This is my home. Every single day I am grateful to wake up in such a beautiful, comfortable and absolutely "perfect for me" place. Unfortunately, over the last few months I have laid awake at night (in my gorgeous bedroom) contemplating whether I should stay in the house or not...what it really comes down to is: am I able to stay?I bought this dream home in April of 2006...and it has gone down in value over $6,000 every single month since I moved in. The payment is a constant stretch for me and I won't even begin to discuss the property taxes!
I would lose a huge chunk of money selling it to begin with, and then what would I do? Where would I go? Back to a one bedroom apartment? Where would I put the 1500 square feet worth of furniture I have acquired? Rent a storage? Could I actually save money renting and maybe re-purchase another home at a later time? Ugh!
The thing is...I am in love with this house! It's big enough to have great parties with my friends and family. It's bright and open, it stays warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Fall is on the way, and the trees outside my balcony turn colors...I made a fire in my fireplace just about every night last fall and winter...and it looked SO good decorated for Christmas! I am so comfortable here, so incredibly happy and so at peace here...
So you see why I lay in bed awake at night. Maybe a few shifts at Starbucks? Perhaps a few less trips to Starbucks?
I gotta figure out how to stay. 'Cause this is my home.
10 comments:
It will bounce back ... please God, it will. Right?
JG
Julie, I love the pics of your home, it's SO you! So, prayer...and maybe just maybe...we can venture into that plan we made on the motor boat...buy the BIG one and share levels...HA! Stay if you can, work a little less, save a little more (yes, less Starbucks), happiness makes you look SO young and beautiful!
STAY!
Please, don't go... stay put! It will all work out.
Don't move! The decision would be an easy one if your place wasn't so great and if you loved it so much. It will all work out, it always does...at least for you.
You know what I'm going to say...
downturns in housing prices regularly happen and bounce right back...this down cycle shouldn't last long as some have in the past...with elections coming up in 2008 shouldn't we expect all political parties to help strengthen the economy, so whoever 'wins' can look like a savior?
Your home is awesome! (sorry Alli, I know you hate that word)
probably a last option, but maybe a roomate? Someone you know really well and wouldn't mind sharing the space with? Probably a bad suggestion, but thought I'd give my two cents.
I say stay too. We just found out that a house the same size as ours is selling for the price that we bought our house 3 1/2 years ago!! So depressing but I have faith it will get better!! :)
Just think, if you move what will your spider friend do without you??? Probably die because anyone else would have killed that thing when they saw it!! :)
I love your place (through the photo).
If you love your house and don't want to leave, then don't sell it. I work in a real estate office though, and everyone there is in agreement that home prices in socal will continue to drop for another 2 years give or take a few months.... so you can expect that. it WILL go back up though and eventually pass the highest amount your house has reached thus far.
you really have two options if you can't afford it at the moment... do what matt suggested and get a roommate, or you can move out and rent it...so the renters help with the monthly payments and then you yourself rent somewhere else that is cheaper than what you will rent your house for.
lastly...if renting is a consideration, consider this. the current mortgage meltdown that is happening right now will cause rent prices everywhere to go up, because no one is able to get a loan to buy a house right now, but they gotta live somewhere. so.... you could make a good chunk of change renting your house because the demand will be high.... and if you yourself are going to rent... do it soon and get a nice long lease that will lock in a lower monthly rent...because it'll be going up everywhere.
i could go on and write a book. haha. bottom line though... if you love your house, don't sell it.
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