Josh is still working full time but right now I am only cleaning homes (very part time). I am hoping to find more homes to clean but we feel it's best that I do not work full time right now - especially with a nursing baby. Josie will not take a bottle so it is impossible for me to find a job where I would be gone for more than 3 hours at a time. When I'm cleaning I can work around that.
Some times people say - well you need to do what you need to do to provide for your family so if you need to work full time to pay bills then you need to work full time --- BUT I refuse to work full time and be away from my girls. I would much rather sacrifice some things so that I can be with them as much as possible.
The only bills we have right now (except phone & TV) are bills that we HAVE to pay (mortgage, cars, insurance, etc). We don't have any credit cards. We do have medical bills that are also not being paid.
SO to just be blunt - we're behind on our mortgage and haven't made a payment since June.
I hate saying that or even admitting that. I'm sure there are many ways we could be "better" with our spending/ etc ...BUT this is where we're at.
SO we have submitted some paperwork to our bank in hopes that maybe our mortgage payment would be less based on our current income but we're not sure what is going to happen with that.
If they do not lower our mortgage payment there may be other options we could look into BUT right now we're tossing around the idea of selling our house.
If we sold our house the only way we'd be able to save money is if we moved in with family.
The idea that we have is ...
Josh's parents (Jill & Jerry) could redo their basement and make it into one bedroom apartment / bathroom / living area / kitchen and then the 5 of us would live upstairs. (3 bedroom, 2 bath, kitchen, living area) Their house it much bigger than our house plus their yard is more than 3 acres and they have a pool. We would have separate entrances and we wouldn't be sharing anything except the driveway and the yard. Jill and Jerry have no problem with this. Josh and I don't really have a "problem" with it - it's just when we're already on our own ... thinking about having to move back in makes you feel a little "sad". (Even though we wouldn't be living together).
If this happened we'd be saving about $4200 a year (we'd be saving more than that but that is what we'd be saving just for the house payment).
So do we move or do we just wait to see what happens after the bank processes our paperwork?
It's been a stressful and tough decision.
We love our location and we love our house so it's hard to think about.
On the other hand if we were going to loose our house anyway then moving to their house would be our only option. So should we just do it anyway? Would it be better to save the money in the long run even if our mortgage is lowered? It would be better to be proactive before our house was in foreclosure / etc.
(not that I'm asking you these questions - just questions that come up in my mind)
Just not sure what to do? No matter what happens I know God has a plan and will take care of us I'm just hoping the answer is more clear soon so we feel better about it.
Sometimes I think -- God will provide so that means if we stay in our house he'll make it possible and we won't loose our house...right now I just don't see us coming up with a bunch more money to get caught up and keep up.
So many thoughts and questions and what if's and unknowns.
Please pray that an answer would come easily for us to make this a better situation for all involved.
One day we'll look back and know that whatever happened worked out - it's just stressful thinking about the whole process. Selling & Moving.
Like I said on Facebook today - I wish I could just be a kid again but still have my husband and my girlies.
God is Great so I trust him as always.
(and side note - again this stress is nothing compared to what others are going through)
9 comments:
Well I obviously know what this is like!! We chose to move before getting so behind that it affected our credit too much. But we never tried to have our payment lowered. Hopefully you can just do that!
I feel like living with my parents is the sacrifice I'm willing to make to stay home with my girls. And I'm so grateful my parents sacrifice their space and privacy for us, as well! Glad you have the option of Jerry and Jill!
So thankful you have great family you can turn to. I will be praying that you feel His grace and peace as you're lead to do what's best for your family. <3
Don't think of moving in with Jill and Jerry as sad. We lived with my parents for a year and a half. And the arrangement wasn't nearly as comfortable. But don't give up on your independence either. Explore your options and pray hard. We too are sacrificing now in hopes of creating a better future. Our house now is small and cramped but we want to buy a house in a couple of years. We also filed for bankruptcy a few months ago. It isn't something I am proud of but we needed to do it. Don't worry about others. You have to do what is right for you and your family.
No worries!!!!! Have you ever thought that maybe this house IS God's way of providing??? It just might be...
my thoughts, take them or leave them really...and keeping in mind i am fiercely independent person. what is the cost of the renovations on the basement apartment? could your in-laws just gift you the cost of your mortgage for another year or so, until Josie is more independent? it sounds like it is about 350 a month for your mortgage. would the renovations be more than 4,200 a month? could you bag your phone and tv for a year or so? 350 a month seems like such a small amount to find each month to keep your house. without a doubt, definitely see what the bank has to say. selling is a ROYAL pain in the buns! i also avoid that at almost all cost! again just some thoughts on the other side. right now all the thoughts are for moving in...just giving some other ideas.
oh btw. praying for you as well. such big decisions.
Thanks everyone for your prayers.
Amanda, I kinda know where u are at minus the owning of a home. Glenn and I have been short for quite some time and I too refuse to leave my kids at home. I am finding something that I can still be there before during and after school and at all practices. But that's as far as it goes. Then God provided a 3 bedroom for us we found places where we could cut and we would be able to pay the 100.00 extra. Then the week before we move in BAMM...Glenn loses his job. Amanda I have done well and trusting God not getting discouraged...today that ended. I have been sad and discouraged. With all of that being said...do what is right for your family. Count it a blessing to have Jerry and Jill there and willing to let you live there til you get on your feet. I think that is so AWESOME!!!!!!! :) :) <3
Post a Comment