An Opportunity Knocking?

Oddly enough, we recently learned that our little condo in Walnut Creek has actually gained value since we purchased it about 2 years ago. In this unpredictable market, we were shocked to learn this interesting tidbit of information. Ever since, we’ve been considering our options- Should we try to sell now while we’re still ahead? Should we consider buying elsewhere while prices and interest rates are low? Should we stay put for a little while longer? Will housing prices continue to fall? Needless to say, this has been a huge decision to mull over.

Although we’re still only pondering our options at this point, I’m starting to heavily favor the consideration to move. Eric and I have been pricing homes in and around the area, especially in Brentwood, where single family homes are very affordable (even less than what we paid for our condo)! Being the type to think intently before any sort of important decision, I’ve outlined some pros and cons of buying: First, we would like to have a family. Of course, the decision to start a family comes with a number of added costs to consider, the largest of which being childcare. If we owned a home and paid less than what we do now for our condo, it would be realistic for me to stay at home with our child or perhaps only continue working part time. Additionally, we would be living in an actual house! With a yard! That fact itself is something to be excited about (Eric is excited to start planting!). The obvious con to this new possibility is the commute- about 20 miles one way for Eric and about 40 for me. But we would be able to carpool together since my hours at the hospital are flexible, which would definitely take the edge off. And then there’s the fact that friends and family would be even further from us. So we don’t want to get too excited just yet. As I see it, staying put or finding a new place each carries their own risks- it’s a gamble either way.

We talked more about our options and did our research by getting pre-qualified for a loan, touring possible neighborhoods of interest, compiling a list of homes we liked, and contacting a realtor. The other day, we had a realtor named Liz who was recommended to us come tour our condo and see if she would be a good agent to work with us. We spent the couple days before our meeting scrubbing the floors, dusting every inch, re-grouting the shower, making sure none of the doors creaked- the house looked really nice when we were all done. The realtor’s response was promising. She noted that our home was decorated very well and seemed optimistic overall, yet warned us that the current market isn’t necessarily conducive for the best sales. So, we’ll have to see what happens! We’re still just trying to weigh our options… I'll keep everyone posted.

Goodbye 12 inches (again)!

As per my biannual tradition, I recently cut off my hair to donate to Locks of Love. When I was a child, I absolutely despised my red hair- I vividly remember bursting into tears when I was about 5 years old after some stupid guy remarked that my head was on fire. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate it more. For one, it’s a unique color. And for two, it’s thick and grows like a weed. I’ve heard that the average hair growth for healthy women is about 4 to 6 inches per year. Well, my rate of growth must far surpass that because I can easily chop off over a foot in less than 2 years. So, for the past few years, I’ve decided to donate my hair to Locks of Love- a nonprofit organization that creates hairpieces for children with chronic illnesses that result in hair loss, such as cancer.

This marked the third time that I’ve made a donation. The first of my donations was in 2005. I was nervous to cut off so much of my security blanket and embrace a short hairstyle, but it grew on me. The second time around, just about 2 years ago, my sister cut off my ponytail and gave me a simple cut with the long bangs that I wanted (a pleasant change, but not the best look for me and too much work to keep up). This time, my sister made an appointment for us at her hairdresser to get new ‘dos together. Since I knew this was coming sooner or later, I had been scouring some hairstyle magazines to find what I wanted- a tad longer than shoulder length cut that would tame my thick hair and look different than what I always get (a straight cut). And I finally found it. I just wasn’t sure how well it would turn out, since the cut you get never really looks like the picture that you bring in…

So here’s my debut- short layers and definitely different! Everyone I walk by stops me and asks what happened to all my hair. And as far as my personal opinion, I’m not terribly fond of the short hairstyle. But it will grow back before I know it!

Embracing the Simple Life

With all of recent buzz over the massive recession- the bleak housing crisis, the surmounting employment losses, the market falling nearly every day- my outlook on life and my future goals have really started to change. Luckily enough for Eric and I, we still have our jobs (I was even offered extra hours just last week- definitely something to take advantage of at a time like this, even though I’m already stretched rather thin). We’ve also been blessed in that we locked into a fixed rate mortgage for the purchase of our condo about 2 years ago and have not lost any home value. Therefore, we have not necessarily felt the wrath of this recession in these regards. However, what has had an impact on us are the overwhelming changes in priorities and the pleasant shift in focus onto what really matters in life. That has been a welcome change, at least for me.

There have been a couple ways that we’ve been cutting corners lately. For one, we’re definitely eating more at home. I’ve always been a stickler for packed lunches and luckily Eric now feels the same. We never eat out during the week- just do the math of spending $5 to $10 a day to eat out, 5 days a week! Completely unnecessary. Plus, although we enjoy the occasional dinner date, we have always tried to stick to the general rule of eating dinner out no more than 2 or 3 times per month. Until recently, we never used to think twice about stopping at Chili’s for a quick bite. Now, we have definitely curbed our impulse to eat out and try to plan meals at home more often. Plus, making meals at home is much healthier anyway.

Along the same line as eating in more often, we try to organize dinner swaps every week or so with our friends and families. Meaning that we host my sister or mother-in-law and family for dinner one week and then the next, they host us. It’s a great way to spend time with others, not to mention looking forward to no cooking or dish duty that day. We’ve learned that fancy group outings that we used to splurge on quite often are just plain expensive these days- a movie and dinner or a round of mini golf and some ice-cream equals the cost for our groceries- for the entire week (perhaps less if I bring my coupons)!

Furthermore, we’ve become frugal in terms of activities and entertainment choices. We hardly ever go to the movie theater just because of the sheer cost (I think the last film we saw in the theater was the Chronicles of Narnia!). But, there are these great Red Box DVD rental machines at our local grocery stores and pharmacies that rent for only $1. We can afford that! We usually rent a movie about every week or so for a cheap night in. And those long drives with no where to go? No more. That’s one thing that Eric and I used to love to do- driving around somewhere or nowhere, just chatting and enjoying the scenery- they just don’t make sense anymore. Even with fuel prices at a low, it’s nothing much to miss that a simple walk together can’t replace.

Join me in raising your home-brewed coffee or frozen-lemonade-from-concentrate drink to the simple life!