, I think we’ll be able to work through the distance and the time required to go through before that plan can be actualized.
So here I sit…cleaning my home and preparing it for showings. The bank has already approved the loan for my dad and I so I guess I’m really torn on how I should be feeling. I think at the end of the day, though, it’ll still be a home full of love…regardless of how long I live in it.
