I have the next few items in my list all ready to go, but I’m taking a break today because, well, there’s way too much going on. Blogging helps me to organize my thoughts and process things, and I could use some of that today.
Big Doin’s Down South
The biggest news is that my wife, Laura, is in Georgia today (I’m in Maine, where we live). Specifically, she’s in Roswell Georgia, and she’s there for a job interview. She works for a company that sells medical equipment for veterinary use, where she does technical support. A subsidiary located in Georgia is looking for a phone and field support person who already knows the equipment. They sent out an internal inquiry, she responded, and today they’re flying her down for a face to face interview.
If she gets the job, assuming that the pay is enough (it should be, based on the pay range and her experience), and given that they offer some relocation assistance, we will be moving to Georgia. Needless to say, this is big. Life altering big. Over the past few weeks we’ve gone over all of the implications, doing our best to look at it from every angle and weight the good against the bad. If we move, I’ll probably have to give up on my own business for a while (the reason it works here is that I already have contacts within the local industry) and get a normal job. I will also have to give up on my school plans for at least a year so I can get in-state tuition rates. It also means moving away from family and friends and virtually everything we know.
In the end we decided that this was an opportunity that we just couldn’t pass up. We’ve been talking about moving elsewhere for years, and here’s a chance not only to do that, but to get some help with it, and to have at least one job already lined up on the other side. Georgia isn’t our first choice, but from everything I’ve read Roswell is a nice place. The crime rate is low, it’s a bit cooler than Atlanta, and not as horribly built up. Given that we’ve spent the last few weeks fighting the rapidly expanding lake in our driveway due to all the melting snow and ice that has nowhere to go because the ground is still frozen (and there’s still a good three feet of snow out there), the idea of not having a real winter for a few years is a nice one. Also, living in a place where we wouldn’t have to drive more than 10 miles to get pretty much anything we need is very seductive (we live 25 miles from what most people would consider a real town, and almost 40 from any reasonable shopping, colleges, etc).
She’s there right now, talking with them, deciding our future. So far her plane was delayed (due to snow on this end, of course), and she got lost on the Atlanta highways, but she knows her stuff and she’s good at first impressions. So here’s hoping.
Meanwhile, Back at The Ranch
The biggest problem with moving is going to be selling this house. It’s small and needs a lot of work, and the market stinks right now. We’re hoping to be able to sell it quickly by pricing it low, but there’s a limit to how little we’re going to be able to walk away with. We’ve already contacted the realtor we used to buy this house, and I was supposed to meet with her today, but we had to cancel due to the snow. Even if we don’t go to Georgia, we’re going to try to sell this house and upgrade within the year, so what better time to start the process? We’ve been doing some cosmetic work, and cataloging what’s wrong with this place. Unfortunately, things seem to keep piling up.
Our furnace needs to be serviced, it keep turning itself off for no apparent reason, but we’re a bit strapped at the moment. Just this morning I went into the basement to turn the stupid thing back on and found that a pipe, the one that takes water from the pump to the furnace, had sprung a leak and was merrily spraying down half the basement. Turning off the valve leading to the leak meant completely turning off our water, and our heat. So now I’m cold (space heaters can only do so much), and I can’t even take a shower of do the dishes. When I get done here I’m going to go down and start moving things around so the repair guy can get to it easily. I’m also going to frantically clean upstairs so we don’t look like complete slobs.
Needless to say, I haven’t let Laura in on any of this. She’s got enough on her plate already.
So, when does the fun part of home ownership, and adult responsibility in general, start?
3 comments:
I might be biased, but Roswell Georgia is an excellent place to live. Yes, I live there. Yes I sell Real Estate there. And yes... I'm so glad I ran across your post. :-) Seriously.... Not trying to push myself or my service on you but if you have any questions or want any info on the area, I'd be happy to help. Just google 'roswellgarealtor' for my contact info.
You certainly have the right attitude to selling your home.... Sell the best for the least price.... And spring time is the best time to put your home on the market as people don't like to uproot their kids during the school year.
Whatever you plan on doing, I wish you luck.
You've hit on one BIG reason I haven't made the jump to purchasing a home yet - I can't fix things myself.
Some big potential changes in your future... scary but exciting all at the same time! I'm curious to see how it all works out...
There is something to be said for having a land lord. You give up a lot of freedom, but then again, it's not on you to handle stuff that goes wrong. There is a return on investment in owning, but, given the low numbers involved in any house I could ever afford, I'm not certain it's worth the hassles.
In any case, if we go down we'll be renting, at least for a bit. I'm not about to buy a house in a place I've never been before. A short term lease is a far less frightening prospect.
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