To buy or to rent...

So as I’ve posted before, I am moving to Vicksburg, MS and am looking for a place to live.  I had it all sort of worked out where I would live with a friend in Clinton, MS and commute with her husband.  Save on rent, commute time, and money.  However, that took a strange turn and it may or may not work out.  I’m giving it time to see what happens with that situation and then maybe we’ll reevaluate in about a month if all seems well.

I spent a few weeks looking for a place to rent and the options are slim, and expensive.  I could live in a shack, that might blow over in a strong wind and I might get robbed every day, for somewhere in the price range of 650-750$.  OR I could live in a crappy old house or a one bedroom/one bath apartment, for 850-1,500$ a month.  And in this economy, I just don’t see either happening.

I’ve settled, for now (see previous post), on living with my parents in Natchez, MS.  A good one and a half hour commute, one way…door to door.  But with the commute, planning, grading, and my own grad classes, I see this sucking.  A lot.  However, it will save us a lot of money and will allow us to pay off our credit cards much sooner than if I were to rent or buy something.

Now to the buying part.

We are already realizing, remember that previous post, how much this arrangement is going to suck.  So, just for fun, not knowing what my credit looks like or if I can even get a loan for a house, I decided to start looking on zillow.com again.  Just because it’s fun and I like to dream.

We had found this house before, when we first started thinking about buying.

It’s in a great neighborhood, not on a main street, and did I mention it is in a great neighborhood.  After seeing this house, twice, I decided that if and when we buy in Vicksburg, it will have to be in or around this neighborhood.  I mean, people were out walking their dogs, strolling their kids, riding their bikes, and there was even a community Frisbee game on a grassy area in the middle of the neighborhood.  Just made me want to move in and never move again.

The house itself needs a lot of work.  The owner wants 118,000$ for it, but everyone we have talked to says he won’t get it.  It’s a 3/2.  So we could have an office/guestroom and a future kids room, no problem. It’s definitely not move in ready.  It doesn’t even have a washer and dryer hookup.  All of that however could be fixed with the proper loan.  But, it’s an as is sale, meaning, you can’t really get a loan on it. Peeling paint, codes etc.  Sigh.

The nice real estate lady told us about this other house.

It’s 112,000$ and totally move in ready.  It is only a 2/1, but it has a few more square feet than the other house (I haven’t even seen this one in person, but I fell in love with it on zillow).  It’s near the other house, just right up the street really, making it 2-3 blocks closer to the school.  Not that it makes that much of a difference.  But for some reason, I’m in love with this house.  Must. Go. See. It. In. Person.

This is the house that I was thinking about renting for 850$. 

It’s a 2/1 and the lady actually has it on the market to sell for 87,000$  The neighborhood was, meh.  Or what the people in the bizz like to call, transitional.  Meaning it could go either way, up or down.  And in my opinion, that neighborhood was on it’s way doooooown. And according to zillow’s estimate on the mortgage payment, it would be under 400$ a month.  Total ripoff.  I’m sure the hell not going to pay 850$ AND utilities AND mow the grass, when it’s selling for 87,000$.  Fuck that.  It’s falling apart anyway.

So now down to the dirty.

Before we even thought about buying, my credit was really good.  Then our credit cards people’s got mad at us because we were not using our credit cards as much as they would have liked us to.  We were paying them off and using them very sparingly.  So these lovely credit card people decided to cut three of our credit cards off.  Lowering our debt to available credit ratio, putting my credit back in the toilet.  Thanks Assholes!

However, after paying off some more credit cards, I’ve realized that my credit limit on one credit card has been raised from 500 to 2750.  Which gives me much more credit than debt.  So me thinks my credit score may have gone up with that.  So I’ve got to find out exactly what my credit score is and if it’s high enough, see if I can get a loan for a house.

Our idea is that we would take our permanent situation from FL to MS.  Since that is where we won’t to move.  So Ed would rent a room from a co-worker and we could possibly buy a house.  That way we are only rally paying one large amount out and it will be more of an investment than throwing it away to some rich Indian real estate lady and her doctor husband. 

We shall see about all this.  We shall seeeeee…. Stay tuned for updates on my housing woes.

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Update:

Well that was a bust...let's see what I can figure out now...

Go the Fuck Away

Most of you have heard of the book Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbacj, hilariously narrated by Samuel L. Jackson.  Well, I need to write a sequel called Go the Fuck Away.

Moving back in with your parents at the age of 28 (GASP!) is not easy.  Especially when your political and religious views don’t exactly match.  Let’s just say, could be polar opposite.  At the same time, your food preferences are completely different as well.  Not to mention, every day, one of your parents walks back to where you are and  just stands. In your door way. And looks at you.  I’m trying to decide if this is the look of, “I can’t believe you took out all that loan money to go to that expensive liberal arts college AND THEN got a masters degree and during that time spent four years abroad, and still you come back to live in my house…even AFTER you are married” or, if it’s just a curiousness, like, an animal in a zoo.  Eventually, said parent will say, “what are you doing?”  Well clearly I am ignoring you staying out of your way.  I’m obviously on my computer or my phone or reading a book or watching tv.

This is when I want to say…just go the fuck away.

But alas, they are doing me a favor, letting me live here and save money until we pay off our credit cards and the husband can get a job and move here.  So I can’t exactly be a jackass.  So I try to say something non-descript or general, like, "playing on the computer" or "nothing" or "watching tv."  Every other day, I get spunky and say, “minding my own business,” which just pisses said parent off and leaves me in a bad spot and walking on eggshells.  Not a fun way to live.

Needless to say, the house hunt has continued.  Both to buy and to rent, more on that later.

Decision made…

So…out of four choices….

1)    the house for rent:  850/month, 500 deposit, and probably about 400 in utilities, in town

2)    the apartment:  right under 700/month, 150 deposit, 200ish in utilities, 30 min commute

3)    a friend: 150/month, 45 min commute

4)    home with the parents, 200 in gas, 1 hour 15 min commute

After much calculation and some reasoning/rationalizing with one of my best friends, Alisa, I came to the conclusion that option 1, is out of the question, just too expensive for what we would get and would take all our extra money, defeating the purpose.  Option 2, where more reasonable, still didn’t allow us to save enough to pay off our credit cards within a reasonable amount of time.

So now it’s down to option 3 and 4.

Living with friends is hard…but what’s harder?  Being an adult and living with your parents or living with friends?

I know what living with friends can do, you have to work at it so you don’t ruin your friendship.  Sometimes you have to let some things go even though the bother you.  Or if you get on each other’s nerves, sometimes you just have to let it go. For the sake of the relationship, and the living situation.

My parents would probably just drive me insane.  Plus, the commute is further and did I mention my parents would drive me insane?  I mean, I can always take a break if I need to and come here.  But I think living here would just…drive me insane.

So, it’s option 3!  I’m living with a friend!  Dee, I hope you know how much living with friends changes things!  It’s not going to be a cakewalk!  Although we can walk…and eat cake…

So, by living with my friend Dee…and we’re hoping that this is only 3-4 months…Ed and I will be able to pay of our debt and then we can afford for him to quit his job in Florida and move to Mississippi.

And to clear that up:  We can’t afford to move and only have one income, so Ed is keeping his job in Florida, until we pay off some of our debt (we’re hoping only 3-4 months).  So yes, we will be living apart for a few months.  But by saving money and sacrificing some comforts, we’ll be able to pay off some of our debt and be able to afford more “luxuries” in the future, luxuries like…living together…soooo sad. 

We also hope to build our credit up real high so that if we decide we like teaching in Mississippi, we can possibly buy a house.  Because BUYing a house costs a lot less than renting, I’m talking the difference in 400$ mortgage on a 3/2 house or renting a 2/1 for 900$.  I know there are other costs when buying and if something breaks, we have to fix it.  But we wouldn’t buy until we had the second income and some other things in place, like a new couch, and a new computer, and of course some more serious things like, a down payment, etc.

So even though this is a difficult time, with the health of Ed’s dad deteriorating, we will be living apart, adding more stress.  But we’re trying to think long term benefits, so hopefully all this stress and being apart will pay off in the long run.

Here’s to hoping! (chugs a bottle of wine)

20…what…noooo it’s the 1960’s…

Here I thought it was 2011….and then I began the process of moving back to Mississippi.  Most people around here don’t notice the problem because it’s accepted practice.  But after moving away from Mississippi for so long and living in places like Illinois, Germany, and Florida, I must have just forgotten.  I actually think the problem is that I did most of my growing up and forming of views away from Mississippi.  And now that I’m coming back, it’s just shocking.

Example 1:

I was on the phone with a real estate gentleman talking about rental properties.  He was very nice and extremely helpful.  We talked for about 30 minutes, even though he didn’t have any properties available at the moment.  We talked about different areas, the potential of buying,  what I was looking for, and all the other things people talk about when moving to a new area.  He was giving me different options when he paused, and the conversation continued like this:

Gentleman: Now, I don’t want to offend you, but let me ask you a question.

Me: OK.

G: are you black or white?

M: well I’m white, sir.

G:  OH, ok, well…I just won’t want to put a little white girl in an all black neighborhood…

(.5)

G: and I wouldn’t want to put a little black girl in an all white neighborhood either…

(.5)

G: and I ask because you could have been a well-educated black girl

(.5)

M: oh.

COME ON.  This is TWO THOUSAND ELEVEN!!!           

Example 2:

This one took place in person, with a little lady who lived out in the country.  She was very well educated, a lawyer, owns several businesses, and owns over 20 rental properties.

Lady:  I can tell over the phone what kind of people you are…and then I make it harder if I don’t like the way they sound.

Me: (blink…blink…)

L:  See…you would get the short application, because you’re good people…and somebody else, you know, like (points in the direction of a rental house where an African American family lived)…they get the long application.

M:  Oh, well what’s the difference? I’m not sure I understand?

L:  Oh well that’s just a way where I can weed out who I want living in my rental properties, cause you know, if they have any kind of problems, I don’t have to rent to them…but you get the short application, cause you’re good people.

I wanted to ask her…Really?  How do you know I’m, “Good people”? 

After talking to Ed about it, we decided I should go back and act all stupid and drunk, with loud music and see what she says then.  Wear some kind of skanky outfit and freak her out.

I mean come on… good god… it’s 2011…

Maybe I’m the stupid one, naïve at best, to believe that things have changed.  How are we to move on from the past if people can’t let it go?  I know things aren’t that simple, but things can’t get better around here the way they are now…

The Great Mississippi Home hunt of 2011…

And by great, I mean it sucks ass…

So according to everyone who knows anything about Vicksburg, MS, there are absolutely no houses to rent in Vicksburg, for a decent price, in a decent neighborhood.  According to a couple realtors, the real estate market in Vicksburg was not affected in the recent boom.  Also, rental properties come at a premium.  Because houses are so cheap, most people just buy them.  But for those who can’t buy (yeah, that’d be me) and want to live in a nice, safe area, pay biiiiiiig money, which I don’t have either.  So what does a poor girl, with a new job, and meh credit do?  No fucking clue.  Still trying to figure that one out.  On top of all that, because of the “Great Mississippi River Flood of 2011,”  all the rental properties are full of teanats who have been misplaced by the flooding or have been hauled in for the next couple of years to fix problems caused by the flooding, making it IMPOSSIBLE to find a place to rent.  Everyone, who doesn’t know me, keeps telling me, “Oh, you should just buy!”  Oh, I would love to!  Just, I’ve spent my whole adult life trying to get a better education so that “all my dreams will come true,” which means taking out some loans and having a credit card here or there to live on.  And now this whole economic crisis bullshit has come along, fucking up all my plans and dreams, etc. etc. etc.

Needless to say, I’m bitter…angry…and sad…Oh, and kind of homeless.

Sooooo if you know of anything decent in a decent price range…oh, now wait, we should talk about what a decent price range is.  A lot of people have told me, “Oh, I know a great cheap place!” and I say, “Really?!? How much?” “Oh, it’s such a steal! It’s a one bedroom one bath for 1,250$ a month!”  and this is where in my head I go off like this, “Bitch, you don’t know what cheap is.  Why don’t you go crawl back up your daddy’s ass and let him buy you another new car?”  Where in reality, I say, “Oh, well isn’t that just nice.”  Bitch please.  A decent price, is one that a person on a single salary can afford and have money left over to do things like…eat…buy gas for the car…maaaybe have internet…and I hear there’s this thing that you watch on TV called cable….that might be nice to have for a while.  So what’s the magic number? Well it’s not 1,250$ for sure!  How about, 800$ OR LESS!

So, like I was saying, before I had to correct a bitch.  If you hear of anything in Vicksburg, MS for rent for a decent price, in a decent neighborhood.  Please let me know.  I’d appreciate it greatly.