Unexpected Guests, originally uploaded by jump4joy
I've been browsing online listings for our "someday" home. We're one of those families who helped to precipitate the housing crisis by signing up for an ARM loan three years ago, and that sucker comes due in another two.
Of course, just like everyone else at the time, we didn't foresee a problem selling our house before the ARM expired. Now we'll be lucky to get out with our shirts. Suddenly "someday maybe" is more like "soon, or else."
Anyway, I don't worry about any of that. I just look at country homes and dream. Unfortunately those dreams are usually short-lived. At first glance there seem to be a good handful of affordable properties that fit what we're looking for in the area where we want to live. Then they start talking about the "potential" of the house and how it's a "handyman special." I'm sure if I were handy, I would think it was very special. But if we are going to buy something that "needs a little TLC," it had better cost a lot less than we paid for our current home.