Our 9,800 pounds of stuff arrived in suburban Orlando yesterday morning. I was a little surprised that we were up at that weight, as we were around 8,500 on the last move. I even shed a bunch of my crap! However, we did gain a washer and dryer, and several large pieces of furniture, so I guess that makes sense.
The day after I got here, I did a whirlwind of rental house shopping, and got kind of lucky to find the place I did. It had only been on the market for a few hours at that point. It's very roomy at 2,050 square feet. The weird thing is that it was only $50 more than our place in Seattle, for about 300 more squares. It's remarkable how much less expensive housing is here. This one was built in 2005 and it's in really good condition.
I think we could be pretty happy renting here for the long term, but we're also starting to realize that we're not bound by the same financial constrains that we would have in Seattle. Specifically, we don't have to wait for two or three years to save enough to make a reasonable down payment on a house. We could do it in six months. So for better or worse, we're being careful about what we unpack, because it feels like we should buy a house.
Let my indicate that despite my enthusiasm for the idea of buying (or building) a house, you can bet I'm gun shy about it. We've got a couple more weeks for my Cleveland house to close. I hate the idea that I could be stuck somewhere again, too. Mind you, there are more upsides than down about living here, but still. It's a crazy commitment.
The upsides of course are numerous, not the least of which is that prices are climbing fast, and interest rates are on the rise, so waiting is hard. Plus, while you tie up a bunch of money in your house, the actual monthly expense for a mortgage and taxes and such are frankly pretty close to rent.
To that end, I am going to talk dollars with a builder and see what it would really cost. I'm enthusiastic for the area and work here, and I certainly am not interested in another distance move any time soon. I'm not that scared of the commitment at this point.
For now though, we'll enjoy this fantastic neighborhood we're in. There are several playgrounds, great places to walk around various ponds and lakes, a very nice HOA pool, super easy access to retail and restaurants... it's really a fantastic area. It's a little out there from town (my commute to work ranges from 25 to 35 minutes), but that's about what I was used to in the burbs of Cleveland and Seattle. We've even met some of our neighbors.
Best of all, we won't be shoveling snow ever.
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