I – Am the only thing that is missing.

One of things that is most difficult about transitioning is learning how not to lose yourself in the process. I’m about to enter 9 weeks into my new life, and from time to time, I need to stop and refocus.

Since day 1, we have been trying to get a house built. And it will happen. But maybe not today. We’ve gotten a few quotes from builders, and apparently the price keeps getting higher and higher, the more we talk to. For the amount it would take to build a house, we could get twice the return on investment by purchasing a house, so we began to explore those options.

We checked out a few homes…

The first one was this home in Plains, Georgia. Get this – only $99,000. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, and almost 4,000 sq ft. Amazing. However, we waited too long. Someone bought it right before we could seriously get into it.

Then there was this house:

Three bedrooms, three baths, over 2,000 sq ft, pool, huge workshop… $157k… BUT… Tim saw too many little things we would have to update. The workshop had a roof that needed replacing, the porch needs some work, and the pool was not exactly new, but not in bad shape either.

Then there was this:

Now I totally fell in love with this one. It was 3 bedrooms, 3 baths and 2,500 sq feet for $179,800. The garden was to die for, perfect-perfect-perfect. Big privacy fence, corner lot. Upstairs… separate living room, dining, family, bk room, and kitchen. etc. etc.. Tim did not like it. He did not like the upstairs bed & bath.

Then we decided to look at another…

This was an interesting house. Big.. but needed a ton of work. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and over 3000 sq ft. It was built in 1910 and it smelled like it. Ugh.

Next we visited:

Now if I was single, or we didn’t have to consider his kids, I would jump on this one! So cute – 2 beds, 2 baths, a vintage (totally remodeled) kitchen, rewired, replumbed – cute, cute, cute cottage in the right neighborhood! Only 132k. BUT… the girls refuse to share a room.

Then we found this home… and we are still tossing it around in our head. It makes sense. Good neighborhood, newer construction, tons of space. (Just needs some repainting inside.. not because it was a bad job, but because I hate yellow.)

We like it. A lot. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. $157k.  Master on the bottom floor, kids rooms upstairs, with a bonus room to finish for a game room. The only draw backs are that the backyard backs up to a swamp. Yeah… South Georgia. Think.. alligators…

Anyway.. speaking of alligators..
This, my dears, is in our front yard. Or was.
But I digress..

Back to the drawing board with the house. Tim is not giving up on getting the right price. He is even considering building it himself. (As in.. hiring his own subcontractors and overseeing the project.) I am leery of this.. but what do I know? He works in the field. Just seems like a HUGE headache.

Other than housing woes, work is going great!

I have one festival under my belt, one Jimmy Carter siting (see above,) and met tons of people. I’m doing it. Safely out of my Macon bubble and making things happen in Southwest Georgia.

As for my personal life, still haven’t made those friendship connections that I am sure are on the horizon, but I’ve had two visitors (one from Macon and one from Birmingham,) and I’ve been keeping busy.

All in all – life is good. I’ve got to remember to slow down and enjoy it.

How is your summer going?