Got my W2 from the Depot and my medical and distribution forms, went to the online site I used last year and had my taxes done within about an hour or so. If my numbers were all crunched right I'll be getting $1800 from feds and about $600 something from state. State has been accepted but still waiting to hear from Feds and know that they are backlogged like crazy so it may be a few more days. Then yesterday my medical coverage from from Depot came in the mail which technically I needed to add into my tax forms. Oops oh well. If there's a problem they'll let me know.
The plot of land on Anderson Island was off the market today. Oh well not like I was actually going to buy it. I did discover an organization called NACA which is Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America. They are specifically providing homes and mortgages for low to moderate income families, providing a lower than market interest rate and support through the whole process. There are income limits of course, and limits on what sort of home you can buy (mobile/manufactured has to be on a foundation not tied down) and unlike the USDA loans they will underwrite both urban and rural properties, even condos and townhomes. Oh and other than attending a workshop, proving you can make the payments and all that, they don't have closing costs, fees, don't require a down payment, and have their own in house agents to help with the process. From their site:
"NACA’s mission is to provide affordable homeownership to low-to-moderate-income people and communities. Thus, access to NACA’s Best in America Mortgage is limited to low-to-moderate income people (“Priority Members”) and people purchasing in low-to-moderate income communities (“Priority Areas”). NACA’s eligibility is based on the median family income for a Metropolitan Statistical Area (“MSA”). Since NACA offices service a few MSAs each with different median incomes, you may be a Priority Member in one MSA and not in another. "
So you do have to pay to be a member in order to qualify for their rates and all that. Much like qualifying for a first time homebuyer loan, there's a lot of hoops to jump through in order to get to the finish line. Will have to talk to Jon about this and see when we can start that process.
Saving nickles and dimes and some tax return that doesn't get eaten up by car repairs and rent. Shoulda, woulda, coulda if I had known about this back when we lived in Mira Mesa and I had that $19k to use.....
It occurred to me that if I want to garden I will need a location with a lot of sun exposure and mostly flat land, that lot on Anderson Island was surrounded by trees. Maybe only a few hours a day of direct sun so not conducive to a good veggie garden.
I started looking at Zillow again and within the 100k-400k prices there isn't much choice. Only looking at houses, no condos or townhomes, no mobile homes or land, just houses and honestly... there's a bunch of crap out there due to my price range.
I am always keeping in mind geographical location, neighborhood, age of the house is a big factor. There's a dozen or so of early 1900-1930's age houses usually that look almost original on the outside and modern on the inside. Sometimes it hasn't been touched in decades on the inside and it shows. We can do repairs and such if it's in our budget but completely renovating a 1902 home that was never updated at all other than putting in new appliances ten or twenty years ago... no way. One house still had the original wood oven ca 1900s in the kitchen as well as a dilapidated electric burner range and oven. The idea is to be able to move in without having to update the appliances or do anything but cosmetic changes.
I look at the foundation, the condition of the concrete for the driveway and garage, what the floors look like, is the paint peeling, are the basic appliances in good condition and recent, what's missing? All of that, what's the lot look like. There was a very nice house, from the front but then it was built on a slop so it had a half level below and the entire backyard was sloped with dozens and dozens of white boulders scattered. That would a hard no. Erosion, rain, no yard to speak of and a tiny deck for the wood stairs going down to the lower level outside.
So anyway the hunt goes on in earnest and daydreaming. I have to treat this like we mean it or we will settle with where we are.
Oh one thing I wanted to say is, I'm not just doing this for me. I'm doing it for Jon and Rocky too. I want room that Jon feels comfortable and not crowded, a place of his own to put his things and have a happy place. I want a yard or deck at least that Rocky can run around in and watch birds or people and have options for where to put him when he's being a but that isn't a 6x8 bathroom or the bedroom. The stress of being in a tiny apartment is wearing on all of us, even though Jon says he's happy anywhere I know him better than that. Stress of hearing the neighbor lady yell at her husband, the yappy dog, cigarette and other smells coming through, having him do the dishes all the time (he prefers to do them) due to it being right next to the living room and any noise in the kitchen gets amplified and he can't hear the tv. Having to wait until he wakes up from his nap on the couch before doing anything in the other room or even going for a walk.
All these things contribute to underlying stress that he doesn't realize is there but it is. Unless we come into a lot of money, we have to live with what we have here.
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