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[Sweetbay magnolia]

@BExplorer Please don't go to a lot of trouble, but finding out about your crawl space issue sounds promising!  Maybe that would work here, too.  Thanks for your insight.

[Snowpuppy]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

When you rent you don't have to worry about the rising property taxes. Since I don't have a mortgage I pay my property taxes out of pocket every year and they are going up so high I can't believe it. No breaks for seniors either.

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The landlord will pass his property tax increases onto renters.

Rent here is climbing fast. People priced out of buying continue to rent and landlords are taking advantage. They always do.

[BExplorer]

@Sweetbay magnolia Water dripping into the crawlspace was eliminated by adding some downspouts to keep water away from the house. I was mistaken about the pipes be an insulated. Actually the walls of the crawlspace were insulated along with all the heating and cooling ductwork.

I was amazed this actually cured the problem after years of head scratching! The person who suggested this was someone I had come to the house from Ameren to give me an energy audit. He was very knowledgeable about a lot of building issues and decided to ask him about it and followed his advice. So glad we did! I hope something helps you, I know the frustration of the constant humidity and the resulting problems.

@Sweetbay magnolia 

[Bridgegal]

For us, no.  I've been a homeowner my whole life but when we moved to Santa Fe we decided to rent first.   We didn't know the town enough to buy.  

We loved renting.  Any issue?  Call the landlord; who was always immediate in taking care of it.   We had time to really explore and get to know the city before buying.

We rented for 2.5 years and just recently bought. We had another year on our lease but we heard way too many stories about landlords kicking people out who had rented with them for a long time and with the rental shortage, we decided to buy. At our age, we figured we had one more move in us and the only way we could guarantee that was to buy. THis move almost killed us, btw.

We heard horror stories but it was easy for us.  Our first offer was accepted and here we are.

I think you have to consider all of the possibilities and how you'd deal with them.  If we'd had a guarantee that our next rental would be secure, we would have done that.  But there is no guarantee.  Owners die; children inherit and sell the house.  Out the door you go.  

[VaBelle35]

Nothing is forever.  Home maintenance burnout is real.  And when you have a large, ongoing issue that seems to have no long-term solution, renting seems like a good idea.

But there's no reason why you can't sell your home and rent something small for a year and see how you like it.  Taking a break from home maintenance might be just what you need.

Then if/when you're ready to own again, you take your time and find the right place and you won't have to worry about selling your house first before finalizing your new purchase.  One less stressful thing to have to deal with.  You'll be in a better position because you have that flexibility.

[Lilysmom1]

@Sweetbay magnolia , very interesting commentary here.  Lots for you to think about.many of us here are at an age when it is time to review our options.

On the tree tree issue, can you have someone take some of the problem trees down?

 I live on a fairly large residential property.  We are surrounded by mature maples, oaks, birch (paper and yellow) and spruce trees.  East coast of Canada.  Dorian hit us hard.  During and after the storm we lost a half dozen mature trees.  All hardwood.  This is what our wood pile looks like after two years of burning lots of wood in the wood stove!

We contracted a company to do cleanup at a cost of $2500.  They were a no show so we did it ourselves.  Hurricanes when trees are fully in leaf are a nightmare to clean up!

I digress...we subsequently did an assessment of trees we felt would be vulnerable in the next hurricane amd took them down.  Can you do that with the problem trees?  Your description of the helicopters falling had me nodding my head.  I get it.

We are both closer to 70 than 60.  I know neither one of us could look after this almost two acre property alone.  We are both very active and do all the property maintenance ourselves,  After much discussion amd thought, here is where I am.  We have first right of refusal on on a lake lot close to us.  When that property is ready to be developed in 4-5 years, we will buy the lot and probably sit on it.  When either of us dies, the other will likely sell and move to a smaller home and property.

We have been homeowners for over 40 years.  When we built this house, we lived in a condo for six months and that was a good experience because I know now that I don't want to live in a condo.

DH says he is staying here if I die first anyway.  Anyway, you know what they say...man plans, God laughs!  For my own peace of mind, it is good to have a plan in place.

Big decisions anyway.  @Sweetbay magnolia I hope you can get your moisture issue and your tree issue addressed so you are safe and comfortable.  Keep us posted.  Many of us are considering exactly what you are thinking about and it is good to share thoughts.

My very best wishes to you!  LM

[Sweetbay magnolia]

@everybody here !  Thank you for responding!

I hear your experiences and successes, as well as tales of woe!

What has happened since I wrote this is, I think I have opened DHs eyes to the fact of, this is much work and he can not pick and choose.  I try my best to get it all done but after awhile, I am burned out (tx, @VaBelle35 ).

@Lilysmom1 , yes, we have the same bananas here, albeit on a smaller parcel.  We have spent many thousands on tree work (and I insist on certified arborists) and there is that constant fear of something falling, so we try to manage it as best we can, to keep good tree health.  I love them, and I know you do too, but as stewards of the land, we have a giant responsibility.

My take is, if we do have to sell quickly, the house needs to be as good as it can be.

We've talked, and plan on being here for a few more years (lord willing and the creek don't rise) but after he retires we'll rethink it.  In the meantime, we'll sit tight.  This is a unique property but I think the land will still be desirable even with the poor siting (pretty, though!).  And the house is a one-off that was built pretty well and has held it's own after 30+ years.

Neighborhoods such as we live in are in the minority.  People could want it all the more for that reason (or not).

@Lilysmom1 @VaBelle35 @Bridgegal @BExplorer @Snowpuppy @ and I'm sure there are more, but thank you.

[Mominohio]

I can sympathize with the whole being caught in limbo about the possibility of moving on and in just what capacity. We aren't there just yet, but maybe a decade away at the most, for doing something. It is something I give considerable thought to when I am just alone in my head. 

So many things to consider when deciding. But what I think I know about myself, is that I seem to adjust to change easier and faster than I did back in my younger years. Seems like it should be just the opposite, but I seem to make the best out of, and be able to find the positives in new and different things and changes. I think on the whole, we humans adapt easily if we give things a chance. 

It does seem imperative to make good choices in one's later years, and avoid feeling like or having to live in a 'mistake'.

[magicmoodz]

I am amazed by people who are in or nearing retirement and don't get a bit of anxiety thinking about the maintenance that goes along with single family ownership, especially should you lose your spouse/significant other.

My anxiety started earlier than most because we don't have children to come to our aid. We sold our home in the city 5 years ago for a very, very nice profit. We then purchased a condo also in the city.

At this point I couldn't imagine going back to single family home living and all the responsibilities associated with it. Not only are all the common areas maintained, but our windows are washed, balcony railings painted, furnace filters changed, smoke alarm batteries changed and we have access to our full-time on-site maintenance manager.

Even now that life is so much easier, I am currently thinking about becoming totally unencumbered, selling our condo and moving to a new apartment complex (I already know which one), but oh my gosh--the rent!

It is expensive to live in the city, but I LOVE it!

[CANDLEQUEEN]

My sister and late brother in law moved from NJ to Wisconsin and sold their very large home in NJ after retirement, and wanted to move back to WI to be near family, they decided to rent a home, and for them it was the best decision, 4 years after moving here my brother in law passed away and my sister doesn't have any children, so it was good for her to be around family.

She said it was nice to not have to worry about home ownership. Her situation was very different, but for her renting really worked out after many, many years of home ownership.