November 30, 2013
October 2, 2013
Turnips and Fruit decisions
No video yet and so much has changed already. I need to keep reminding Jake. Life is busy with three children.
So far we have gotten all the major things done outside before winter with the exception of fruit trees being planted. That will happen early November, but we will start prepping for that soon.
We have decided on which varieties of each fruit tree. They are:
Apples - Gold Delicious, Honey Crisp, and Gala (possibly a Fuji)
Pears - Bartlet and Anjou
Peaches - Red Haven
Plum - Stanley
Cherries - Stella
Jake is adamant on semi-dwarf. I am okay with this since it will yield more fruit, but I want to make sure they are not too close to the house.
I want to do more reading on grapes before venturing into that. Berry bushes are easy enough and we have enough going on trying to learn fruit tree maintenance.
Looking forward to a fun winter of research, planning, and organizing the home. Maybe we will do some indoor herbs.
June 15, 2013
IT BEGINS!
Wow. 11 months since the last post. Well, there really hasn't been too much to report up until now except getting a couple cool appliances and a little bit of canning and freezing experimentation. Since I started pinterest it has been fun pinning things related to gardening, food preserving, animals, and country life in general.
The big news is that we just moved into our new home on 6 acres!!! The ecosystem seems to be very well balanced here, except for maybe the ticks, but we will be working on that! There is a small pond that seems to have happened when they dug out some dirt to cover the sewer drain field. Which is ok for frogs and other insect eaters! Jake and I just talked this morning about maybe digging it deep and landscaping it nicely, possibly stocking with some Koi or something.
The home is a 3 bed, 2 bath home with a basement. The basement had some flooding when foreclosed because the sump pump did not run. It was sold really cheaply for around $25,000 and someone flipped it. We purchased the home for $75,000. The flip was done very well. Nice new paint and new carpet as well as the waterproofing in the basement.
The possibilities are endless with these 6 acres for us. We are just beyond ourselves with awe that God has allowed us to purchase such a beautiful piece of land. There is a bit of low land, not really marshy, but I think once we take care of the brush with some animals it will be good. Fruit trees would probably not survive in the wet ground out back, but we think the front yard might be a good home for some apple, cherry, pear, plum, and cherry, maybe peach.
For animals we know we'd like a few sheep and chickens. We have talked about just 2 pigs for the garden plots and for bacon. :) A cow or two is not out of the question. Goats are a toss up. It is just a question of what might be available to us locally. I already know of a goat farm that a new friend helps with the milking. I would love to get my hands on some raw goat milk for some cheese.
Right now we will just enjoy the horses grazing across the street out our front window and some to the west. Did I mention we are just a stone throw from and all-sports lake?
The garden will evolve over the years and we will learn what we do and don't want to do. I'd like to major on one crop to grow well and sell on the road side and then maybe some extras of our bounty, but I want to be generous to church and family and friends first. It is important to me that I start growing a large enough garden to preserve over the winter for the family. Then I can think about turning a little profit from the land.
As far as the home and buildings go, here is a list of our projects in somewhat of an order of priority to us.
1) Dehumidifier in the basement and fix sump pump pipe.
2) Whole house fan is ordered and Jake wants to install it soon before the really hot MI summer days get here. Currently the house is staying cool most of the day with the windows shut. I think it got to 79 outside yesterday and the thermostat never went above 75! Hot days are coming though!
3) Shed - We need a place at least for a garden tractor, workshop, garden tools, and bikes! We are currently thinking of one that is big enough for our SUV. Forking out the money for it is the hard decision.
4) Wood stove - We would like to somehow do some venting to the rooms through the attic. Jake is excited about this idea. It would save a lot of energy! We also think getting it done before fall might be a better price for the installer. (?!)
5) Tree planting. We need to decided on where to put some shade on the property. I am hoping to have a 2-3 sugar maples and maybe a nut tree.
6) Back deck and front steps as well as landscaping around the house - This will be held off until spring most likely and we will need to budget it into our financial plan.
7) Greenhouse - Jake plans to fit it with hydroponics (all legal plants of course!) I will also claim part of the greenhouse to start seedlings in good ole dirt. :)
8) Animals
We do not plan to get animals until we pay off the house with the exception of chickens for eggs. We won't be doing much with the back acreage until then. That will also give us time to plan for the animal barn and think about what animals would best suite our needs.
It has been 2 years, 3 months since we began this journey. It is so exciting to be here, especially with the delays the bank gave us. We can now begin to do the things that we have been dreaming of. We will face the realities and challenges of country life! Hopefully our next post will be a video tour of our home and the clean drawing board we have to develop our little hobby farm and homestead.
Glory to God!
The big news is that we just moved into our new home on 6 acres!!! The ecosystem seems to be very well balanced here, except for maybe the ticks, but we will be working on that! There is a small pond that seems to have happened when they dug out some dirt to cover the sewer drain field. Which is ok for frogs and other insect eaters! Jake and I just talked this morning about maybe digging it deep and landscaping it nicely, possibly stocking with some Koi or something.
The home is a 3 bed, 2 bath home with a basement. The basement had some flooding when foreclosed because the sump pump did not run. It was sold really cheaply for around $25,000 and someone flipped it. We purchased the home for $75,000. The flip was done very well. Nice new paint and new carpet as well as the waterproofing in the basement.
The possibilities are endless with these 6 acres for us. We are just beyond ourselves with awe that God has allowed us to purchase such a beautiful piece of land. There is a bit of low land, not really marshy, but I think once we take care of the brush with some animals it will be good. Fruit trees would probably not survive in the wet ground out back, but we think the front yard might be a good home for some apple, cherry, pear, plum, and cherry, maybe peach.
For animals we know we'd like a few sheep and chickens. We have talked about just 2 pigs for the garden plots and for bacon. :) A cow or two is not out of the question. Goats are a toss up. It is just a question of what might be available to us locally. I already know of a goat farm that a new friend helps with the milking. I would love to get my hands on some raw goat milk for some cheese.
Right now we will just enjoy the horses grazing across the street out our front window and some to the west. Did I mention we are just a stone throw from and all-sports lake?
The garden will evolve over the years and we will learn what we do and don't want to do. I'd like to major on one crop to grow well and sell on the road side and then maybe some extras of our bounty, but I want to be generous to church and family and friends first. It is important to me that I start growing a large enough garden to preserve over the winter for the family. Then I can think about turning a little profit from the land.
As far as the home and buildings go, here is a list of our projects in somewhat of an order of priority to us.
1) Dehumidifier in the basement and fix sump pump pipe.
2) Whole house fan is ordered and Jake wants to install it soon before the really hot MI summer days get here. Currently the house is staying cool most of the day with the windows shut. I think it got to 79 outside yesterday and the thermostat never went above 75! Hot days are coming though!
3) Shed - We need a place at least for a garden tractor, workshop, garden tools, and bikes! We are currently thinking of one that is big enough for our SUV. Forking out the money for it is the hard decision.
4) Wood stove - We would like to somehow do some venting to the rooms through the attic. Jake is excited about this idea. It would save a lot of energy! We also think getting it done before fall might be a better price for the installer. (?!)
5) Tree planting. We need to decided on where to put some shade on the property. I am hoping to have a 2-3 sugar maples and maybe a nut tree.
6) Back deck and front steps as well as landscaping around the house - This will be held off until spring most likely and we will need to budget it into our financial plan.
7) Greenhouse - Jake plans to fit it with hydroponics (all legal plants of course!) I will also claim part of the greenhouse to start seedlings in good ole dirt. :)
8) Animals
We do not plan to get animals until we pay off the house with the exception of chickens for eggs. We won't be doing much with the back acreage until then. That will also give us time to plan for the animal barn and think about what animals would best suite our needs.
It has been 2 years, 3 months since we began this journey. It is so exciting to be here, especially with the delays the bank gave us. We can now begin to do the things that we have been dreaming of. We will face the realities and challenges of country life! Hopefully our next post will be a video tour of our home and the clean drawing board we have to develop our little hobby farm and homestead.
Glory to God!
August 6, 2012
Keeping Big Picture
An update would be good before the month passes.
Jake's job situation is doing well, although his change from working at home to a commute has complicated some things, he will be transitioning back to home soon it looks like. There is nothing like having a hubby that gets up early to finish the day by 3-4ish. That extra hour is priceless with our little ones. Right now we also have a lot of home projects to do as well. Evenings go by so fast!
It is a bit of a dilemma to have money to spend, desire to save, but then have a lot of things that we can do to improve our current home. We have to prioritize and budget what is necessary and what we can look forward to after we get land. It is all very exciting, but it is easy to rush certain things and neglect other priorities. Keeping goals and writing down priorities should really help to keep focus.
Here are some things to remember:
1) No Debt
2) Budget Healthy Meals
3) Not too much dreaming - God knows our desires and true satisfaction is found in daily seeking Him!
4) Take care of what you have and enjoy it!
I can get stuck in the details and forget about the big picture, but I LOVE finding movies like this to keep the inspiration going.
Jake's job situation is doing well, although his change from working at home to a commute has complicated some things, he will be transitioning back to home soon it looks like. There is nothing like having a hubby that gets up early to finish the day by 3-4ish. That extra hour is priceless with our little ones. Right now we also have a lot of home projects to do as well. Evenings go by so fast!
It is a bit of a dilemma to have money to spend, desire to save, but then have a lot of things that we can do to improve our current home. We have to prioritize and budget what is necessary and what we can look forward to after we get land. It is all very exciting, but it is easy to rush certain things and neglect other priorities. Keeping goals and writing down priorities should really help to keep focus.
Here are some things to remember:
1) No Debt
2) Budget Healthy Meals
3) Not too much dreaming - God knows our desires and true satisfaction is found in daily seeking Him!
4) Take care of what you have and enjoy it!
I can get stuck in the details and forget about the big picture, but I LOVE finding movies like this to keep the inspiration going.
July 12, 2012
A Realistic Garden - Lots of Variety!
First I want to apologize for the hideous formatting. Out of desperation I had to make something visable. I am wondering if it is my blog theme that is causing issues.
I found a website that gives a planting schedule for the vegetables/fruits in our zone. This will give me a realistic idea of what Vegetables I can grow. Zones 5-6 Planting Schedule.
I found many sites that list some plants that are grown in zone 5, but they do not list ALL plants grown in zone 5. I am thoroughly annoyed by this that I can't find a list of all common plants in zone 5. Even better, it would be nice to see a list that is categorized by plant type.(ornamental, vegetable, fruit, etc...) If anyone finds such a list, please pass it my way! I may need to search at the library for this one.
Another site I just ran across is Harvest to Table. They also list a lot of farm and gardening blogs that I want to check out so I bookmarked for a later date.
I also appreciated the planting schedule at 2BSeeds that lists all hardiness zones and veggies.
Here are all foods we eat regularly that I would like to at least say that I attempted. Some of these things we might do better to just buy in bulk from the experts (i.e. rice, beans, wheat, and oats)
Veggies/grains
Carrots
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Broccoli
Peas
Peppers
Tomatoes
Green beans
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Kale
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Corn
Wheat
Oats
Rice
Black beans
Eggplant
Fruit trees are a dream to me. I know it can be difficult to do organic, but I would like to at least try:
Fruit, melon, and squash
Apple
Pear
Strawberry
Blueberry
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Trees
Black Walnut (perhaps a dwarf variety and away from other plants)
Almond (great ornamental front yard tree)
Herbs - basil, cilantro, parsley, chives, lavender, rose hip, rosemary
Flowers and trees (besides the already listed) Peony (will be the first thing planted on our land...) , lilacs (every color), daisies, pansies, coleus, holly, roses, maple, did I mention lavender and lots of it!
July 11, 2012
Plans A, B, and C
While discussing timing/living options in preparation for our long term goals we came up with three plans.
Plan A)
1. Move single wide to land to avoid lot rent and save more monthly.
2. Save money to build home (the beauty of this is if we decide we don't like the land or the location we can sell the land and home, or attempt to, and possibly make money on it. Testing out the spot as it were and still having a well/septic set up for a more attractive sale.)
3. After money is saved, build home on land while living in singlewide
4. Sell single wide cheap or give it away to a needy family
5. If we plan to stay and build we can use the current slab from the singlewide for part of the barn.
Plan B) Same as plan A, but purchasing a doublewide for temporary use instead of a singlewide. Here we would be a little more comfortable with more kids and could take longer to save to build what we need.
Plan C) This plan is simply to not build long term and to move a double wide onto the land to live in indefinitely. The advantage of this plan would be the sq. footage of the home, possibly a 4 bedroom with a four-season room and more money to work with for animals, garden, and pond. The disadvantage of this plan is that we will not get the efficient home we wanted long term.
Plan D) Stay where we are paying lot rent, taking longer to save to build. We can still purchase and plan while living here. This is a tough one because all that lot rent could go into saving for a build.
All of these are still being discussed and we may think of another plan as we consider the above options. We are in no rush, well, maybe a little out of excitement. Hehe. It is fun to discuss our future together with the children and we are even thinking about what a nice place we could have for the grand kids to come visit, Lord willing. Who knows where God might call us to or away from. Our lives are ultimately in His hands. Nothing gets past Him without his approval!
Plan A)
1. Move single wide to land to avoid lot rent and save more monthly.
2. Save money to build home (the beauty of this is if we decide we don't like the land or the location we can sell the land and home, or attempt to, and possibly make money on it. Testing out the spot as it were and still having a well/septic set up for a more attractive sale.)
3. After money is saved, build home on land while living in singlewide
4. Sell single wide cheap or give it away to a needy family
5. If we plan to stay and build we can use the current slab from the singlewide for part of the barn.
Plan B) Same as plan A, but purchasing a doublewide for temporary use instead of a singlewide. Here we would be a little more comfortable with more kids and could take longer to save to build what we need.
Plan C) This plan is simply to not build long term and to move a double wide onto the land to live in indefinitely. The advantage of this plan would be the sq. footage of the home, possibly a 4 bedroom with a four-season room and more money to work with for animals, garden, and pond. The disadvantage of this plan is that we will not get the efficient home we wanted long term.
Plan D) Stay where we are paying lot rent, taking longer to save to build. We can still purchase and plan while living here. This is a tough one because all that lot rent could go into saving for a build.
All of these are still being discussed and we may think of another plan as we consider the above options. We are in no rush, well, maybe a little out of excitement. Hehe. It is fun to discuss our future together with the children and we are even thinking about what a nice place we could have for the grand kids to come visit, Lord willing. Who knows where God might call us to or away from. Our lives are ultimately in His hands. Nothing gets past Him without his approval!
July 10, 2012
Educating and Decisions on Land
Since we are almost out of debt and attempting a savings we now are in "research" mode. We feel somewhat settled in our temporary home from the downsizing and fixing up we have done. This time will be spent doing a lot of work on big picture, long term plans. Where do we want to raise our family? Where could we stay through our retirement? Would we be close enough to town if Jake had to get a 9-5 punch clock job? Would I still be able to be a part of a homeschooling community? What about church? These are the kinds of questions, as would be expected, that we have been asking ourselves.
One thing we are keeping a close eye on are tax auctions for the counties we would consider being in. We plan to attend one or two of the auctions this year to see what they are like. There are 2 or 3 pieces of land that are desirable we may take the plunge on with what little savings we have at the moment, but it would only be if no one else bid on them, which is probably unlikely.
After much prayer, consideration, and lots of talking in between our children's needs we really do think the following things are important factors in our land decision for what we need the land for. We tried to think big picture and also look at important details. There are of course details not listed that should be considered with all land purchases (well, bugs, soil testing, mineral rights, etc...)
-At least 4 acres (at the very least)
-Either on water or large enough to dig a pond
-No more than 40 minutes from town we currently live in
-Wooded
-Close to a small town
-Preferably not next to farm land or wetland
-Able to have a few animals (chickens, bunnies, maybe a cow for meat(which would require a barn, in which case more than 4 acres would be best.))
-Electricity available at street (need to consider changing our blog name! We still want to do wind/solar, but still want to be connected to the grid to avoid battery storage.)
This is a fun time for us. We don't have to think too seriously right now, but still enjoying and being content with where we are right now in our decisions and the provisions we have at the moment. While we focus on taking care of what we have we are excited for the future. It would be nice to get out of lot rent (It was just raised $20/month), but we would not want to rush anything just to get out of lot rent. We knew it would be like this, we are just anticipating our next step.
~K
One thing we are keeping a close eye on are tax auctions for the counties we would consider being in. We plan to attend one or two of the auctions this year to see what they are like. There are 2 or 3 pieces of land that are desirable we may take the plunge on with what little savings we have at the moment, but it would only be if no one else bid on them, which is probably unlikely.
After much prayer, consideration, and lots of talking in between our children's needs we really do think the following things are important factors in our land decision for what we need the land for. We tried to think big picture and also look at important details. There are of course details not listed that should be considered with all land purchases (well, bugs, soil testing, mineral rights, etc...)
-At least 4 acres (at the very least)
-Either on water or large enough to dig a pond
-No more than 40 minutes from town we currently live in
-Wooded
-Close to a small town
-Preferably not next to farm land or wetland
-Able to have a few animals (chickens, bunnies, maybe a cow for meat(which would require a barn, in which case more than 4 acres would be best.))
-Electricity available at street (need to consider changing our blog name! We still want to do wind/solar, but still want to be connected to the grid to avoid battery storage.)
This is a fun time for us. We don't have to think too seriously right now, but still enjoying and being content with where we are right now in our decisions and the provisions we have at the moment. While we focus on taking care of what we have we are excited for the future. It would be nice to get out of lot rent (It was just raised $20/month), but we would not want to rush anything just to get out of lot rent. We knew it would be like this, we are just anticipating our next step.
~K
May 21, 2012
A "Manual" Housewife?
Can I do it? Can I manually grind wheat and make juice? Can I make 5 loaves of bread a week if we have a few more kids? Can I keep up with the chickens, weed the garden, do the wash by hand, and homeschool on top of it all? I could, but it would be all my life. There would be no time for family or friends. If a family were to go all out with this lifestyle they would have to become a team, no questions asked. Everyone would need to do their part to help out the whole family.
At this point with two young ones I have to pick and choose. So far here is what I have done to transition to a more "manual" lifestyle using people energy instead of other energy.
1) No dishwasher - We do all our dishes by hand
2) No more microwave - Not sure how much energy this saves, but it is taking away a conveniece that really isn't all that missed! Supposedly it is healthier too!
3) Manual hand crank Juicer - A step to a healthy lifestyle. Many people don't juice at all so it is somewhat irrelevant to the average family, but we have begun juicing wheatgrass. Check out the awesome benefits of wheatgrass here
4) Manual wheat grinding - My 4 year old is getting in on this one. I hope to have a post on this soon, but I have yet to make a full whole wheat loaf or a loaf of bread without the bread machine. Why
5) Cutting back on the dryer - This is soon to be my next step. Since I do cloth diapers while at home it really is good to do some line drying. While in the mobile home I would like to at least have an accordian drying rack or a ladder used creatively like one of these ideas.
I am doing quite well with this gradual transition. This is a surprise because I am such a black and white all or nothing person. If we were to do it all at once I would certainly give up the first week. Transitioning slowly gives me the opportunity to master different aspects of the lifestyle we would like to achieve. Maybe someday I'll be making my own soap, cloth napkins, and other things.
At this point with two young ones I have to pick and choose. So far here is what I have done to transition to a more "manual" lifestyle using people energy instead of other energy.
1) No dishwasher - We do all our dishes by hand
2) No more microwave - Not sure how much energy this saves, but it is taking away a conveniece that really isn't all that missed! Supposedly it is healthier too!
3) Manual hand crank Juicer - A step to a healthy lifestyle. Many people don't juice at all so it is somewhat irrelevant to the average family, but we have begun juicing wheatgrass. Check out the awesome benefits of wheatgrass here
4) Manual wheat grinding - My 4 year old is getting in on this one. I hope to have a post on this soon, but I have yet to make a full whole wheat loaf or a loaf of bread without the bread machine. Why
5) Cutting back on the dryer - This is soon to be my next step. Since I do cloth diapers while at home it really is good to do some line drying. While in the mobile home I would like to at least have an accordian drying rack or a ladder used creatively like one of these ideas.
I am doing quite well with this gradual transition. This is a surprise because I am such a black and white all or nothing person. If we were to do it all at once I would certainly give up the first week. Transitioning slowly gives me the opportunity to master different aspects of the lifestyle we would like to achieve. Maybe someday I'll be making my own soap, cloth napkins, and other things.
May 3, 2012
Back to planning
Update:
-Jake lost his job December 31, 2011
-We have been on unemployment and watched God provide in awesome ways
-We had a baby girl on January 15, 2012
-Jake found some really awesome freelance opportunities at the end of April, 2012.
So now we can begin to plan again. For a while we really just stopped looking at land, stopped dreaming and considering house options, because we found ourselves getting too anxious over something that might not work out. We were just thankful for each day with food on the table for these last 5 months. We have not struggled nearly as much as many people do around the world.
Where are we in our land/home plans? Last night we were talking about the future home for the family and the topic came up of electricity. We decided that perhaps staying on the grid would keep us from having to have the whole battery shed thing so technically we probably will not be going "off grid", but we would still try to generate our own electricity with solar and wind. We will also still try to have a manual lifestyle using as little electricity as we can.
So our next plan is to finish paying off the debt. (When we sold the house we said we wanted to be debt free in a year. With Jake losing his job we weren't sure if that would happen, but hopefully within the next few months we can be completely debt free! I can't wait!
Then it is save save save for land as much as possible and to keep our informed eyes open for the right land. We will be making need and desires lists for land and I will share those when we make them. I will also share with you some of our thoughts on the home, green house and energy and perhaps some ways I am transitioning as a wife and mom in our little single wide. We also have a raised garden with 8 beds at Jake's parents house not too far away.
I am looking forward to getting back into a paced dream mode and looking forward to having you along for the journey!
October 6, 2011
DVD give away at New Life On a Homestead!
I am entering New Life on a Homestead's DVD giveaway for:
Inherit the Land: Franklin Springs DVD
You can find the giveaway here.
I hope to win this to help inspire our long term goals to raise a family on land, learning how to grow our own food.
October 1, 2011
Still settling in
I am almost to a point of taking pictures of our new home. We still have clutter to deal with in the laundry area and of course our everyday clutter. Not many, if any, are reading this blog, so I guess there is not much of a rush. LOL That is okay because this was meant to be a record of our journey and if I am going to journal it, most probably won't read. Which is fine with me.
Fall commitments began to get busy last week so it was really good that we moved when we did. I've learned that whenever you move there is a small window of motivation before you lose steam. We still have some projects left, but we all really feel the need for a normal life routine. Perhaps we can still fit a project in every week as part of our routine.
We are still waiting on the bank for finalized paperwork on an asking price for the house. We've learned to be patient and to just let the negotiator do his job. The house is completely vacated save Jake's hydroponic lights and our plastic wheelbarrow behind the shed.
We hope we can close before snow so we are not having to go snow blow for every showing. LOL
The light at the end of the debt tunnel is getting bigger. I am not even allowing myself to look at land until we start actually saving money. Plus, we have no idea when the right land will present itself. That is God's timing. I've become more picky on location recently, although I probably shouldn't. It would be nice to stay within an hour of our hometown. Family is here and we don't want to be too far since one of us is not a big traveler. Being far away and driving in to see family is a gas guzzling activity though, if you allow yourselves visit so often.
Our goal is not get away from family, but to be frugally below our means so we are able to give. "Be a fountain not a well" If we are called to be further away we know it won't be because we really want it, but because it is God's will. Which is always best, and also usually not what we think we want. Wanting what God wants is always better and takes discipline to listen to Him in the present, trusting Him with the future. His way is perfect. I am thankful that He has given us His Word, the Bible, to know His will so we don't have to hem and haw. If it is according to the Bible, it's what He wants, which usually always means..He wants our hearts pure and faithful only to Him, not any man. If our purpose and allegiance is truly with Jesus Christ's and the furthering of His Kingdom it will be God's will and we will have peace.
I am comforted as I look back at our decisions to see that we were making huge directional changes about things we saw as being unwise. For both of us to really have the same mind about something big like this is really rare. As a married couple with very different personalities it was odd that we saw our inward promptings similar as we discussed our future on our anniversary overnight. Perhaps it shouldn't be odd, but to us it was. Perhaps this is a new way for us, which would be great. :)
It is comforting to see Christ at the center of our relationship. With our different personalities it is difficult to maintain a productive marriage together. It takes real Love as described in I Corinthians 13. It takes patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, selflessness, etc.. to be at peace with one another. When any of those things are off, even one, we are at odds. It has become a high priority for me that our family be at peace with one another and to not have any inner dwelling bitterness. That takes work, but it is worth every ounce of effort to see God working in and through us as we live at peace with each other.
Fall commitments began to get busy last week so it was really good that we moved when we did. I've learned that whenever you move there is a small window of motivation before you lose steam. We still have some projects left, but we all really feel the need for a normal life routine. Perhaps we can still fit a project in every week as part of our routine.
We are still waiting on the bank for finalized paperwork on an asking price for the house. We've learned to be patient and to just let the negotiator do his job. The house is completely vacated save Jake's hydroponic lights and our plastic wheelbarrow behind the shed.
We hope we can close before snow so we are not having to go snow blow for every showing. LOL
The light at the end of the debt tunnel is getting bigger. I am not even allowing myself to look at land until we start actually saving money. Plus, we have no idea when the right land will present itself. That is God's timing. I've become more picky on location recently, although I probably shouldn't. It would be nice to stay within an hour of our hometown. Family is here and we don't want to be too far since one of us is not a big traveler. Being far away and driving in to see family is a gas guzzling activity though, if you allow yourselves visit so often.
Our goal is not get away from family, but to be frugally below our means so we are able to give. "Be a fountain not a well" If we are called to be further away we know it won't be because we really want it, but because it is God's will. Which is always best, and also usually not what we think we want. Wanting what God wants is always better and takes discipline to listen to Him in the present, trusting Him with the future. His way is perfect. I am thankful that He has given us His Word, the Bible, to know His will so we don't have to hem and haw. If it is according to the Bible, it's what He wants, which usually always means..He wants our hearts pure and faithful only to Him, not any man. If our purpose and allegiance is truly with Jesus Christ's and the furthering of His Kingdom it will be God's will and we will have peace.
I am comforted as I look back at our decisions to see that we were making huge directional changes about things we saw as being unwise. For both of us to really have the same mind about something big like this is really rare. As a married couple with very different personalities it was odd that we saw our inward promptings similar as we discussed our future on our anniversary overnight. Perhaps it shouldn't be odd, but to us it was. Perhaps this is a new way for us, which would be great. :)
It is comforting to see Christ at the center of our relationship. With our different personalities it is difficult to maintain a productive marriage together. It takes real Love as described in I Corinthians 13. It takes patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, selflessness, etc.. to be at peace with one another. When any of those things are off, even one, we are at odds. It has become a high priority for me that our family be at peace with one another and to not have any inner dwelling bitterness. That takes work, but it is worth every ounce of effort to see God working in and through us as we live at peace with each other.
September 12, 2011
Move in ready!
In the previous post I listed what we needed to do to make the new home liveable. We have done all things shy of finishing the kids/guest bath walls (ran into issues with the paneling) and getting the tubs ready for use.
We are doing the big move tomorrow and hoping to have all the little things over by the end of the week. Jake took the week off last week and built beds and an entertainment center. The home is already looking quite cozy and I'm looking forward to organizing all our things, as tedious as it can be. :)
Once settled I will be posting some after pictures of what we have done to the place in the last 5-6 weeks.
The short sale is moving along. We have had one showing despite not even being on the market yet. I am glad we will be showing a just vacated home. Our short sale negotiator has informed us that we would have a investor who would buy the home, but we hope and prefer the home to go to a family so the home is not sitting vacated like so many are these days. It is nice to know that this chapter could be coming to a close shortly.
Now I am off to crank the music and pack the last of our things for the move tomorrow! :)
We are doing the big move tomorrow and hoping to have all the little things over by the end of the week. Jake took the week off last week and built beds and an entertainment center. The home is already looking quite cozy and I'm looking forward to organizing all our things, as tedious as it can be. :)
Once settled I will be posting some after pictures of what we have done to the place in the last 5-6 weeks.
The short sale is moving along. We have had one showing despite not even being on the market yet. I am glad we will be showing a just vacated home. Our short sale negotiator has informed us that we would have a investor who would buy the home, but we hope and prefer the home to go to a family so the home is not sitting vacated like so many are these days. It is nice to know that this chapter could be coming to a close shortly.
Now I am off to crank the music and pack the last of our things for the move tomorrow! :)
August 9, 2011
Home Preparation Checklist
We have come a long way in just 10 days of getting our "Transition home transitioned"! All the yellow highlighted items need to be completed for the home to be ready to move in. Everything else is cosmetic that can be completed as money and time allows. Jake is focusing mainly on Flooring and handyman fixes and installations. I am focusing on the cleaning and painting. We help each other out as need as well.
Last night was fun. My sister took B to Big Lots.. it's their special place to go together. Jake and I had a lot of fun and got a lot of work done in just a few hours. He did the kids bathroom floor and installed the toilet. I prepped the walls in his office for painting and was his helper while moving one toilet from one side of the house to the other. Helping, as in, following him with a rag to catch the drips... This is where you say ew! (we are switching the toilets to have the nicer one in the hallway bath.
B’s Room Tear out old floor
Staples out of floor
Patch walls
Prep walls
Paint
Lay carpet
Kids Bath
Gut
Put in new sub floor
New Floor
Install toilet
Floor to ceiling white wainscoting Paneling (great idea Dad in law!!!)
New vanity
New tub fixtures
Towel racks
Storage shelf over toilet
Master Bedroom
Tear out old floor
Staples out of floor
Patch Walls
Prep Walls
Paint
New floor
Master Bath
Gut
Put in new sub floor
Prep walls
Paint
New Floor
Install toilet
New vanity or Pedestal sink
New tub fixtures
Fix tub caulking (worst caulk job we've ever seen!)
New shower curtain
Living Room and Hallway
Gut
Staples out of floorPatch Walls
Prep Walls
Paint
Kitchen
Clean everything
Contact Paper on Shelves
Windows
Replace screens
Wash windows
Sew curtains
Curtain rods
Put up shades
Doors
Replace front screen door
Paint door frame
Paint front door white
Light Fixtures
New throughout inside and out
Exterior outlet thing
Outside
Trim hedges
Weed Whack
Fall Landscaping
Staples out of floor
Patch walls
Prep walls
Paint
Lay carpet
Kids Bath
Gut
Put in new sub floor
New Floor
Install toilet
Floor to ceiling white wainscoting Paneling (great idea Dad in law!!!)
New vanity
New tub fixtures
Towel racks
Storage shelf over toilet
Master Bedroom
Tear out old floor
Staples out of floor
Patch Walls
Prep Walls
Paint
New floor
Master Bath
Gut
Put in new sub floor
Prep walls
Paint
New Floor
Install toilet
New vanity or Pedestal sink
New tub fixtures
Fix tub caulking (worst caulk job we've ever seen!)
New shower curtain
Living Room and Hallway
Gut
Staples out of floorPatch Walls
Prep Walls
Paint
Kitchen
Clean everything
Contact Paper on Shelves
Windows
Replace screens
Wash windows
Sew curtains
Curtain rods
Put up shades
Doors
Replace front screen door
Paint door frame
Paint front door white
Light Fixtures
New throughout inside and out
Exterior outlet thing
Outside
Trim hedges
Weed Whack
Fall Landscaping
Other
All carpets cleaned
All trash removed
August 2, 2011
Exterior photos of Transition Home
Here are the exterior pictures of our transitional home that we are transitioning to be more livable. :) Estimated move in is mid-September.
July 30, 2011
Positive short sale news and transitional home before pictures
Before we get to the transitional home that we bought last night here's the update on the short sale. The bank has gone through our house to assess the home value and we are waiting on a price to put the house up for. It should be a week or so according to our negotiator. The negotiator with the Realtor says they already have a few interested parties in our house! So we are happy to see things moving along now. We are also glad we found this home because we have work to do and it will take a good month at least.
The transitional home we found is in the park we were originally looking to move a home into because of their special deal. We were in the office handing in paperwork for residency application and the park manager had told me on the phone about a new house that would be available. When we got there I asked the price. We were jaw dropped by what they said!! We snatched it up right away.
For only $4000 we nailed a 3 bed, 2 bath home. If we were to rent a place at that price it would be at least $700/month (and that is conservative). If we stayed in that rental place for 5 years it would be $42,000 which we would have spent over the course of that time.
With this home we are paying a $376/month lot rent, plus the $4,000 purchase price. Over the course of 5 years as a comparison to the above number we will spend $26,560 saving $15,440! Even if lot rent is raised we'd still be saving a good amount.
Here are the before pics of the home. I forgot the kids bathroom and will have to add that pic later.
To the right as you walk in the door is the East end of the home.
The transitional home we found is in the park we were originally looking to move a home into because of their special deal. We were in the office handing in paperwork for residency application and the park manager had told me on the phone about a new house that would be available. When we got there I asked the price. We were jaw dropped by what they said!! We snatched it up right away.
For only $4000 we nailed a 3 bed, 2 bath home. If we were to rent a place at that price it would be at least $700/month (and that is conservative). If we stayed in that rental place for 5 years it would be $42,000 which we would have spent over the course of that time.
With this home we are paying a $376/month lot rent, plus the $4,000 purchase price. Over the course of 5 years as a comparison to the above number we will spend $26,560 saving $15,440! Even if lot rent is raised we'd still be saving a good amount.
Here are the before pics of the home. I forgot the kids bathroom and will have to add that pic later.
To the right as you walk in the door is the East end of the home.
The first room on the left is the kids room.
Kid's closet:
The next room to the left is the kid's bathroom.
Jake's office is the front room. Nice bay window for natural lighting.
Closet in Jake's office:
Back to the front door looking into the living room. See the kitchen on the other side.
Looking at the southwest corner. (see a bit of the front door on the left) I can not wait to tear out those vertical blinds!
Looking through the kitchen you can see all the way to the master bath.
Looking the other direction at the kitchen. I'm standing in the dining room.
The dining room and a silhouette of wonderful Dad in Law.
The pantry just next to the kitchen. Love it!!
Standing in the corner of the master bedroom.
Walk-in closet? I KNOW!!!
Garden tub that needs help in the Master bath. The toilet has a cove to the right and their are shelves to the right as you walk in the room.
Back where Dad in Law was standing in the dining room there is a door to a 3 season porch. The laundry areas is also by that door.
Um, yeah. All this for $4,000 folks!!!
This just dropped in our laps. Not only was it a deal, it has all the amenities we would desire for a functional home. Without having many more children we could live here very comfortably I think!
I have half my colors picked out for the walls. You can ask Jake. I am itching to get going and work on this place. I think I'm nesting early for the baby. :)
July 25, 2011
Things are Happening
A couple quick notes because things are busy around here.
A) An internal broker is coming in to assess the value of our house tomorrow
B) We found a mobile home park that will relocate a home into the park for $5500 and give back to us any extra money.
C) We found a home 924 sq ft home on property for $3500... the guy at the mobile home park that a single wide would average about $3000 to move.. leaving us $1500 to help pay for the home.
D) We may be about to purchase a home for $1500 moved to the park for free.
E) Lot rent would be $376 and perhaps an extra $10/month for our doggy.
We are trying to just breath right now. We could have a vacant home ready to be moved in by the end of this week to early next week. WHAT!?!?!
A) An internal broker is coming in to assess the value of our house tomorrow
B) We found a mobile home park that will relocate a home into the park for $5500 and give back to us any extra money.
C) We found a home 924 sq ft home on property for $3500... the guy at the mobile home park that a single wide would average about $3000 to move.. leaving us $1500 to help pay for the home.
D) We may be about to purchase a home for $1500 moved to the park for free.
E) Lot rent would be $376 and perhaps an extra $10/month for our doggy.
We are trying to just breath right now. We could have a vacant home ready to be moved in by the end of this week to early next week. WHAT!?!?!
July 9, 2011
Weighing options
Well, I will be completely honest with you all. We seriously are not sure if we should continue making payments on this house. Mind you, we are not going to go and make some drastic leap like this without feeling completely kosher about it.
Finances are tight as it is, but what's really the kicker was when Jake talked to someone he knows who does foreclosures for a living. They talked about it for a little while and he really drove the point home that the bank just simply won't hardly look at us unless we miss payments. He also suggested buying another house and defaulting on this loan. We still don't think missing payments is an option unless Jake loses his job, which might not be too far off anyway.
So, There we have it. Do we go with the unethical system of the bank because everyone else does and that is what they expect us to do as well? Or do we stick to our guns and trust that God will cause the road to rise up in His timing. Whether Jake has to lose his job or the bank miraculously begins to look at our file, something is bound to happen at some point!
Finances are tight as it is, but what's really the kicker was when Jake talked to someone he knows who does foreclosures for a living. They talked about it for a little while and he really drove the point home that the bank just simply won't hardly look at us unless we miss payments. He also suggested buying another house and defaulting on this loan. We still don't think missing payments is an option unless Jake loses his job, which might not be too far off anyway.
So, There we have it. Do we go with the unethical system of the bank because everyone else does and that is what they expect us to do as well? Or do we stick to our guns and trust that God will cause the road to rise up in His timing. Whether Jake has to lose his job or the bank miraculously begins to look at our file, something is bound to happen at some point!
July 6, 2011
One month later...
Still waiting after one month ago the bank saying there would be an appraisal ordered within a few days. It has also been almost 4 months since we started the process. I know it can be done in 2 months if the other parties do their part without procrastinating. If Jake loses his job we're sunk, but then maybe the bank would get the picture. Not sure if I've said this before, but we have next to no savings. They are sucking us dry, but we will never miss a payment if we are able to pay. We don't think it is right to stop paying just to stop paying, but the bank is taking advantage of that.
We will homeschool so I will begin planning for the fall a simple curriculum for a 3 year old. We are going the Montessori route. This includes setting up a room that is suitable for children. Kid sized everything. If we move at least I will have all the supplies. I will just have to set it all up somewhere else.
We continue to rest on God's direction. There is a good reason we are waiting. It's hard, but I try to think that maybe the longer we wait the greater blessing we have in the end.
We will homeschool so I will begin planning for the fall a simple curriculum for a 3 year old. We are going the Montessori route. This includes setting up a room that is suitable for children. Kid sized everything. If we move at least I will have all the supplies. I will just have to set it all up somewhere else.
We continue to rest on God's direction. There is a good reason we are waiting. It's hard, but I try to think that maybe the longer we wait the greater blessing we have in the end.
June 30, 2011
On We Wait!
Why do they call it a short sale? I mean I knew that it wasn't going to be short, but I was hoping we could be out of this place within 6 months and it's been over 3.
Now that I am 10 weeks pregnant I'm getting really anxious and worried that we'll be moving when I'm 8 months pregnant or with a new born.
These days have really taught me to live in the moment and to be thankful for the small things, like feeling the baby move already and my 3 year old saying "I love you mommy and daddy" over and over.
We have a choice every moment to be grateful or to grumble. I want to choose to be grateful. There is so much more life there. I'm thankful to have a husband that looks at the positive to help me from becoming the grumbler.
On we wait! I hope to post news (good or bad!) soon!
Now that I am 10 weeks pregnant I'm getting really anxious and worried that we'll be moving when I'm 8 months pregnant or with a new born.
These days have really taught me to live in the moment and to be thankful for the small things, like feeling the baby move already and my 3 year old saying "I love you mommy and daddy" over and over.
We have a choice every moment to be grateful or to grumble. I want to choose to be grateful. There is so much more life there. I'm thankful to have a husband that looks at the positive to help me from becoming the grumbler.
On we wait! I hope to post news (good or bad!) soon!
June 20, 2011
What is "a few days" in bank lingo?
The latest update on the house sale is that two weeks ago the bank told us they would order an appraisal "in a few days". So right now we are just wondering how much longer this "few days" is before we can actually think about listing the house on the market!
We are being patient, almost too patient I think at times, but we trust that the waiting will bring about a blessing in the end. Who knows what kind of land we might find. We are beginning to get quite creative in looking into things like land auctions and comparing small towns in Michigan. It's kind of fun, but also gets old and we just want to move forward in our 5 year plan that feels like it is becoming a 10 year plan.
There is no reason to take our current blessings for granted. We have no excuse not to live our current situation out of gratitude for the one who gives us each new day. At the end of the day we work hard at being thankful for each other, food, and covering.
Don't forget to wash your veggies thoroughly before you eat them... unless you are blessed to have an organic farm in your backyard! But you should still wash those...
We are being patient, almost too patient I think at times, but we trust that the waiting will bring about a blessing in the end. Who knows what kind of land we might find. We are beginning to get quite creative in looking into things like land auctions and comparing small towns in Michigan. It's kind of fun, but also gets old and we just want to move forward in our 5 year plan that feels like it is becoming a 10 year plan.
There is no reason to take our current blessings for granted. We have no excuse not to live our current situation out of gratitude for the one who gives us each new day. At the end of the day we work hard at being thankful for each other, food, and covering.
Don't forget to wash your veggies thoroughly before you eat them... unless you are blessed to have an organic farm in your backyard! But you should still wash those...
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