I'm Baaaack (Crafton: 2014, for rent, mortgage)

[Goodjules]

Hi Forum Friends. Took a break because I was spending too much time online. But I ended up spending an equal amount of time on Facebook so I figured I'd check back in here. I'm somewhat settled in to my place in Crafton. Phase one of the renovation is done. There are a few little things that still need to be fixed, but other than that, all the interior remodeling is finished. I'll post pictures soon-ish. I remember that I had trouble posting them in the past and I don't feel like struggling with it on a Monday morning! There are more interior projects that I want to do, but they will have to wait a until I have the money to pay for them. Right now there are exterior issues that need to be addressed. I hope to get them done in 2014 as my budget allows.

I'm enjoying life here. I'm doing business development for a number of clients, a general contractor, a lighting company, and an art show producer. My son has moved in with me and he's working at Costco. He was hired as seasonal help and is hoping there will be enough business after the holidays that they will call him back or maybe even hire him permanently. My daughter is living and working in San Francisco. I'm hoping she can come out for a visit sometime next year. She works in retail and doesn't get any paid time off so it makes it hard to travel. When she has the time, she doesn't have the money. Once my business is a little more established I'll probably spring for the tickets for her and her boyfriend to come for a visit. My ulterior motive is that they like it so much here that they move.

My pets, two dogs and three cats, all have adjusted quite well. My son drove the dogs across the country. I used pet relocation.com to fly the cats. It was expensive, but the cats arrived on time and were totally relaxed, much to my relief. I was worried that there would be a difficult period of adjustment for the pets, but they loved it here immediately. After living in a small town-home with no fenced yard for two years, they relish the freedom of a huge house and their own backyard.

Hope you all are doing well. Glad to be back.

[SteelCityRising]

I'm so glad you're checking back in, Julie! You've been missed---a lot! I name-dropped you from time to time in threads hoping you'd poke on in and let us know you were okay! I've seen you all giddy on Facebook about PreservationPioneer's new home purchase; it is quite an exciting time for many of us!

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm so glad you're checking back in, Julie! You've been missed---a lot! I name-dropped you from time to time in threads hoping you'd poke on in and let us know you were okay! I've seen you all giddy on Facebook about PreservationPioneer's new home purchase; it is quite an exciting time for many of us!

Thanks SCR. I hadn't even checked the forum for months. What's new with you? Are you still on the fence about buying a home? I'm love, love, loving my place. I still wake up amazed that I was able to get such a wonderful home for such an affordable price. I hear that home prices and rents have gone up almost 30% in the last year in the SF Bay Area. Unbelievable. It was unaffordable a year ago and it's even worse now. Everyone I know there could not afford to buy the home they live in at today's prices. A friend of mine who rented a home for many years had to move out of the area when the owner put the house on the market earlier this year. This is happening all the time there. Bodes well for other parts of the country that could use an influx of people. I like to look on the bright side. Still, it saddens me to know that middle income families can't afford to live in many parts of the Bay Area anymore.

[SteelCityRising]

It seems like whenever I come close to having the money saved to purchase my first home, Julie, another $300-$500 bill comes up out of nowhere that holds me back another month or two. Just this morning I paid $310 on car repairs and will have to pay another $300 to pass inspection in January. It's extremely frustrating because instead of paying $700/month-$800/month for rent I could conceivably pay half as much for a mortgage and use the savings to invest in maintenance and repairs for the home while building equity in an asset I can borrow against to make additional renovations.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm so glad you're checking back in, Julie! You've been missed---a lot! I name-dropped you from time to time in threads hoping you'd poke on in and let us know you were okay! I've seen you all giddy on Facebook about PreservationPioneer's new home purchase; it is quite an exciting time for many of us!

SCR,

Check out his house listing, cheap and in the East End.

We have discussed this location before. Not the greatest but it is certainly in the East End.

106 Penfield Place Point Breeze, PA 15208 | Prudential Preferred Realty

Welcome back Julie.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

SCR,

Check out his house listing, cheap and in the East End.

We have discussed this location before. Not the greatest but it is certainly in the East End.

106 Penfield Place Point Breeze, PA 15208 | Prudential Preferred Realty

Welcome back Julie.

SCR, if you don't buy this house, you lose the right to ***** about TGEEHC ever again. If you didn't drive for a living, you could walk to work, and the stores and restaurants, incl. your vaunted fast foodortunities, number in the bazillions.

Goodness. Grab it, man.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by jay5835

SCR, if you don't buy this house, you lose the right to ***** about TGEEHC ever again. If you didn't drive for a living, you could walk to work, and the stores and restaurants, incl. your vaunted fast foodortunities, number in the bazillions.

Goodness. Grab it, man.

that's what HE said. Hi, Yac!

[Caladium]

Welcome back. Always good to hear from you, and also good to hear that you had a nice break. I regularly take breaks from internet forums and find that's a good thing to do.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

It seems like whenever I come close to having the money saved to purchase my first home, Julie, another $300-$500 bill comes up out of nowhere that holds me back another month or two. Just this morning I paid $310 on car repairs and will have to pay another $300 to pass inspection in January. It's extremely frustrating because instead of paying $700/month-$800/month for rent I could conceivably pay half as much for a mortgage and use the savings to invest in maintenance and repairs for the home while building equity in an asset I can borrow against to make additional renovations.

Ah, life. You'll have those same expenses and more when you buy a house. At some point, you'll just have to bite the bullet and buy a place. You'll figure it out.

[SteelCityRising]

That's my colleague's house. There's already a buyer and an offer lined up.