Quick Update

Our Internet is down so I am at the local community college writing a quick update on the house. One couple looked at my house over the week-end and they are meeting with the realtor tomorrow to possibly make an offer! I'm very pleased, but there are so many variables that I can't really get too excited, yet. Will they offer enough? Do they have to sell their house first? This could go on forever!
One neat side note--the couple that looked at the house were friends from the past that had moved away and are now looking to move back to the area. Our daughters used to be best friends 20 years ago. The pleasures of living in a small town!

House Links

Several PF bloggers are in the process of buying new houses. Their posts are full of good advice about the home buying process.

• One Money Dummy getting smarter is getting a new home after renting.


• Gather Little by Little is relocating to a beautiful mountain home.


• Lynne at Being Frugal has already moved into her new house.

Thank you for sharing your experiences!

Changes

The owners accepted my offer on the new house! The offer is contingent upon me selling my current house, so there is a 24-hour kick out clause, which means that if another person wants to buy the house and has the money available, I have 24 hours to decide if I want to buy the new house without selling my old one. I won't do that. Having two mortgages would be crazy for me, not to mention going against Dave Ramsey's wise advise.
I am feeling very peaceful about my decision, even with all the contingencies. I trust that God has a plan for me. If someone else buys the new house, then something better will be available in the future. There will be positive results from getting my house ready to sell. I am working on decluttering and making a list of small repairs that would help the resale value of my house. As I declutter, I find that I am letting go of the past (This is a little strange and surprising for me). I'm still processing this, but overall it's a change for the good.
The realtor is coming by this evening to measure the rooms. On Wednesday, all the realtors in town will come through to see the property. This is a little stressful for me, because I am not the most organized or best housekeeper. On the plus side, I have lots of help. My daughter and son-in-law are very efficient, so together we should be able to get (and keep) the house looking presentable.
Upcoming projects, I think, will be replacing kitchen and bathroom floor tiles, repairing screens, and painting 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. It sound a little daunting, but I will make a prioritized list after talking to the realtor. Debt-reduction will be on hold for a few months so I can pay for home repairs and replace the emergency fund. I used the emergency fund to make a deposit on the new house. Maybe I can make enough from the sale to pay off the last credit card!

What Effect Will the National Financial Trouble Have on My Plans?

I made an offer on the house with the great view. Now I just have to put my house on the market, find a buyer, get financing, and wait for the buyer to get financing. I can't help but wonder what effect the "credit crunch" will have on my plans. Interesting times! I'll keep you all posted.

New house?

I have been thinking of downsizing when DS graduates from high school in 2 years, but I might move sooner if things work out. This week-end I looked at two houses. I love the view from one of the houses. It has two great decks overlooking the river and is 5 minutes from where I live now. The house payment would be about $250 less than I'm paying now. I would only buy it with a contingency clause for selling my house now. I'm a little scared, but excited too. There are still lots of details. I'm meeting with the realtor on Wednesday to discuss making an offer.

This is the view from the top deck!

Am I really ready to change? This move would be easier next year, but affordable houses with river views are not easy to find. I don't want to miss out on the opportunity because I'm afraid of change.

One Credit Card Down, One to Go!

I just paid the last of Credit Card 1. It was a store credit card that I applied for to get the 10% off an iPod for my son's birthday 3 years ago. I think I have probably paid $360 in interest and I saved about $20 on the iPod. Smart? I don't think so! Never again!


One more card to go--the largest balance $5900. Even though I won't be able to pay much more this month, just having one debt to focus on is nice. When I began my debt-reduction journey, I had 4 credit cards and a car payment for a total debt of over $13,000. The debt is coming down slowly, but surely.

September Goals Evaluated

I'm a few days late in evaluating my September goals. They were:

1. Establish morning and evening routines for both home and work. Routines will help simplify and de-stress my mornings. The morning and evening routines have not become habits yet--keep working on these.
2. Pay off CC1 ($925). I was able to pay $680 t0 CC1 in September. I'll finish it off this week!
3. Investigate membership class at church. I went to the membership class, but have not taken further steps or made a decision.

Making goals and updating them is helpful to me in making financial and personal progress. In October, I want to add goals (not too many) in different areas of my life to facilitate change.