I spent some time yesterday reading IRS publications. Specifically, the ones dealing with capital gains and the sale of residences. And I learned that being in the middle class of a lower-class state has its advantages, I don't have to fret none about no capital gains taxes on this place, despite having owned it for almost 10 years during the biggest appreciation in property value this place has ever seen, I still won't net $250,000 or anywhere near it. But considering every other Florida house we owned - and we owned several - barely appreciated at all in the years we owned them, this is respectable. I'm just tired of owning it.
Because I'm really getting tired of the house. I really need a change of scenery. I think next summer will be a good time to move. It will take me that long to get my shit together to do it. The market will cool a bit, because right now it's insane and great for a seller, but not if the seller needs to find someplace else to live. Rents are inflated and condos are overpriced. If I do buy something else it'll be a condo or a townhouse, and I want to wait until that market cools a bit before shopping. It's too speculator-driven now.
Then comes the biggie: Do I stay, or do I go?
Do I stay in Orlando? This has the appeal of security, knowing I can get a job with a phone call if I want to sell my soul to a law firm again. But I want to restructure my life so I don't have to do that.
Do I stay in Florida? If I do, I think I'll head up to Jacksonville, it's a growing area and has more "real" employers than Orlando.
Do I say the hell with it and put my stuff in storage and invade my cousins in MD and sleep in the basement while looking for a job up there? Doesn't that sound just so wildly irresponsible? Doesn't that sound just like something a 48 year old woman should do? Don't you know I'm really thinking about doing it?
I like my job, I am just not sure that when the dust settles it will be what I want to do long term. I can't get a feel for where this company will be in two years, or what my role would be in it.
I want to do something totally different in the next phase of my life. I'm zeroing in on what that may be. Nothing concrete yet, but it was very liberating to realize that I actually CAN ditch this whole homeownership thing, at least for a while, bank the proceeds from the house, lighten my load of STUFF, cut my bills dramatically, and be a single woman and LIVE like one.
I realized lately that I'm supporting a house. My kids are grown, Girl is of course welcome to live with me until she finishes her degree, which could be as early as the end of next summer, God and UCF's schedule willing. But the rest of the house consists of stuff accumulated in a decade here, and hauled from everyplace we lived for the past 25 years. I need 20% of it at most. It would fit in a nice apartment just fine.
So as long as my thoughts were running this way, I called a couple of landscapers about redoing my irrigation and sprucing up the yard, and I'll start getting estimates. It's a mess, well beyond Me and Home Depot. The interior of the house needs nothing but a bigass garage sale or two - the kitchen is great, the carpet in half the house is brand new, the roof is brand new, the HVAC is less than 5 years old. If I wanted to sell my soul to the house and stay here forever I'd remodel the bathrooms, but I think I'll let someone else have that pleasure.
I've done homeownership.
Ms. C.
ReplyDeleteOh how I do relate to this post! Prices for homes here where I am have skyrocketed, beyond what I would be able to afford at this point. And the "what job do I want to do?" tho'ts ... I'm there right next to you w/this aspect of my life.
As so often happens when I read your blog posts, I nod in agreement w/you!
XOXO
Oh, Maryland my Maryland!!!!
ReplyDelete(hmm... what's Amie's vote?)
Sounds like you've made some pretty big decisions. I don't know much about life in Florida, but I can tell you every retired or soon to retire person in Minnesota seems to be headed there and they are all BAD drivers ;)
ReplyDeleteWould an auction net you more than a few garage sales? We did one for my Grandma and people bought her crap for A LOT more than we would've sold it at a garage sale for.
It must be exciting to be making such a big change.....
Although, I would love to see you move to Maryland, keep in mind that it is expensive up here. Housing prices are out of sight. But you need to figure out what you want ot do for a job first. But go for it!
ReplyDeleteI know how expensive it is, my cousins live there. I could swap my house for a nice condo or a townhouse, same price, and not have to replace sprinkler systems and paint the outside and all that jazz. But Jacksonville, or staying here in Orlando, is probably much more realistic, not because of the cost but because I'm "connected" here and it'd be hard to move to another state and make the same money.
ReplyDeleteThe stuff I need to offload is certainly not auction-worthy. It's garage sale shit, or just leave it at the curb for the pre-garbage scavengers. I can run an add for the couple of actual pieces of furniture, the rest is just Stuff.
ReplyDeleteThe phenomonon of trash scavengers never ceases to amaze me. When we were packing the truck for TX we found that a microwave cart had been dripped on in the basement and had stained an split veneer, so put it out. I swear it was less than 10 minutes before it was gone, on a Sunday afternoon! Much easier than any other method of disposal.
ReplyDeleteThe funniest was when we put the dead TV by the curb - it was gone in a few hours! Seriously, would anyone put a WORKING 35" Sony at the curb for the trash?? But it IS much easier than any other method of disposal.
ReplyDelete