Friday, March 9, 2012

The American Dream = Detroit, MI?!

I really, really love our home.  I love the hard wood floors, the new beadboard in the kitchen, my freshly painted furniture, wall art, and cozy bedroom.  But it's not mine.  We are renters.
Almost 30-year old renters.
I want my own home.  A place to call mine.  A place to call ours.  A place to decorate and paint and renovate all my own.  Just like Roeshel has done to her 1927 farmhouse.

I feel slightly behind the curve when I see and hear about friends of mine buying their first home.  And I start to feel anxious.  Feel the need to catch up.  To hurry up.

Since I can't start DIYing on a new "old" home yet, I started a "dream home" board on Pinterest.  It literally has two pins right now.  I'm trying to make my "dream home" be realistic. 
Pinterest is fun because it allows me to dream, but I hate dreaming about something that will never be mine.  That awesome 25 ft x 25 ft kitchen with stainless steel appliances, rod iron chandelier, and butler in the corner? 
Won't be mine.  

source: Pinterest

But I can wish for a porch out back for my kids to build forts on.  And a simple veggie drawer cabinet.  It's the little things, right?
Living in Michigan Detroit makes the American Dream that much closer.  {Although I DO realize that many of you would never put "American Dream" and "Detroit" in the same sentence.}
Most homes are completely affordable over here.  In fact, my friends applied for a loan on a house that cost $30,000 and were TURNED DOWN because it wasn't expensive enough.  Most decent homes are $40,000 - $60,000.  Of course, every one of them needs a little TLC.  But this girl loves herself a DIY project!

The cheap homes combined with the awesome VA loan rates that we'll receive thanks to hubby's years in the Army, should make this dream even more reachable, too.  (more info on VA loans here at VA.gov).

Over the next year, we plan on saving up cash for a house {remember homes are available on the cheap here}.  Or at least a major downpayment. 

Maybe we'll find one with a little studio out back for me to work in.  Oh how I'd love to move out of the kitchen!  Until then, I'm trying to keep Matthew 6:33 in the front of my mind.
source


PS - have you linked up to the Pinterest Challenge yet?  Yesterday, Ashlee revealed her Pinterest Piece and today Kara is!  Be sure to check them out and leave them some comment love.

12 comments:

  1. Wow. Maybe we should move there. We were slammed in the head with sticker shock when we moved from SW GA to VA...it was awful! If I had built this house in GA, it would have been a good $50,000 cheaper...ugh!

    It's awesome that you plan to save so much! That's the way to go!

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    1. Doesn't that just make you so mad? How can two exact homes be so different in cost?!

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  2. Rebecca,
    One day soon, you guys will be rewarded by all of your hard work with a beautiful home of your own. You are an inspiration to all early married couples.

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    1. Thanks Paula! God did something amazing today that took us one more step closer! He is SO good!

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  3. We bought our first home almost 3 years ago... at the ages of 37 and 34! We rented because it was more economical and it turns out that it was even more than that as all our friends have had to foreclose or short sell (we're in Vegas!). I was so discouraged for so long not to own (and to live in a 900 sq foot apt with 2 kids!) but now I know God was protecting us from major financial disaster. :-)

    Also, my hubby is retired Marines, and we had a hard time with VA. We ended up going the FHA route so don't get discouraged if the VA gives you a run around.

    (And I'm from Michigan originally! Had no idea you were located in DTW.)

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    1. Good to know about the VA loan - thanks! And yes - DETROIT! ;)

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  4. Didn't realize you were in Detroit! Small world! My husband and I were in Westland, MI for the 1st 5 years of our marriage. We just moved out of the "yellow" on the map and now we're in Monroe, MI which is about a 1/2 hour outside Detroit. I have to tell you that my husband and I deeply REGRET purchasing our 1st home (before we were married he bought it) and always say we should've rented. we bought in 2006, peak of the market and we've lost so much money! It was a brownstone, condo, that I adored and my doting fiance bought it for us... blah... blah.... Fast forward to now and we have to rent that place out. Thankfully we can do that but we do not cover all of our expenses. We purchased the home we live in now in this bad market and hopefully, this home's equity (it was a foreclosure) will make up for the $35k plus we lost on the condo. God was surely watching over your family! We should've consulted Him before the condo purchase. Perhaps we were distracted by our impending nuptials? You'll get there and it will be amazing! Btw- foreclosures and FHA loans are wonderful! The % down is minimal and sometimes the bank will cover the closing costs. You should look into it. W/o it, buying our current home would've been impossible!

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    1. These are awesome tips... and wow! So close! Hope that weather wasn't too terrible last night. Did you have tornadoes? yikes! Everything missed us here in Detroit.

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  5. I, like you, want to own a home SOO bad! I want a place to call my own and decorate it. I dream about it daily. I remind myself that I will appreciate it that much more.. I am not going to settle and I have plenty of time to save up. We live in a co-op so theres no reason or pressure to buy a house until we are ready since we live pretty cheap (just had to put down an equity to move in). Anyways, I saw this blogpost a few days ago and wanted to share, it spoke to me and was exactly what I needed to hear. http://www.imperfecthomemaking.com/2012/01/dont-let-comparison-steal-your.html

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    1. Thanks for that link Erin. Why is comparison SO HARD? I know God wants me to be content and thankful for what He's given me, but I have moments.

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  6. funny thing, I'm currently between the sale of our home and the purchase of a new one. and if it made any sense at all to rent here, i would. buying a house may sound like fun, but it's crazy how many things have to come together for it to work. and while i have found pinterest to be the source of many great ideas for recipes and things to do with kids, it causes me some serious house-lust when i look at all the lovelies i will never own. and even if i had the money to buy them, i could never justify actually making those purchases. but i suppose that's what being "homeless" for a month and counting will do to you... make you realize what you really NEED. the rest goes by the wayside.

    i hope you find joy and contentment in whatever season of life you find yourself, even when it is hard!

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    1. Thanks Courtney. I am LEARNING the secret of being content in any and every situation. :)

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