We are moving

We are flipped, upside down, sideways and every which way in debt. We have 3 teenagers, 2 of which are in college (insert picture of money flying away from us here.) Our eldest child is 20 and he has a beautiful daughter who is 1 and they both live here w/us as well. We have some credit card debt (uggh) that we have been trying to work off for the last few years but every time we get close something happens or comes up (a car breaks down, the plumbing sprouts a leak, we have teenagers etc.)

We’ve decided that for us to get on track and ahead we need to downsize and that means buying a new home and selling or renting this one. Don’t be sad for us. We’ve been praying awhile about this and even though it’s a hard decision, we know that it’s the right one for us.

So after much consideration and prayer we’ve reached out to our Realtor and have begun the process to find a new home (well qualify and then find a new home.) Things seem to be on track so far. We’ve received a pre-qual letter, which I knows doesn’t mean that we have the money yet it just means that things look good for us getting it.

So, onto the fun part, finding a new home. Here are some things that we are looking for -

1. Same area: Andie (our youngest daughter) is dual enrolled in school. She goes to high school and that little dickens is so smart she is also enrolled at the local community college. She’s carrying a full college class load and a full high school class load (insert proud parent grin here.) Just as an FYI side note. Her IQ is average. She’s not some weird super smart brainer kid. She’s just your normal, average everyday child, who’s decided that she wants to get her AA degree when she gets her high school diploma. Billy is also in school right now to be a firefighter. Sooo.. it goes w/out saying that we need to remain in the same general school area so that Billy and Andie don’t have to move or transfer to new schools. Caleb (our eldest) has informed us that he is going to be enrolling in college as well during the next term. Yay!! Everyone is on the right track!

2. At least 4 bedrooms. With 5 adults and 1 toddler under the same roof we all need our “own” space. Yep, there are times when we get on each others nerves but we love each other like there is no tomorrow. So for the sake of everyone’s sanity a 4 or 5 bedroom house is mandatory.

3. Parking. I know, who thinks of parking right? We do, we do. LOL - With 5 adults and 5 cars w/5 different schedules parking is a pain. I’d love to be able to get in and out w/no worries or w/out having to wake someone up in the morning to move their car.

4. Location, Location, Location. Let’s face it location matters. I can not be stuck in the boonies where it takes me 30 minutes to get to town. I always forget something at the grocery store it never fails. Plus, Hike and Caleb drive into Jax for their jobs so we need to minimize vs increasing their daily commutes.

5. A home in good shape. We really don’t have any extra money for renovation work. So we need a home that needs very little work done to it. I’m not talking cosmetic stuff here. I don’t care what color the walls are or how old the cabinets are, those are fun projects for me. As long as the plumbing is spot on, the AC works like charm and the electrical and foundation are right where they need to be doing what they need to do, I’m good.

So we are officially at the beginning of our 5 year plan. In 5 years we hope to be credit, car and school debt free. And who knows maybe we’ll even have our new home paid off

Dreams can become reality if you just believe and pray.

Pssst…....Don’t forget to pray