I can't decide, or maybe it's just that I don't want to, or won't.
As the one single-family house I was interested in is no longer an option I've been avoiding figuring out the house buying situation. Before I started looking at single family homes I was pretty set on getting a townhouse or a condo and had found a fairly large one in a location I really loved. Since I have friends who already live in the complex it was brought to my attention that there was a possibility of there being an assessment (fancy word for a requirement for the owners to cough up money) on new siding. It would probably be somewhere in the area of $9K per owner to pay for the siding. Hearing that, I crossed that place off my list.
Well, I found out over the weekend that the HOA voted and decided to just re-paint the siding which would not be an additional cost. This was exciting to me because really the $9K was the main thing holding me back. So I decided yesterday I 'might' be ready to make an offer. Can you see how wishy washy I am on this whole thing? I'm driving myself crazy.
At 7:30 p.m. last night I talked to my parents on the phone, (they are supportive of whatever I want to do) and basically told them I was ready to make an offer. Two hours later I'm talking to one of my friends who already lives in the complex and she is listing off all the issues she had with her home and specifically issues she has with the HOA. They are seemingly small. But are they still big enough to change my mind yet again? I don't know.
Then, there is this anti-debt mindset I have that pings me every few days with thoughts of "you don't have to buy now" "you have a place to live" "you can save a lot of money not buying...and travel" "there will still be houses next year you don't have to buy because the stimulus package will pay you $8K". Seriously, I am driving myself crazy.
I cry out to God to close doors and open others and send me wise counsel...now I just need to have patience and let Him work how He works, in His own time. The message in church on Sunday was about "your will Father...not mine". I need to, at every step of this process, try to discern what God's will is.
Back the assessment...if they keep painting and not replacing the siding (which apparently they already did 6 years ago) there's still going to eventually come a time when the request money for new siding. Here's the question I have for the HOA though..."if this issue came up 6 years ago why didn't they start saving money then to be used on the new siding instead of again figuring out if they can request it from the condo owners".
I'm not decided and I'm not enjoying the roller coaster anymore and I LOVE roller coasters. More to come, my realtor probably thinks I'm crazy too.
2 comments:
That's an excellent question, Carmen, about why the HOA didn't save up. In my place, they use part of the HOA fund for saving up for stuff like that so they never hit you with a big amount all at once.
I think you're wise to reconsider.
Keep praying! God will make it clear.
hmm..maybe you'll feel it a little more when the timing is right? I'm not sure it's supposed to be this stressful. it sounds to me (based only on your blog) that you are happy and content where you are now. That's something a lot of people don't have. So if you're content, I say, God will show you when the time is right. you'll feel it. maybe you DO feel it now, but if not, you can trust he'll provide something in HIS time, 8K stimulus or not. there's my two cents. :)
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