Movin’On Up: Keep, sell, donate, or dumpster… Due to low interest rate?

Posted by: adonis49 on: June 1, 2013

• In: economy/finance | Essays | social articles | women
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Movin’On Up: Keep, sell, donate, or dumpster… Due to low interest rate?

Are you getting ready to sell your property because fixed interest rate are low (4%)?

Are considering refinancing your home and cash in on the high interest rate you started with?

A Rich, Full Life In Spite of It posted on May 27, 2013 “Movin’On Up”

I have been knee-deep in all my things. My house looks like an episode of Hoarders, and I’m wrestling with the four decision piles. Keep, Sell, Donate, or Dumpster (KSDD).

Here are some things I’ve learned so far:

1. We have entirely too much crap.
2. It’s easier to part with that crap when faced with the reality of having to pack and move it. Haven’t used it in a year? It’s gone. No function in a new space, gone. Clothes that don’t fit anymore and aren’t part of a nostalgic concert t-shirt collection? Donate. I’ve been trying to do this and get organized for years, but now I’m really doing it.
3. The appeal of the e-reader is never greater than when you’re packing box after box of books. I can’t bear to part with most of mine, even the shitty ones. 15 boxes and counting. (The appeal of nearby libraries is never greater at these situations…)
4. The list of things that we need to fix and update in our home is long, expensive, and overwhelming. Power wash everything and shave the dog. Caulk all the cracks! New paint inside and out, new back fence, repair garage door opener that has been broken for three years, new blinds, steam clean the tile and grout, wash the baseboards, actually decorate with something other than children’s toys, new flooring. Everything I’ve ever thought would be nice to do around here will be done in the next few weeks. For someone else to enjoy. An interesting life metaphor if you care to explore it.(Nothing like selling to remind people that moving out is the best occasion to bring compassion toward the buyers)
5. Storage buildings are expensive.
6. The DIY and HGTV are on the television more now, that is, when my daughter will allow us to switch over from Toy Story. I feel like all these “Crashers” shows give me unrealistic expectations for my trips to Home Depot and Lowe’s. I fully expect someone to approach me followed by cameras and come landscape my yard for free. I’m disappointed every time it doesn’t happen. I laughed for five full minutes when I heard someone on the DIY network say silicone caulk yesterday because I’m super mature.
7. The most common question that I get asked now when talking about this, is what school district do we want to be in? Have I researched elementary schools and high schools? On a limited basis, I have, but I still have a part of me that wonders how important the quality of the elementary school really is. I went to grade school in a three room, rural school-house, and was fine. I attended the one high school that was available to us–it was fine. I’m not sure how to adjust to this momster mentality that every school my daughter attends has to be perfect, even the pre-school. We’re still just coloring and learning not to shit in our pants, right? I know, I know, it’s important. I’ll get there.
8. In searching through homes for sale on the internet, it took me exactly fifteen minutes to turn into one of those people on House Hunters that I hate, complaining about wallpaper, boarders and ruling out a listing based on a kitchen that doesn’t open up to the living space and has the wrong color cabinets. Didn’t think I had that in me either. I was wrong.
9. I will make shit up to achieve the symmetry of a list of ten.
10. I can see the garage floor for the first time ever since moving in here.

Tada…ten. That’s actually true, but probably not interesting to anyone but me.

Our friends put their house up for sale Friday night. By Saturday evening, they had three full price offers on it.

The market is smoking hot and probably headed for another crash.

But we’re doing it.

Since I stopped working, I’ve spent a lot of time trying to curb the desire for material things, and it’s interesting how this process has re-awakened that wanting. I want a big spacious floor plan and a beautiful outdoor living space. I want two or three bedrooms and an office. I want a bathtub big enough to swim in and a nice kitchen. I want some new furniture to go with it. I want to not feel so disgusted with myself for wanting these things. I want this post to be funnier and sound less pretentious.

I don’t always get what I want.

It’s a steady stream of need vs. want evaluations lately, but for now at least, I know that I’ll be hissy fit free even if we don’t get any of those things.

But that’s what’s going on here.

My posting will probably be even more sporadic for the next few weeks, but I’ll still be around reading your stuff.

Is anyone else getting ready to move or in the process of refinancing your mortgage?

Good times, right?

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