Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Stewartland (Almost) For Sale

The absence here on Rememorandom can be attributed to several things, but the chief reason is that I've been busy with getting our house ready to put on the market.  Stewartland, our cherished and beloved first home, is not quite ready to sell, but Keisha and I have been working hard at getting it up to snuff.  At the same time, we're continuing our downward trend of simplifying and de-owning things, and going through boxes and bags and totes of possessions is rather time-consuming.

Much of it we're selling in our subdivisions annual yard sell, which is this upcoming weekend.  The hope is to get rid of it all (which we will, one way or another) and make some extra cash to apply towards debt.  I genuinely want less stuff, and slowly I'm acclimating to that lifestyle.  We've already rid ourselves of one entire bookshelf (and books), making three into two.  We've also sold a bedroom suite and most of our dvds.  I think I might open my tote of STAR WARS memorabilia and sell it off, too.  Like I sold my shoebox full of Zelda collectibles.

See, Stewartland is a beautiful house in a beautiful subdivision filled with beautiful people and beautiful cars.  It's also the bane of my existence, the millstone around my neck that's pulling me deeper and deeper into the sea, and I yearn to be rid of the place.  Maybe I'm a transient person, unable to keep my roots down long.  I've lived in several different places during my 26 years, and I have no problems with uprooting and changing.  Keisha, on the other hand, lived in the same house until she went to college, and she'll have a tougher time leaving.

Why are we leaving?  Several reasons come to mind, but one of the biggest is that subdivision life is not something we enjoy.  We both grew up in the country with land and woods and creeks and small town drama.  We had land to play on and explore and nature was never hard to find.  Stewartland rests upon 0.3 acres of commercial grass and clay and rock, with a history of three years life behind it.  There are no giant oak trees or cow fields around.  Just neighborhood kids riding their bikes and people ignoring STOP signs (which really really really really really annoys me).

That's the biggest reason, the desire to return to the rural life.  What we hope to do is sell Stewartland and move into an apartment/townhouse and rent for a while, building up money to use as a down payment for the next home and continue to eat away at our debt.  We get questionable looks when we say we want to rent again, but from the research I've done, buying a house isn't worth it in the short term if you're planning on moving relatively soon.   And that's something we intend to do.  I'm still at the MLC (and still curious about the future of my career) for any of you that are interested.

So if the blog is quiet over the next few weeks, know that it's because there's a lot going on.  Life doesn't stop just because I'm trying to sell my house.  Many things I could write about, and whenever I find the time I may try, but until then, we'll play it by ear.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck Darth, I know that can be insanely stressful. Praying for y'all.

And in regards to that Star Wars stuff... if you sell it, dibs?

Anonymous said...

I hope both the yard sale and the house sale are successful. I moved around a lot growing up, and sean didn't and it really affects our approach to all the moves we've had to make and settling into houses and making them home.
living with trees and land and community that minds its neighbors (for good and bad) sounds lovely.

~L (omphaloskepsis)

Bill said...

Best of luck, Logan! Downsizing is a great way to refocus your time/energy/money on what's truly important. I hope you have success at the yard sale and with the eventual house sale. How are rental rates in Owensboro? Depending on the location it seems like Louisville mortgages are equivalent or better than most apartments, but include maintenance costs and taxes and that ranking tends to go moot.

Please do a post on what features your next purchase should include!

Kristopher A. Denby said...

Good luck, Logan. And as for the SW stuff, any chance of convincing you to hang on to it? I understand wanting to divest yourself of extra stuff, but it's SW!

"Contemplate this on the tree of woe."

The Sound and Fury of Kristopher Denby

logankstewart said...

@Hicks: Thanks for the prayers, amigo. I'm sure stress will only increase for a time, but it'll eventually drop out.

@L: Yes, trees... how I miss them.

@Bill: Don't worry, I'm sure I'll have plenty up here about the moving process as things get into gear. As for Owensboro rentals, I'm not really sure. I'd prefer to rent a townhouse or small home and not an apartment, but I've not really done much looking into this stuff yet. I'll keep you posted.

kristacole said...

I've moved around most my life too and love it... new places and all is fun and exciting. Never knowing who you'll meet and what places you might visit. :)... Now, going through all the junk first is boring and you realize how much stuff you actually have and don't need. I'll probably be moving soon as well, and I've been here for a few years. oh man I'm not looking forward to going through all the stuff I have! lol

good luck!

Clint said...

I would like to wish you and your family good luck on sell your house. As for the SW memorabilia, I have yet to comes to gripes in selling it. I would hold on to it, but yet again that is me..lol.

logankstewart said...

@Kris: I've thought about it, and even though it's SW stuff, it's still just "stuff." It's doing no good sitting in a box, and it means surprisingly little to me. I'm renouncing materialism and consumerism, dude!

@Krista: I think moving can be fun, but this move shouldn't be drastic enough to yield new settings other than the house itself.

@Geeky: Thanks for the well wishes. As for the memorabilia, see my remarks to Kris above... ;)