Found a house!

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Found a house!

by Daniel
(Spring Grove, IL. )

We found a house that I like very much in SW Wisconsin near Viroqua. We are planning another trip this weekend to get inside and look at all the rooms and basement. I know I want to live in that area, just need to find a good school district and a job in LaCrosse.

But is there a method to help with the anxiety of picking out a good house, since this is the largest investment that we will make while relocating. Plus we have a house here in Illinois that we need to sell or probably have to rent out until it is sold, which we know will be especially difficult in this market.

I don't know many people that afford two mortgages for any length of time. So we would need to rent both homes for about one year until ours sells so that we can use the proceeds to apply to the relocation home.

I would have to believe that this is the number one concern or obstacle to overcome for anyone making the transition to homesteading. How can I be sure that this is a good decision to pursue?

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Found a house!

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Find a Job First Before Relocating
by: Sue

I would urge you to proceed with caution. I looked up the population of La Crosse (51,818, according to the Wikipedia site), and I'm not sure it's big enough to find a job easily. Mind you, it won't be impossible, but if you do find a job, it might not pay as much as what you were used to in Illinois.

My husband and I did very the much the same type of thing you are considering now, back in 1995. We wanted to relocate to a rural area, but the difference is, I applied to different local newspapers and got a job as the editor of a small-town paper. Then we packed up all our belongings and moved to the area, staying in a motel (for about three weeks) until we found a rental house. Eventually, we bought a house in a small town and lived there for about six years.

But, we found work first. That, I believe is crucial to a decision to relocate.

You are right, in this economy you will probably need to rend the home you are currently living in to pay the mortgage on that place. And you will need to pay the mortgage on your new home. It's never wise to take out a mortgage unless you have a steady job. Plus most banks won't give you a loan unless you prove you have an income.

I don't mean to discourage you from your dream, but you do need to be realistic about whether you can find work. Finding a house and then looking for work is a bit like putting the cart before the horse, in my opinion.

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