Dream house, Flop House, or no house? [Archive]

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Spartana

1-12-11, 3:57pm

:help:OK, since I'm in the house buying/looking mode, here's another "What would you do in my shoes" question. here's the background if you didn't know it already:

Sold my house a bit ago once the last pup passed and planned to travel full time totally unencumbered by a home for a couple of years before buying a very small condo in an inexpensive state once I was ready to settle down again. But last spring I inhereted my Dad's dogs when he died and haven't found them a home so will be keeping them. That means I can't travel like I wanted too (but will still travel a bit) and need to think about my lomg term housing situation since one of the dogs (3 of them) is fairly young. So I have several choices as I see it and want some input to help me decide what to do:

I can buy my "dream house" in an area I love and make that my permenant home. It would be far from very expensive So Calif, where I currently live, and from my sister - my only relative who I am extremely close to - and who pet sits for me alot giving me more freedom to roam.

Or I can buy an inexpensive "Flop House" in SoCal to take advantage of the current low housing prices. But it would be in an area I don't like that much and wouldn't want to live in forever, but is close to my sister (50 miles) and would make seeing each other and having a pet sitter so I could travel very easy. Then once the pets are gone I could sell it (hopefully for a profit or at least for what I bought it for) and move to my dream house - where ever that ends up being!

Or I can go the "no house" route and continue to rent a place in SoCal instead of buy. Wait to buy until the pups pass on or whenever I wanted. If I did that I would be freer to move when I want, but it may be several years before I'd buy again and housing prices may have really increased. Plus paying rent for a place that allows three dogs will be high.

So any suggestions? :thankyou:

Gina

1-13-11, 1:09am

Good luck finding a nice rental at a reasonable price that will allow 3 dogs.

First thing I'd do before making such a decision would be to really look hard at places in an area closer to your sister for something in your price range. You never know what you might find in this market. For myself, I would not want to live in an area I didn't like. You are talking a number of years, and with dogs, you'll likely be home more than travelling.

You can of course rent while looking for a really good, reasonable, permanent home in an area you like. I looked for 2 years before finding exactly what I wanted in a down market. No dogs to deal with however.

Good luck.

shadowmoss

1-13-11, 3:08pm

I'd buy, and be near sister for pet sitting reasons. As for going for dream for flop, I'd veer more towards dream (knowing your dream is small, minimalist, etc.) something that you can enjoy now, and then sell later and move to dream location. My $.02.

loosechickens

1-13-11, 4:28pm

Certainly the market right now in southern CA is tilted decisively in favor of buyers, so you should be able to get a pretty decent deal. And with rising population, don't think prices can stay down forever, although a quick recovery is unlikely. I'd put my vote into staying near your sister, looking for a small place in a decent neighborhood (I agree, presence of three dogs makes you nearly an untouchable in the rental market), so that you can take advantage of nearby pet sitting, allowing you to enjoy your dream of travel, at least part time.

Good luck........

Glo

1-14-11, 10:00am

Go for the dream house. IMO, where you live is the most important thing since it has a lot to do with your degree of happiness.

sweetana3

1-14-11, 10:55am

Reyes

1-14-11, 11:09am

How old are the dogs?

Spartana

1-14-11, 2:38pm

Thanks for the replies everyone. At the moment (may change!!) I am leaning towards just staying in SoCal permanently (been here forever already!) and buying a small place in a town (Temecula) that I really like alot. It's in a nice valley mid-way between the mountains and ocean and surrounded by big horse ranches, about 40wineries, and avocado groves. Nice historic main street and downtown area. Lots of city parks, bike paths, casino, couple of big lakes close by and lots of great hiking and mountain biking areas near by too. The only draw back is that it gets too hot and dry for me in summer and fall - and I absolutely HATE hot, dry, endlessly sunny weather. But it's perfect in winter (60's to low 70's). But it's close to my friends and my Sis (only family, best friends, beach VB partner, and free pet sitter :-)), is fairly inexpensive with low property taxes and low heating costs and cooling cost (would hope to be gone travelling during summer or at least at the beach or in the mountains - both about an hour drive away). So I guess the pull of family is stronger than the pull of the Great White North (Maine, Washington, Colorado or Alaska - places I'd want to live). hey, least I won't have to shovel snow!! Lindi

editted to add: the other big drawbacks for me is that pretty much anywhere in SoCal has lots of people and traffic (Temecula has a pop. of about 100,000 so that's OK) and the fact that if you want to go anywhere besides the mountains, it's going to be either the desert or the metro areas. I love the forests and wooded areas and farms and meadows you see in other parts of the country when you go outside of town, The rivers and lakes and wildlife and trees and change of seasons, etc.. Don't know if having those things only part of the year, assuming I can travel to them, will be worth staying close to sis and friends.

Spartana

1-14-11, 2:39pm

How old are the dogs?

2, 6, and not sure about the big one (boarder collie) but probably between 10 and 13. So will have the little ones quite a while longer. But I know myself pretty well in that if I do end up buying a plkace in SoCal, I'll probably just end up staying there forever. Maybe downsizing to a condo once the dogs were gone - maybe, once I was 55, to the seniors place (Leisure World) like my Mom lived in down in Seal Beach. So even though I say I would move again, I probably wouldn't. So it's an important decsion for me. And to be honest, now that I'm older, I don't know if my dream of being a back-packingworld travelling bum will ever happen again. I did it when I was younger but onc e the dogs are all gone I might be at an age where that isn't so attractive anymore. At least not for years on end. So maybe getting a place now while it's cheap and easy is the best thing afterall.

Spartana

1-14-11, 2:45pm

There are always pet sitters. We use them for our 5 cats and have had paid and unpaid ones (they also have unkenneled doggie care). Factor that into your plans also. It is rarely one thing or the other.

Really it is how much do you want to live near your sister and how much that relationship adds to your life.

I agree that finding housing with 3 dogs is not going to get you quality housing.

Unfortunately one of the dogs is crazy and can't be pet-sat by anyone except my sister or in a locked kennel, and I wouldn't want to put her in a kennel if I was going to be gone for a long time. So it's either take them all with me or have my sister do it for longer term things. Otherwise, if the dog wasn't crazy and aggressive, I'd get a roommate and not only have a built-in pet sitter, but a house sitter AND some extra moo-lah too! But that option isn't open to me.

jrb3

1-17-11, 10:59am

Which answers I think the question which opens up other alternatives: perhaps you find homes for the dogs, and go back to your earlier plans?

Heidi

1-17-11, 11:42am

Thanks for the replies everyone. At the moment (may change!!) I am leaning towards just staying in SoCal permanently (been here forever already!) and buying a small place in a town (Temecula) that I really like alot. It's in a nice valley mid-way between the mountains and ocean and surrounded by big horse ranches, about 40wineries, and avocado groves. Nice historic main street and downtown area. Lots of city parks, bike paths, casino, couple of big lakes close by and lots of great hiking and mountain biking areas near by too. The only draw back is that it gets too hot and dry for me in summer and fall - and I absolutely HATE hot, dry, endlessly sunny weather. But it's perfect in winter (60's to low 70's). But it's close to my friends and my Sis (only family, best friends, beach VB partner, and free pet sitter :-)), is fairly inexpensive with low property taxes and low heating costs and cooling cost (would hope to be gone travelling during summer or at least at the beach or in the mountains - both about an hour drive away). So I guess the pull of family is stronger than the pull of the Great White North (Maine, Washington, Colorado or Alaska - places I'd want to live). hey, least I won't have to shovel snow!! Lindi
Temecula is a beautiful place. We have relatives who live there full time and love it. I think the town would give you the best of two worlds - relatively small for So Cal with a lovely downtown and still close to family. I would go for that plan. Good luck whatever you decide and kudos to you for your dedication to your dad's dogs.

Spartana

1-17-11, 12:40pm

Which answers I think the question which opens up other alternatives: perhaps you find homes for the dogs, and go back to your earlier plans?

Oh I've tried, I've tried :~)!! I've tried to find them homes since last April when I first got them but no luck. But now I'm pretty attached to them so will keep them. They're cuties! Went thru a big depression for a long time about it all (screwing up my long term plans like that - yes, God is laughing at me :laff:) but have come out on the other side and am OK with it now. Maybe buying a house and settling down won't kill me like I think it will!

Spartana

1-17-11, 12:49pm

Temecula is a beautiful place. We have relatives who live there full time and love it. I think the town would give you the best of two worlds - relatively small for So Cal with a lovely downtown and still close to family. I would go for that plan. Good luck whatever you decide and kudos to you for your dedication to your dad's dogs.

Yeah it's a nice place. Just spent the weekend there looking around at houses and checking out all the wild and crazy biker bars - which are really upscale places for the well-to-do, middle-aged, middle-management Harley riding crowd :-)! There are really only 2 places in SoCal that I like that are affordable - Temecula and Big Bear Lake (where I've lived for years). BBL is a bit too small and isolated for me - especially now with the main road washed out by a mudslide and not to be repaired until summer - but Temecula is good size (small city) and has easy access to everything.

Spartana

1-18-11, 1:41pm

Just a quick update: One of the pups passed away yesterday (the crazy middle aged one who could also be super sweet). So while it's very sad, it does make things much easier for me both housing-wise and travel-wise. Don't know why she passed, as she was fine on her last check up, and vet couldn't find anything wrong. Don't know if that will change my housing plans as I still have the young pup and the old pup, but will make renting easier if I decide to go that route.

Gina

1-18-11, 6:28pm

Spartana

1-19-11, 1:46pm

I'm very sorry to hear about your pup passing. That might make it easier for you, but it's still very sad. :(

As an aside, Temecula has a blueberry U-pick place. They'll probably open March or April?? Maybe it says on their website.

http://www.temeculaberryco.com/

Thanks so much for the condolances and the blueberry farm link. Don't think I've ever seen that place, although I have driven and biked around all the country farm roads there. Lots of hidden places. Maybe I should quit stopping at all the wineries and look around more instead :-)!

Shari

1-19-11, 3:58pm

I would go with S Cal too. I have found most "things" do not make me happy. Relationships with people, pets, etc do.

Spartana

1-20-11, 2:27pm

I would go with S Cal too. I have found most "things" do not make me happy. Relationships with people, pets, etc do.

I've found the same thing too - and now that I'm getting older, I find that staying near what little family I have is more important - gotta start setting the younger sis up for my future diaper changes ;-)! As long as I can still go travel and get out of dodge for a couple of months a year I think I'd be good staying in SoCal. I found several cute 3 bedroom/ 2 bath homes in Temecula that were very affordable for that area of SoCal (under $150K), within a mile or less of the cute Old Town area, the big Casino, and alot of the horse ranches so I could walk or ride my bike everwhere - even out to some of the ranches (complete with giant Mansion houses) and the bigger wineries (Beware! Drunk bicyclest ahead!). So I am very seriously leaning that way.

kib

1-21-11, 3:10pm

Tell your sister she needs to move. In fact, offer her part of your dream house! :~)

ETA: Just read your last post - that sounds like a really excellent compromise if you like the neighborhood reasonably well.

Spartana

1-21-11, 3:21pm

Tell your sister she needs to move. In fact, offer her part of your dream house! :~)

I tryed but she's a SoCal girl all the way and if the temps drop below 80 she freezes to death! Of course she's skiing in Mammoth now so she may already be dead :-)! Plus she has a great little one bedroom duplex condo that she loves so will likely never move.

So I'll probably buy a place near by and also become one of those "Calif Girls" too. Still plan to be gone in the late summers and early fall if possible. Trying to figure out various ways to travel with the pups if I want to go longer than a few weeks at a time. Was originally thinking of getting a small travel trailer or RV but am now leaning more towards just renting a vacation house elsewhere for a couple of months each fall (hot and dry season here). Will be easier to leave the dogs "home alone" in a house than in a RV. Then I can use the sis for pet sitting when I want to go off on my own for a few weeks here and there thru out the year.

clear water

2-8-11, 1:13am

iris lily

2-8-11, 9:56am

Really your stuck with a crazy dog? have you thought of having it put down. I would never make decisions about my life with pets as a main concern! I think its great you want to live near your sister though. Family is so important as well as your fiends. good luck

Funny, I'm just the opposite.

Moved away from family (not that I don't like them, I like them well enough) but they were not a consideration in where I live.

My pets, OTOH, are a HUGE consideration as I think about retirement plans. Were it not for them, I might realize my dream of 2 lily 'n iris seasons: live 6 month in the northern hemisphere, live 6 months in the southern hemisphere.

I'd like to get a job as a gardener on a small estate in New Zealand. I want 3 hours of daily work in the garden and a furnished cottage, no pay necessary. DH can fix, grow, and make anything, he can be the handyman. That is my dream. They've got to let me have a section of garden that is entirely my own for lilies 'n iris.

Clear water, hope you don't get pets we are all free to do as we wih when we don't take on obligations.

Spartana

2-14-11, 4:11pm

Really your stuck with a crazy dog? have you thought of having it put down. I would never make decisions about my life with pets as a main concern! I think its great you want to live near your sister though. Family is so important as well as your fiends. good luck

Well I didn't say I was so much "stuck" with the dogs, only that I "choose" to keep them when I wasn't able to find them a home. And no, I would never put a dog down unless it was a very severe threat. If that means I have to make different choices about my life, then I have to make different choices. I had to make them when I was married, when I was working, when my parents were elderly, when I had my own dogs, etc... Doesn't mean they have to be bad choices - just different. However, thge crazy dog died a bit ago so that does make things easier even though I still have 2 other dogs.