Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Going with the flow,,,,,,,,

Greetings!!

Sorry I missed posting last week, I have been having a crazy time here, LOL.

My dad, as I am sure many parents, had a lot of favorite sayings, one being, "go with the flow", or "roll with the punches".  He was right, if we do not learn to "go with the flow" of life's constant changes we will soon drive ourselves crazy.  We can become extremely stressed over little things that really should not matter.  I am guilty of that myself at times.  So, I am trying to get back on track and just go with the flow.  :-)

Over the last few weeks I have spent a lot of time looking for a house to buy, both online and going out with Realtors.  Looking for a house should be fun.  But it became very stressful for me.  You see I am finally getting my work comp settlement after a nearly 12 year battle.  It is no big fortune by any means and I feel I only have one shot at making the right decisions.

Finding a house that would both fit my business needs and my lifestyle has been extremely difficult.  I need a good, usable basement for the ceramic business.  I'd like a decent size house but not one so big I can't take care of it or the utility bills would be so huge to heat and cool it I would be strapped financially.  I looked at both "ready to move in" and those "needing TLC".  I looked at my high end of the budget as well as at the low end and every where in between.  And I don't want one so small I feel cramped and don't have room for my things.

I guess we all want the perfect house, don't we?

I watch HGTV often and especially "Holmes on Homes" and "Holmes Inspections".  I am grateful I have.  I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination but the shows certainly have taught me a lot of things to watch out for.  And I am grateful for that education.

Finally last week I made a decision.  This was not my first choice but it is probably the best choice financially speaking.  I am going to stay where I am at, which is staying with an ex-husband and friend.  I am going to pay off the mortgage and my name will be added to the deed.  Then I will make repairs and upgrades to the house and invest money into getting my business up and running in earnest.

The ceramic business is already here in the basement and aside from organizing and rearranging things it will be easier to get things going with it.  Glad I don't have to move 2000+ plaster molds.  Whew, what a job that would have been!!  I plan on putting a new roof on the house which is much needed, new double hung windows and have the house electric rewired.  I'll also do some other upgrading and decorating in the house.

I am to inherit the house anyway after Win passes so rather than have two houses to deal with I have decided to invest in my future with this one.  Besides, we already know the pros and cons of this house, we have lived in it 26 years.

Truthfully, I had no idea how much repairs and upgrades would cost.  A bit of sticker shock when getting estimates on roofs, windows and wiring but this will be a good investment that will last my lifetime.  You can bet I am paying attention and making sure the jobs get done right.

Very soon I will have to hit the floor running to get the prep work done in the house.  There is a lot to go through, some will be disposed of in one fashion or another and organizing.  I am going to take everything down from the walls and pack it up until the work is completed.  Carpet will be torn up and some replaced.  I am hoping to have enough to totally renovate the kitchen and bath as well.  (Time will tell on that as the roof, windows and wiring have to come first.)  In short there is a lot of work to do before I can even start on the ceramic business but I hope to have it completed before the summer is over so I can take advantage of holiday sales.

So, going with the flow for me right now is staying here and making the best of it.  House hunting was just not working for me.  I could not find a house that was better laid out than this one.  Going with the flow also means letting go and letting God take control.  I believe God has been leading me to stay here and work this deal out with Win.  Win can use the help as his health is getting worse and I will be here to do that.  Plus, I could not possibly handle the responsibility of two houses while one was being sold.  So this truly is the best solution, financially.  Thank you God for always getting me back on the right track!!  And I know that even if it is not the decision I would make for myself, Your decisions always turn out to be the best!!

Until next time,,,,,,,,,,Blessings!!

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Blessings, Alice