Just staying home these days

[Tybee]

"My ultimate goals are to downsize into an 800-1000 sf house on a very small piece of land with no HOA. So far the search has proven IMPOSSIBLE! While not giving up, I'm frustrated. I want to be able to hang my clothes out on a line to air dry in the sun. I want to do better at gardening, with just a small plot and maybe a fruit tree or two. I want solar panels on the roof for more independence from the grid. I want to be able to walk to the library - even if that is 2+ miles away. LOL."

What a great vision for the future! I want the same thing! Maybe a little closer to the library. You'll like this--our library parking lot has a fence around it and on the other side of the fence is a herd of cows.

I wish I could make all this go away and know that our futures were secure. While I can't, I am praying as much as I can to give us strength and keep us looking out for each other. I know how scary this is, and I am keeping myself from being scared by realizing that is what the bullies want, and I won't give them that.
Virtual hugs!

[frugal-one]

Happystuff.. I have all of your wants except the HOA (which is very low). We own our own land and taxes are low. My opinion is you are going to have to decide which of your requirements are wants or needs and decide on ultimate dealbreakers. I have little family so that is not in my equation. Hope you find what you are looking for!

[rosarugosa]

Happy: We have a 900 SF old house, no HOA (I don't think they are that common around here), a decent sized suburban lot, in easy walking distance to library, town hall, dentist, and hairdresser. However, we are in a very HCOL area.

Is there any potential to turn your larger home into a two-family, either for income generation or multi-generational living? I wish we had the ability to turn our house into a two-family so that we could either move Mom in, and or have my sister move in, but with the point of separation that a two-family or duplex would provide.

It's funny that you mention walking distance to a library. When DH is browsing online for dream homes, he will check to see if a library is nearby because he knows that would be a selling point for me. However, he likes the idea of living in a more rural area, and I am not interested in moving to a new area at this point in our lives.

[iris lilies]

My two recent houses were within 1 mile of a public library. In the city it was 1 mile either direction, and I worked at a library, so often walked to work. The big Central Library where I worked had more than 1 million items. The small branch in the other direction is the one I use now when I go into the city.

In Hermann the library was within a mile down the hills. Walking down, ok. Walking up…not so ok.

Then they built a new library a little further out from the town center and it is not walk-friendly. No sidewalks.

[happystuff]

Thanks everyone.

rr - I don't know why I didn't think of it myself, but you have definitely given me some food for thought! When we first bought this house, it was a mother-daughter set-up. In order to grow our family, we renovated and turned it into a whole single family. I'm thinking it wouldn't be hard to revert it back into a mother-daughter. I know there are a lot of things to think about to even consider this, but it is - now - a consideration. Thanks.

[gimmethesimplelife]

We have cut back further on spending at Casa Rob and are hoarding cash also. You really don't know what is going to happen next these days. I'd recommend gathering all your things that are small and of value in one place to be grabbed for a quick exit as some future date - things have sunk to this point in the United States. Here I am very grateful for my Austrian Heritage as I am not looking the other way and am doing what I can proactively (and legally) to deal with what seems to be coming.

I realize not everyone can leave the United States and it's your right to stay here if you wish (though I sure can't understand it but that's me, you do what works for you) but I'd be prepping a bit. Maybe not like an over the top survivalist prepper but what exactly is wrong with putting away a three month supply of rice, beans, and canned goods? I say lay this in as best you can while such remains expensive but also relatively easily available. I'd advise learning from my ancestors - they sure taught us what human nature is capable of sinking to, no? I'd advise not dwelling in it but also not denying it and learning from it.

And this may sound bizarre coming from me - a master of taking EVERYTHING seriously - but find a way to have a little humor in your life during these trying times. A little lightness, a little levity, a positive memory or two before things get yet more challenging. Rob

[Tradd]

25% duties for everything from Canada/MX go into effect Tuesday. Looks like there also will be another 10% for China imports, on top of the 10% from early this month.

[catherine]

25% duties for everything from Canada/MX go into effect Tuesday. Looks like there also will be another 10% for China imports, on top of the 10% from early this month.

Yeah, I just saw that during his meeting with the UK PM and the reporters. Even the WSJ had a front page article that tariffs are going to decimate Michigan.

[Tradd]

Yeah, I just saw that during his meeting with the UK PM and the reporters. Even the WSJ had a front page article that tariffs are going to decimate Michigan.

Yep. I’m from the Detroit area. Going to kill the domestic auto industry and orange man has no clue how tightly woven together Canada (and Mx, unfortunately) are with the US for auto industry stuff. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind Mx being beaten to its knees. Not Canada. Mx was always the red headed bastard stepchild of NAFTA.

[pinkytoe]

Guess I better go stock up on avocados