My hubby and I rarely have a hard time making decisions. Every home we have bought together was an easy decision. We saw, we felt it was right, we bought. Same thing with the parcel of land we have. We saw it, we felt it was the one, we bought it. And that was no easy task. When we saw it, it already had an offer on it. At the end of the buyer’s contract, they still couldn’t get a loan, so the sellers gave them an extra thirty days. They got their loan, and promptly moved a camper and a water tank out to the property.
Their belongings remained on the property all summer. No, I wasn’t stalking them. The property sits within eyesight of a main road I have to travel to get to and from my grands. Anyhow, early fall I noticed their camper was gone. A week later the water tank and misc stuff was also gone. I told my honey, and he told me to write them a letter offering to buy it. I did, and a few days later they called saying they were just talking about selling. Turns out the wife wanted to have trees acreage, not prairie land. His exact words were, “happy wife, happy life”. We negotiated a price above what they had bought it for, but still at a price we would have paid for the property when we first saw it.
Fast forward four years. The property is now paid off and we are feeling we should build. We sold off the two rentals we had to cash in on the great market we have currently, so we have some cash to build. Our dreams are grandiose, a huge shop for working in and gathering with our extended family in for the holy days. A big house, with enough space for my dad to have some space of his own, and a bonus room over a three car garage for when our daughters family comes for an extended visit each year.
The dilemma, we don’t want to go back into debt. Several years ago we received an inheritance, and have been blessed with the wisdom to be able to increase its value over the years. We live in a home with no mortgage. It is expensive enough to live these days with all the required insurances, utility bills, food, etc. We really feel for people who are struggling with finances. We really don’t want a mortgage again. As we have begun the process of getting blueprints and getting estimates, we are coming to the realization that we may have to downsize our plans. Maybe build the house first, and the shop at a later date? Maybe build a considerably smaller shop and just keep celebrating in our house? Maybe have to compromise on what we are willing to live in space wise and aesthetically? We really need to make some decisions this weekend before the building permits are issued.
We are praying and seeking guidance from trusted people in our lives. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying the change of seasons in whatever part of the world you live in. I know I am.
An Ordinary Life 