For those who know me, I've always been a pessimist; a glass half-empty kinda gal. Trust me, it's not easy to live that way. As much as I would love to see the glass half full, right now it just seems to be emptying faster. I've tried to be patient with this whole process of moving. Honestly, I don't care that I'm moving. It's all the double backs, denials and rejections that we've had to put up with as part of it. We heard early last March that we would most likely be moving. Then we got preliminary orders. Then we drove to Kansas and found a house. Then our orders were rescinded. No more house. Okay, fine. I fill out an application for teaching jobs in Wichita - TWICE. No response. New orders issued in September...too bad we couldn't have gotten that house we put an offer on before. But that's ok, we can live on post in Wichita! Oh wait, Steve's new first sgt says Wichita is too far away from his new station. So, nix that idea. Now back to square one and trying to find a house. Phone calls for rentals - "Oh, you want to rent? Great! But you have to start renting on Nov 1." Huh? We won't even be there until Dec. 2. That's not my problem...
Rental pool in our new area is dismal. Property owners demand to know by the NEXT DAY if we want to rent the place or not. Do I want to rent a house with one bathroom when I have a teenager? How about a duplex that I can share a middle wall with another family? Forget it! Okay, well then you're back at square one. Look at houses to buy, BUT you can only make offers on the ones that are unoccupied, the VA will approve for a loan, and the current owners will allow an early possession since we'll be there in three weeks. OH, and it has to fit the budget! Do you choose the new home that's cheaper but needs $10,000 worth of basement finishing and yard fencing? That will be perfect when I don't have a job and we're living on one income! Or how about the older home that needs a new electrical box and just hit the market so the owners haven't felt the pain of holding on to a house for a year or more in a sour market. Did I mention we'll probably only be there for two years? Don't forget to pick the one that's got the better rental appeal because that's what we'll most likely have to do with it when we leave in two years, especially if the housing market is still broke.
What does it all add up to? A very tired, very frustrated, pessimist who is afraid that our most current offer on a house will be rejected and we'll be back at square one...three weeks from arrival in our new location. Maybe it's time for the sunny outlook approach. BOY, being renters in a duplex sure sounds like a good time! Go ahead and call me a pessimist, a perfectionist, and tell me beggers can't be choosy, but I'm tired of being yanked around by the Army, the housing market and the job market. It's time for the glass to start filling up.
