Okay, so we're looking at places in Santa Rosa. We've looked at apartments, duplexes, houses, etc. and will probably go with an apartment for now, since houses are financially a little out of our range. I hate to admit this, but I'll do it anyway... I filed for unemployment last week and it looks like it'll go through okay. I'm doing this because a)money if always useful, and b)it's hard to get a place with no verifiable income coming in. Yes, unemployment counts as income in this case, plus it gives me a little more time in looking for work. I am looking but I need to look more. I've got two plans of attack... one - nurseries, since it is coming into full-on planting season, or two, a job with the school system (secretarial).
Anyhow, the kids are doing great. C.J. will be 3 in March. She speaks like most 5-6 year olds I've met, as far as vocabulary and sentence structure go. M & I are going to get her a girly little bike with training wheels. It's fun with her because she's so feminine and I spent a lot of time squelching that in myself, so now I can play girly stuff with her and feel okay about it.
C.O. will be 5 in May. Incredible to me, how fast this is going by. I have found a good, public, elementary school near the apartments we're focusing on, so I need to get ahold of his vaccination records, etc.
Other than that, we are busy, busy, busy packing and trying to get rid of crap. We have way too much stuff. I am finally ready to let go of a lot of it, so we'll have less to move. I am truly a pack rat!
Hey there,
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog because I also live in Lake County. I read your story from start to most recent. If you have some time, I'd love to hear how you went from everything looking groovy in the new year to moving back over the hill now.
I probably don't know enough about your specific situation to offer advice, but I have to say it is a lot easier to be poor in Lake County than it is in Santa Rosa. And with house prices going nowhere but up, I urge you to reconsider moving and stick it out here.
My wife and I were both making good money in Petaluma, but there was no way we could afford a house there. We bought a place up here almost two years ago. Had we waited, we wouldn't be able to afford it now.
I agree, work is harder to find here, but it can be found. And the area is only growing. If you can hold on to the property you are currently buying now, it will be worth it in a few short years. If you rent in Santa Rosa, you'll be shelling out rent money instead of building any equity.
We ended up in over our heads as well when my wife was unable to work for over a year. We are still recovering from that, and it does suck to be broke. But at least it is beautiful where we live, there's no smog or traffic, and there are lots of fun cheap things to do.
Whatever you end up doing, I wish you luck and health, neighbor.