Why am I confused and frustrated? Well for a number of reasons. The first thing that happened recently is the house on the corner of my street went up for sale and sold in a week. I think the house in kinda ugly and after looking at the pictures of the inside on the MLS it is fairly nice but certainly not my style.
It was listed at 1,097,000 which is a fabulous price for the value of my home if it sold for that and I am thinking it did because there was a pending back up offer. Either way I have spent the past week researching home sales in our area and the market appears to be really hot for sellers. There isn’t many homes for sale, nor good rentals so the homes that are reasonably priced and nice are selling in hours for over selling price. Hmmmm.
After reviewing all the data, I decided that maybe we should sell our home, move to West Costa Mesa, get out of debt and live within our means. What a concept! If you live in the area you know that would be a huge step for me. Let me explain. I currently have a Newport Beach address but our house in the middle of Eastside Costa Mesa which is a really nice neighborhood. West Costa Mesa has some really nice areas but also has some really not desirable areas which aren’t super safe, have a gang population and some other issues. I have been driving around for a week with Tiara looking at all the neighborhoods, convincing myself I could do it. Basically it is the born and breed Newport girl moving to the other side of the tracks.
The thing is that I know lots of wonderful people who live on the Westside. They grew up in this area and because it is so ridiculously expensive they have to live in West Costa Mesa and are mostly happy. So why couldn’t we do the same? I am not above these people, I am one of these people, and I am tired of feeling poor, so why not?
I mentioned the idea to Lou and he was very opposed to the idea and Tabitha was completely horrified. Trinity loves change so she liked the idea and since she goes to private school we can move anywhere without affecting her schooling. My second concern is that if we are contemplating putting our house on the market, I have a bunch of work that needs to be done around the house in order to get the best price. If we don’t decide to sell, I still have a bunch of work that needs to be done regardless or my house will start to completely fall apart. Being a homeowner is wonderful but I was raised to keep your house in good condition and I have really let it go in the past few years.
I need to paint my kitchen cabinets, which I did years ago but they need to be sanded and the insides need paint. Just the thought of it gives me heart palpitations and horrifies me but I can’t afford to hire someone so I need to do it myself. Yesterday I spent most of the day cleaning them out so when I finally decide to paint they have already been sorted and organized. The list of work that needs to be done is a mile long which is overwhelming but I have to force myself to complete the inexpensive items. Mainly upkeep issues which have fallen by the wayside with my blogging obsession and Tiara’s bad behaviors.
My third frustration this week that has been bugging me is my blog. I love the blog, but I spend so much time on it and yet every month I have more and more readers and I make less and less money. It is totally ridiculous. It’s as if I wasn’t meant to make money. This is the story of my life as an entrepreneur. When I was a holiday decorator I was successful in that people loved what I made or designed for them, but I didn’t make much money. When I sold Nuskin I had tons of monthly customers who loved the products but once again I did make any money and now for the blog. I have a really great following of readers who bring lots of joy to my life but once again no money. What is it with me and money?
I want money so my life is easier but I don’t want to be a billionaire. I just want to pay my bills, live in a nice, safe, one story home in Newport Beach and have enough money to take care of our family. Is that really asking to much? Apparently the answer is YES, Tiffani you are asking too much.
“Just because you were born in Newport Beach doesn’t mean you get to stay there your whole life. You aren’t entitled to live there, you have to work to stay there. But I do work hard and so does my husband”. (This is me talking to myself)
So my plan is to keep blogging because I am not ready to give it up and hope I will start to make more money. I am embarking on the projects I have on my list for the house even though Lou doesn’t want to sell, but I am going to prepare our house for a potential sale as a back up plan.
On the funny side, I mentioned my plan to my parents today and my Mom’s response was: “Oh, Tiffani you have been in debt most of your married life. You wouldn’t even know what to do if you weren’t in debt, so you have no reason to move.” Sadly, my mother is right, but wish me luck anyways!
xoxo tiffani
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Tell me again….How do you make money blogging?
I make money by people clicking the ads and by getting more page views. The more page views and visitors I have each month the more advertisers will pay me and want to be on my site. So clicking the ads and sharing my blog with others is what helps…. xoxo tiffani
lots of luck and my philosophy is if it’s meant to be it WILL BE. Good Luck:)
The idea of moving and selling is very daunting. But it just might be the right thing for your family. Having finances under control helps me sleep better at night. We are trying to get the credit monster tamed. It’s hard but worth it. And keep blogging….
Don’t sell yet Tiff!!! You will loose money in the long run…your home is most likely only going to gain in value. However refinancing might help with the increasing values in your neighborhood. You might get a better loan and save hundreds?? Rates are inching up so the sooner, the better. Go on Yahoo Finance, it tells the rates and you can get contacts/companies – it may be worth a couple of calls.
It is a luxury to live in this beautiful area. I never ever thought we would be able to afford a home here. As luck and timing would have it, we got it at the bottom of the market. You have owned your home for a long time and there is nothing wrong with moving/selling….I would just hate to see you have any regrets. I have a feeling all the nurturing you plan on doing to it will only make you more bonded to your gorgeous home. You have so many beautiful family memories there….. Good Luck oxo
Thinking you are right! I don’t want to leave or sell, just trying to be responsible. xoxo
I am forever the optimist and believe that everything will work out for the best! Stacie xo
Realistically, are you going to be saving a couple grand a month? If not, think carefully about it. A move, by itself, isn’t cheap. And then you’ll have another home that you’ll want to bring up to your standards and style – and that’ll cost money. Never mind that you and your family not only love Newport Beach but you obviously have some identity issues tied to living on the better side of the tracks.
I’m with your mom on this (again).
I’m not totally sure once I get the house the way I want? Thinking after the consensus I should wait it out….
Two Words: Dave Ramsey. This guy changed my financial life. Google him ASAP.
Listen to him on iheartradio if you have the app on your phone 🙂