HELP! Move or not to move?

[AshleyFishy]

My grandmother passed away recently and the land is for sale, very reasonably I should add. Husband and I heard the price and the wheels started turning immediately.

I thought I might run it passed all of y'all though.. you know...unbiased and experienced all you are . Seriously.

Our current land is about two acres with a large (too large for the two of us honestly) house. One side road frontage. We are on septic with rural water. No Internet but dial up or satellite, satellite for tv. Fully fenced and crossed fenced. One small barn and chicken coop. Mature nut trees. Outside the city but close to everything and has on ramp and off ramp to interstate. Has 20+ years on mortgage.

Or

1 acre exactly with two sides road frontage. On rural water with clean deep water well and city sewer. Cable internet and tv available on top of other options. One large barn, one small barn with overhang enough to make a good sized chicken coop attached. Fully fenced and cross fenced. I would have to build a small dry lot. Almost bareing sized fruit trees. Outside city limits but near enough to interstate and closer to down town than our current house. However....the living establisment is an older, well kept, single wide trailer with a LARGE central air and heat attached. We would be able to pay it off fully in three years. Not including the sale of our current house. Then we might be able to have a house built on the property to our specs.

Are we just being wishful? Is this something that would maybe work? Could we maybe down size and have no mortgage sooner?

 

[SheepGirl]

The reduction in the amount of land makes me say no, however, if you are able to get rid of a bill in three years rather than ten, then go ahead. But if you're just going to build a house on the lot, it would be more expensive I would think.

 

[AshleyFishy]

I know I will have to cut my goats down but the size of land shouldn't be a big problem. We are talking getting rid of a mortgage in 3 years vs 25. Building a house wouldn't be a problem after the 3 years. We would have plenty of free money then. It might take another few years but at least we would be able at to start a house, best in five years at worst ten years. But it would be exactly what we want.

 

[SillyChicken]

Sounds like a trade down to me. Look for something better.. don't buy something on that scale just for sentimental reasons. If you receive any funds from the sale of grans house, use that to get something better than you have now.

 

[greybeard]

I too would say 'no'.
Reason comes from your suggestion that you might be building a new house on the lot the singlewide is currently occupying. That almost always means you would be taking on another mortgage. You would again be with a house payment, but with less acreage. Don't know anything about the size, age or condition of your current home or how big your family is , but that singlewide is going to become smaller every day you live in it. In addition, building a home on a 1 acre site may present some problems, especially if any of the utilities and services were 'grandfathered' in, meaning the grandmother's place wasn't required to be brought up to current county code. They will let things go as long as the domicile is the mobile home but a new build will have to be done in accordance with current code, and that includes setbacks from roads, water wells, and even utility lines and services. That 1 acre will shrink a lot if a house has to be built smack in the middle of it.
My yard is 1 measured acre, and my house is 35' x 35' and pretty much centered in the yard. I can't see much room here in my yard for any kind of livestock raising.

Do some hard research, look at the appraised values (both tax wise and market value) of both places, affirm what long term goals you and yours really want and decide from that.

As far as internet services go........
If you have 3G cell phone service up there, you also have internet available. It's what we use here. I personally have Verizon, but the other major carriers also provide data plans for both cell phone and internet. You just use what is called a jet pack or broadband card, which receives the signal from the cell tower and connects to your computer. You do not have to use the same service that your cell phone is, tho I do.
2 cell phones and 2 people using our computers run us about $150/month for 10G of data.
IIRC, some companies are offering no contract data and voice services as well--Walmart may be one of them.

 

[goatgurl]

i have to vote no also. 1 acre does not give you enough room for a garden and the animals you want much less to expand. if you are planning to build a house then you are going to be in debt again. if the house you are in is to big then just close off part of it and don't use it unless you need it. make your monthly house payment and pay extra on the principal to pay it off sooner. use the money you would have to spend fixing the 1 acre up to pay on the principal of your current mortgage . in the end you have to decide what is the better place for you. let us know what you decide.

 

[goatgurl]

well AshleyFishy what have you decided to do? inquiring minds want to know?

 

[AshleyFishy]

We have decided to go for it. We will be saving around $1400 a month. It just seems like a better fit for us.

 

[goatgurl]

congratulations! hope all your dreams come true at grandma's house. always do what your heart tells you.