Day 1

The title of today's post is not quite right. My last official day at the office was yesterday but I am technically still an employee until tomorrow. Saturday we will start counting forward. How many days will I be unemployed? How many ways can I figure out how to make money and otherwise provide for our family. How many days until I go insane?

Yesterday I was presented with great opportunity and a dilemma...A couple I know from my work (he's a cop and she's a dispatcher), have had a house in the country for sale for a very long time. It is about six minutes from school (though still not in our district), has two huge bedrooms, a giant family room (where the boys could have their room), a large living room and kitchen, a mudroom and laundry room, one bathroom (I know), and sits on about two acres of the prettiest land you will ever see. It has a two car garage and a deck. They are offering it to me to rent or land contract, but it's about $140 per month more than I pay now. I think they will come down on the price a little bit. I drove by the property yesterday. This picture is older and doesn't do it justice.

The Cons: more expensive, one bathroom, heating oil, no central air.
The Pros: it is closer to the high school and my graduate school, more room for the kids, country setting, I can garden, I can have chickens, I can grow things to sell (which I have always wanted to do), the boys can play drums without anyone complaining, we can have a dog.

They are willing to do the work to turn the family room into two bedrooms. It also wouldn't be hard to add another bathroom. It has a new well, new septic, new sump pump, new roof, new siding, new windows, and it's well insulated. It's partially wooded (though you can't see) and there is a wood stove. They will also not charge me a deposit and will mow the grass. It does need some work on the inside (wallpaper) and has wood (mosaic) floors under the carpet. It doesn't look like much now, but it could be beautiful.

What do you think? It's a risk. I am also unlikely to have an opportunity like this just drop into my lap. They know I don't have a job and it doesn't matter. They want to work with me because they know I will care for the property and improve it.

I have a lot to think about over the next few days. I have a lot of planning to do. I can apply for unemployment on Saturday. The landlord here has offered me $10 per hour off my rent to help clean apartments for new tenants. That will help out, though its likely going to be gross!

Any feedback is appreciated....

Hugs,

Rita