Dream Home!

We're on a mission. In driving around, looking at the depressing choices of houses within our immediate means, we stumbled upon the neighborhood of our dreams. We immediately fell in love! Even Mercy was in the back seat going "Ooooo!"

This tiny little neighborhood is literally just one small street that circles around. All the houses are similar to this one, sort of a southern style beach house of sorts. They all have a yard with a white picket fence and a drive that leads to a garage. The street is situated in the middle of Old Town Helena! The mental pictures just flow with scenes of our little family walking to dinner at the nearby, cosy restaurants. Mercy playing in the part a few houses away. Getting fresh produce at the stand across the street. Watching free flicks in the outdoor amphitheater across the way.

Alas, these are only dreams as of yet. Surprisingly, these lovely homes are only slightly out of our financial means. Thus, we have found a great deal of motivation to save, save, save. Squander every penny. Sell every superfluous item. You know the whole "Beg, Borrow, Steal" thing only we don't steal.

Right now we are only in the brainstorming stage, but my brain hurts from all the thinking of ways to reduce the monthly outflow and increase the monthly income. Honestly, if any of you faithful readers have interesting ideas, feel free to leave them as comments. We're up for anything at this point!

It is two story, and technically 2 bedrooms, but as you can see, there is an additional room that the current owners used as the nursery. I can barely wait to have a yard for Mercy to play in! But we can wait and we will wait, because the end result is worth it.

In the meantime, we will pray, consider all our options--even the unusual ones, and save like crazy. We going to do a money making account for our existing downpayment monies, and simply continue to add to it. We hope to sell our minivan very soon. As it is, we have 3 vehicles, 2 of which are paid for. That will add some to our savings.

It is possible that when our lease is up at our current location we may move to a less expensive option. We are even exploring these "cottages," mother-in-law suites, basement living type rentals that are generally affiliated with someone else's home. It would likely be small, and we would definately have to simplify and/or store some items, but I've seen them in the paper as low as $400/mo. in the very neighborhood we already live in. Some even include utilities at a rate from 670-750 a month. That's darn good considering it includes utilities and you wouldn't have to hassle with the deposits and switch overs that often come with moving.

We are still weighing all our options though, because not only is moving detestable, it is costly. There's the truck rental, the manpower needed, gas, all the deposits. Then there are the hassles of the change of address and such. You have to consider location in relation to work and church and mothers-day-out. Whew! I'm tired even now.

I don't know much else, but I know this one thing. The dream is there, the motivation and goal in place. Now we simply need prayer and a plan of action! Join us in prayer for this new venture of rebuilding our lives post Katrina! It may take 2 years, but after 2 years we desperately hope to be in a place to buy a home and have another child. Oh the excitement of the journey of life never ends!