House Hunting!

We're going to look at 4 houses today.

Not for us, for Katie. 

She's decided to move back up here. They had been talking about it for awhile and almost did when their last lease was up but her girlfriend wasn't quite sure she wanted to. She was raised in Bend so leaving it a little harder for her. Their roommate is from Kentucky (I think, I could be remembering wrong, but I want to say Kentucky) and so was up for moving where ever. Katie, of course, if from here so moving back here feels comfortable to her. 

But she wants to buy a place, not rent anymore. On one hand I think it's a good idea, rents have been going crazy here lately. There aren't enough places and so rates keep going up. On the other hand I'm a little worried. Places here are so expensive and it will be a chunk of her nest egg she inherited from her Great Grandmother, and interest rates are still pretty high and all of the things I worried about each time we bought a new house but double worried because it's my baby, not me. 

But she's an adult making her own decisions and I have to trust that the benefit of owning versus renting is high in her mind.

However, no matter how much of an adult she is, she's still living in Bend while the houses she wants to buy are in Portland so I'm stepping in for a preliminary look at things. 

I'll have to adjust my looking eyes to is this something Katie would like instead of is this something I would like. The places will be smaller and multiple levels, for instance. And she's looking at condos and townhouses whereas we were looking for stand alone places with yard space. 

The other piece is that we (Brent and I we) had started entertaining the idea of moving out of state. It's expensive to live in this area and if we were to sell our place here and move to any number of other places it could mean Brent retiring years earlier than he could if we stay here. I know I've mentioned it before but his father died at 58 from a massive heart attack. At 55 that is a factor in looking at how you want to live your life.

The problem, of course, is that we like it here. And we are limited in where we can move because of the political situation. Anyplace wanted to outlaw my daughter's existence is off the list, clearly. And speaking of our daughter, now that she might be moving back to the area it makes it all that much more difficult to entertain the idea of leaving. 

Things to think about in the coming months for sure. 

But today we are house hunting again. It will be interesting looking to spend someone else's money instead of our own. I might be a lot more forgiving of things that need remodeled. Or I might be less since we all want what's best for our kids right? 

Just spare a thought for Patty. Just when she thought she was through with the picky Mastenbrook family we drag her back in....