just a quick post to explain why there haven't been too many posts lately:
for a few weeks in late july/early august, i had my future figured out. i was going to get a job at the company i'm working for and i was going to keep it for about two years. then, i was going to take all that extra income that i saved during the time i worked to start my own real estate development company, at the same time as starting a family.
now, for reasons that are too varied to mention, that plan is not going to work out. well, for one thing, the job i have now is almost definitely not going to continue after the agreed upon 6 month term is over, and i have no idea what to do afterwards. so in the last week, i have been concocting a crazy scheme for my new 10 year plan. it's too early to talk about it, because i just may come to my senses and change my mind completely, and then i'd be embarassed that i told everyone about it (although a few of you know what i'm talking about).
nathan left town last monday and won't be back till saturday. it makes life difficult for me, because as you can imagine, it's really hard to beat one's own ass. i'm suffering from lack of spousal abuse.
the part of my scheme that i can mention (and i do want comments) is this:
i'm afraid of moving into the nice neighborhood that i have my heart set on, because it would overextend us financially, and in a market that is very inflated (in some people's opinions) that is more dangerous than usual. so, my idea, since i hate suburbia, is to move to the country. get a manufactured home like the one we had in seabeck, but have it on 5-10 acres. as we build up funds from having a low cost of living, and my brother gets out of architecture school, have him design us a real house. it could be our own private, uh, idaho? it's not a carfree lifestyle by any means, but if we could get 5-10 acres for $120,000 - $180,000, our cost of living would be far, far less than if we bought the tiny bungalow in the middle of southeast portland for $300,000. i liked our mortgage payment in virginia, and in the country here, it would be similar. we would waste money on gas, and save it on food. i would still be close enough to go to shows, but not close enough to want to make all kinds of trips to the movies and shopping. that's all i'm going to say for now, and i value your opinions.
ok, it wasn't such a quick post, but i knew i wouldn't be able to fall asleep without the catharsis of putting it all on imaginary paper for my friends to read.
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4 comments:
and i reserve the right to take all the abuse everyone has to give if i make that decision. we all get what we deserve.
i had thought about that one too, kimi. i'm not sure about better off, but with the way suburban sprawl goes, that acreage in the country will inevitably be worth a pretty penny. but do i want to contribute to the parking lots and cul-de-sacs?
I don't understand how it would pay off in the future. Explain.
Look, I heard on NPR that the avg price of a house today is 250k, and the average income of an average 'merkin is around the mid-40's.
Looks like something is a bit inflated. What's the problem with waiting until the housing market get a little more sane before buying? Surely that 300k Portland job's price will fall.
But you know what WON'T fall much? Gas prices. I seriously doubt you'll save much money in your 'oil for food' program. How much does it really cost to eat per day?
You guys are still going to want to go out to shows/do events in town/have neighbors. Be a part of the community....you know? Most people like that crap, and you guys don't seem like the type to give that up.
Portland has a lot to offer, and I see no reason to distance yourself from it.
If you do, you may as well be living outside any American shithole, not Portland. Go somewhere where the land is really cheap.
i knew biff would be a voice of reason. the only thing that i could possibly disagree with is that i don't believe housing prices are going to come down. the way the market's going, and the way it's steadily gone (with only a few dips, historically), soon, it'll only be the rich that afford housing, and everyone else rents. what the heck, it's probably been that way in every major city for a very long time. the reason i bring up the overinflation is not because i really believe in a crash (i hope for one but don't believe in one), but because any amount of levelling off of property values could be catastrophic to a family that was thinking of selling to avoid foreclosure. but you do speak some mighty solid truths.
we have a lot to think about right now. and in addition, i currently have no inner peace regarding that idea, only a strong drive to do it, combined with an equal amount of pros and cons on the list.
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