Lisa_F Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 What a week this has been - I haven't been online much so I have a lot of reading to do to catch up with what everyone is working on! My husband & I took a nice long drive last weekend, just sort of *window shopping* for a nice rural area to move to once he retires in 8 years. It's just something we do once in awhile - a nice way to spend an afternoon without really accomplishing anything <_< Anyhow, this last weekend, we stumbled upon what I would consider my dream home - or as close to it as I'm likely to ever get. It is a huge old house - about 800 square feet more than our current home situated in it's own private woodsy setting. The property isn't huge - only half an acre - but on that half acre it has ponds, a gazeebo and 25 (yes 25) assorted fruit trees!!! The house is just huge! All of the rooms are big and the kitchen is more than double the size of my current kitchen. Best of all - the price of the house is something we could afford. In our current house we knew we would have to sell when my husband retires because we won't really be able to pay off the mortgage on this place by then and we don't want to have to count pennies for the duration of his retirement. If we sold our current home, we could pay off the mortgage and with the balance of the money pay for 2/3 of the price of the new house - with that done, it would be completely paid off by the time he retires. So after seeing that house and being way too excited about it all weekend, we made an appointment and went for a walk through. Made me love it even more. Okay, after all that rambling on, my question is, how far of a commute is too far? And for those who commute, how do you cope with a long commute? Do you get used to it? I currently commute 30 minutes one-way to work. I work 4-10 hour days a week and have 3-day weekends. If we moved to this new house - my commute would be approx. 90 minutes one-way. Maybe a little more depending on rush-hour traffic. This house is amazing - if the inspection proves everything to be sound - then all it really needs is a good inside paint job and tile flooring replaced in the kitchen. We could never afford a house like this in our current area - and this is an area of Washington that we ultimately wanted to retire to in 8 years anyways. I'd only have to do the commute for 3-4 years - we've discussed everything and pretty much figured that we could afford for me to quit my job at that time. But the 90 minutes one way - especially after a ten-hour work day really makes me nervous. Any input from others who commute would be appreciated! Oh - I almost forgot the very best part - in this house - the upstairs would be all mine!!!!!!! One huge room would be my workshop area - and the other huge room would be my dollhouse & doll display area Would you go for it - or am I crazy thinking anyone can handle such a long commute? Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallhouset Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 If it was me I'd say go for it. The commute won't be forever, and it's what you want and where you want to live. You may never get this chance again.Some times strange things happen for a reason, you were supposed to see this house and buy it. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 I would agree and go for it, it sounds like a beautiful place and a chance of a lifetime. You will get use to the commute, plus in my opinion it would be worth coming home to after a long day just to relax and enjoy scenery. Hope this helps even a little. Annette <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 I agree, go for it! Who knows, you may find a job for yourself closer to the new place. In a former job I had a supervisor who commuted 90 miles each way to work and I asked him why he came so far, he said because he liked his job & he loved where he lived. Do get yourself some gorgeous music CDs or tapes to listen to on the way, and a cell phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted June 3, 2006 Author Share Posted June 3, 2006 Thank you for the pep talk & encouragement!!! This has been a week of such ups & downs! After seeing the house initially, I gabbed non-stop at my husband all the way home about it - and it wa obvious that he was really interested too - but the thing was, neither one of us was really anticipating finding anything - we weren't in the market to buy or to sell - it was just our afternoon drive... By the next morning, we were both so excited about the house that he called & made arrangements for us to see the inside. After seeing the inside, I could hardly contain myself <_< And he talked my ear off the whole way home that time - which is so unlike him - so I knew that he was wanting it as much as I did. I can't think of a single thing about the house that I don't just love! The only thing making me nervous is that commute. Sometimes now during really stressful times at work, with just a 30 minute commute, I am so tired by the time I get home that I'm close to tears. So it worries me how I'll handle it when I triple my commute time. But this house isn't gonna sit on the market waiting for me for the next 8 years. The commute won't be so much of an issue to my husband because he can take the shipyard bus. If I can just make it through 3-4 years of commuting (time enough to pay off a car & medical bills) then I'm home free I can stay home & build dollhouses, play susie homemaker (which I love doing) and do all the other things I don't have time to do now. If we stay here in our current home, there's no way that will happen before my husband retires. Our mortgage is just too big. We go tomorrow for the home-inspection to make sure all the big important things are in good working order. I'm so excited/nervous I can hardly stand it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 Lisa - Holly's advice was excellent. If you really love this house and only have a few years left to commute, you should go for it. Instead of stressing over the 90-minute commute, make it pleasurable. Resign yourself to the fact that every day you're going to be in the car for a 90-minute stretch. Buy some relaxing musical cd's, or books on cd. I only have a 20-minute drive each morning (and I job-share so I work one week - Thurs-Wed.) and then have the following week off. Going to work, I like traffic, weather reports and up-beat music. Coming home, I prefer classical. Different moods for different times of the day. You might even find you just want to turn the radio off on the way home and use the time to daydream, or make plans. Let us know what happens ... love to see photos of your new home. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 Out here in California, people routinely commute 90 minutes in order to be able to afford a large enough house for their families, so the routine is definitely do-able, though it can be stressful. As well as preparing to make the commute itself tolerable, prepare for the two hours a day of home time that you're going to lose. That's the part that tends to whack people out -- they have to get up really early, and they get less wind-down time at night. If you build this into your routine consciously, so dinner's in the crockpot or whatever, it should be more manageable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 I'm with everyone else on this one. I agree you should go for it. But I can't help thinking might it be possible for you to also look for work that might be closer to the new house. Not that you have to quit your job right away but you can always be secretly looking out for something closer once you're in the new house. Think of buying this one as a new and wonderful adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 One more suggestion from someone who moved 19 times in the course of a marriage. Consider moving yourselves, if you have friends or family in a position to help. Our last two moves DH & I moved ourselves, bringing everything small enough to fit in either my car or his pickup truck in many trips and renting a U-Haul for the large items. For the first time EVER we had no missing or broken items, and especially with minis this might be worth considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 I am glad you decided to go for it! I can tell you love the house and finding a house that perfect doesn't happen that often. <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 I say go for it too! I so regret not *going for it* for the house I really really wanted. Not to say where I live isnt okay but everytime I drive by THAT house, I get a lil twinge of regret! You dont want to have the What If`s. Go for it! You can do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 All I'll say is a 90 minute commute is a helluva long commute. Your work day is 3 hours longer. Your hours are long, like mine, I know at the end of a 12 hour shift I just want to be home, get a shower and relax. For myself, I could not bear the idea of an hour and a half drive at the end of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramma Kathy Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 Best of all - the price of the house is something we could afford. In our current house we knew we would have to sell when my husband retires because we won't really be able to pay off the mortgage on this place by then and we don't want to have to count pennies for the duration of his retirement. If we sold our current home, we could pay off the mortgage and with the balance of the money pay for 2/3 of the price of the new house - with that done, it would be completely paid off by the time he retires. Would you go for it - or am I crazy thinking anyone can handle such a long commute? Lisa You may discover after you move you may not have to work at all too. How much you pay for insurance, taxes and such may be enough lower you don't have to work. Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa_F Posted June 4, 2006 Author Share Posted June 4, 2006 Well, we're not moving afterall. But thank you, everyone, for your positive reinforcement when we were debating on the commute issue. We had an inspection done on the house yesterday and afterwards we walked through everything with the inspector. He found: House had at one time slid at least partially off it's foundation. When that happened, someone (not a professional) had gone under the house and poured concrete. The foundation all around the back of the house is visibly crumbling. The walls of the back of the home were touching the dirt ground and were visibly rotting in numerous places. Because it is a concrete foundation and because of all the deterioration there was a lot of moisture damage to the inside walls as well. How much this affects the structure of the house couldn't be determined without going inside the walls. The heating system for the house was not operational. The plumbing was out of date and not up to code. All but one of the sinks showed severe corrosion on the pipes. The electrical wiring was not up to code and was a definite safety issue. He showed us where several of the wires in the box had melted together. He said the electricity would have to be fixed before it would be safe to live in (house is currently unoccupied and just used as a vacation rental). There were several other smaller problems, but these were the deal breakers. Definitely disappointing, but boy am I glad that we found this out before we actually bought it. We called the real estate agent today and let her know and then gave her our consent to share the report with the out-of-state owners. If they're not aware of the safety issues, they should be before they rent it out to a vacationing family or individuals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 We moved to Wisconsin about 6 years ago because the cost of living was WAY lower than it was in Illinois. We could afford a whole house for our kids instead of a tiny townhouse for the same price so we packed our things and moved up. Well, at the time I still work in Illinois and my commute was 1 1/2 hours to work and sometimes the same or more on the way home <_< Hubby still works in Chicago and it is about a 2 hr drive. The plan is to eventually move here and work here. It has not happened yet but we love being here so much that now we are thinking of a new way to get him to work closer to home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilpyrogirl Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Oh I know you must be disappointed but I'm so glad you found out before. I have a super short commute to work (5 miles) but let me tell ya, in Atlanta traffic, I'd shoot myself before I'd consider a 90 minute commute. But then I'm young, single, like city life, and I'm already juggling a full schedule with work and grad school. I work a flex schedule and i work from 6:30 to 3:30 just to avoid traffic and have enough time to make it to classes on the days I have them. When I can fit 10 hour days in, I do and I usually don't have to work past 1 pm on fridays. Anyway, sorry the 'dream' didn't turn out the way you wanted but that just means it wasn't the right house at the right time. When you do get your dream home, hopefully you won't have to worry about such a long commute even if it is for only a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Awww. It's too bad, but something better may lie ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovecats Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Bummer. Here i was about to post my positive thoughts for your commute, but after reading your last post....good thing you had an inspector go out and look at it. What a shame tho. Marg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I guess the thing is hubby and I have always travled a long way to work. When I worked in Chicago, it was at a school that was 27 miles away and because I had to go through downtown Chicago, it took forever and if the weather was warm driving on lake shore drive was crazy! I would sometimes stay at my parents house for a while hoping that the traffic would be better later on <_< I say if you love the house and you & hubby are close to retirement, go through the uncomfortable months to realize your dream! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaN Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I am so sorry you didn't get the house. Many older houses like that about here are nightmares as far as restoration, unless the family the house has been in has taken care of it year after year. Better safe than sorry. Actually, alot of people who live where I live in Manquin, Tappahannock, Kilmarnock, Fredericksburg, and Carolina county here in Va. commute. When I worked my former security job I communted and had to get up at 4:30 in the morning. I too sometimes ended up working 12 hour days like you, but loved where I lived and thought it well worth it. There are many commuter lots all around, since everyone here mostly commutes except those that work for the county, or nearby. If I worked in D.C. like Lily there in Atlanta I think I would shoot myself if I had to commute the traffic is horrendous. Don't be discouraged! You might find another dream house that fits right in and doesn't put so much stress on you. But I would've said the commute is worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 There are many commuter lots all around DS#2 lives in Burke & works near DC, he usually commutes by "slug line". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilpyrogirl Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I moved to atlanta from DC and oh how I miss those terms only a DC person knows like 'slug line'. As far as I've found, it's unique to DC only and no other cities have picked up on it. However, if I"m wrong and other cities have developed slug lines, I'd be interested to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 Now how did I miss your last post Lisa? I start typing and then I am doing other things and it ends up taking me forever to post. I just noticed you posted your last message as I was typing a reply. I am so happy you found out from the inspector "WHY" the house is so inexpensive. That would be a hard lesson to learn if you bought it and the foundation crumbled again. Foundation problems sometimes can lead to big disasters! I am glad you found out when you did my dear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 The melted wires bothered me the most! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Color Me Holly Posted June 5, 2006 Share Posted June 5, 2006 I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, Lisa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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