It's been too long since I last wrote on here. We had company over Christmas and I must have talked myself out!
Also, I have been spending most days on this computer looking for at housing. We are gearing up to buy a house (yippee!), hopefully by April, when our lease agreement here expires. It's been difficult, because we've been vacillating between buying a house here in CT or buying one in ME. Since my hubby is 57, we are thinking much more strongly about retirement now, and where we'd like to be. The hard part is, he still has to keep his job here in CT So that means boarding here during the week and commuting home on the weekends. And in the northeast during the winter, that can be tricky.
If housing just wasn't so expensive here. If we just didn't have a dream of a house with some land. Then we could probably find something here to suit us. BUT, being the farm girl that I am, I still want one last kick at the can. After renting for the last 15 years, we are SO READY for a home of our own again. It seems we've waited forever. I am afraid if we don't get something now that is somewhere near what we are dreaming and hoping for, it will never happen.
On the other hand, it will be very hard to be away from my hubby for 5 days a week. I've done it before when he worked out of state, and it was hard. But, there is a light at the tunnel, however far down the tunnel it may be, called retirement. And with the tax credit available, low interest rates and housing prices at an all time low, it seems like now is the time to buy. But where???
And why Maine, you ask? Well, it' 4 hours closer to both sides of our families. We are now 9 hours away from all family. It's been hard. Our parents are aging, the grandkids are growing up, and we are missing alot of holidays and family events. This is a complex decision, with many factors.
The biggest factor is money. Our dollar goes quite a bit further up there in housing, but, we have to add on the cost of board and travel.
So what would you do? Buy a modest home here for the next 5 - 10 years, living away from family and putting off your dreams? Or would you buy your retirement home now, and commute, living for the weekends? Where do you draw the line of being practical and what your heart wants?
How can you have both?
Hmmm... well, that is where I am at for now. Wish me luck on finding a home. Wherever that may be.