Since our return from the Netherlands, we have been concentrating on our possible lifestyle change and spending time with our granddaughter Victoria. We have spent a lot of our physical and mental energy on looking for that perfect house. While we are seriously thinking about giving up the full time lifestyle, we are still planning on traveling and exploring those many places we have not yet seen in the last five years or so, just not in the same way. We love what we do, but change is inevitable.
Having said that, the housing hunting has not been going that well. Our last experience was in 1999, when I was about to retire from the Coast Guard. Since my last duty station was overseas, we had to decide not only where we would live, but also find a job and a house. Once I had found a job, we made a quick trip to the states and found a house and made all the necessary arrangements in only four days.
This go around, there is no time pressure, as we are living in our moveable home of five years. So after over two months of on and off looking we are not much closer than when we started. Perhaps we are a bit smarter on the market here, but otherwise no closer.
During this process, we are still enjoying spending time with family. Victoria is getting to be a hand full. She is mobile now and has to be watched like a hawk. Turn your back and she is pulling stuff down on herself or taking diving lessons off the couch with Grandpa being held accountable for the black and blue injuries.
Today, we took a complete break from our schedule and sat on the beach and watched the waves braking on shore.
Tomorrow, we will hit the newest listing on the housing market.
18 comments:
Nothing like a little grand child to make you re-think your lifestyle. How those little, tiny hands can hold a grandparent captive is an amazing thing. She is certainly adorable. Good luck with the house-hunting.
Love the pictures of the ocean. Having lived on the east coast of Africa, we miss the sea so much. I just wish the Pacific was as warm as the Indian.
Mike and Dee
gonerving.blogspot.com
That is a beautiful header photo. I love scenes like this, although I'm basically a mountain and forest person.
I wish you well in your hunt for a house. It can be so frustrating, but it seems like it would be easier than selling one at this time.
Good luck with the house hunt. You certainly have a adorable granddaughter.
the two of you will find the perfect balance what ever it may be!..we wish you luck on this new chapter in your lives!
Good luck finding a house. I'm sure the right one is out there.
At least you have a location where you've decided to settle. We know that after an undetermined number of years full timing that we'll be settling down somewhere, but the big question is where. I guess our years on the road will help answer that question.
Good luck in your house search. We are always glad to go back to our log cabin after spending time on the road.
You certainly have picked a great time to buy a house. It's definitely a buyer's market.
Sherry
www.directionofourdreams.blogspot.com
Victoria is such a cutie. YUCK...looking for a house. What a huge job. Since you have the time, you can wait for just what you want. What area are you house hunting? Good luck looking.
Don't know about any warm Indians, but we have heard there is a delightful cave home in Bisbee, AZ, on the market. It's a rather large home carved out of the mountain, sits on (or under) 37 acres of beautiful high desert country, lots of wildlife (animal kind, not night clubs), price reduced by half to only $1,500,000. Do you want the realtor's number?
What a perfect market to be able to take your time and find just the right house. We always had to rush and always knew that "perfect house" was out there someplace just beyond our time frame :)
Wishing you luck on the house hunt!
Nice that you can take your time and look for the perfect house.
You sure are enjoying Victoria and we can understand completely how this little lady is driving your lifestyle change.
Now that is my kind of complete break!!!
The perfect place for you will come along! I'm a firm believer that things always work out as they should, and with time on your hands you have a strong advantage!! And in the meantime ~ take some more of those breaks!!!
House hunting is so much fun!
You're starting an exciting new chapter in your journey. We are eager to see how it unfolds.
Best of luck!
We are starting our 3rd year of fulltiming. We, too, talk about settling "some day". I suppose we will know when the time is right. Sounds like you have decided the time is right for you.
We are part-timers, not full-timers and we enjoy having a house. We downsized a few years ago and one of our necessities in finding a new home was RV parking. That is hard to find in some of the newer homes which have CC&Rs. We finally found the perfect place and couldn't be happier with this lifestyle!
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