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Bubble 2.0 + Pets

March 24th, 2013 at 03:24 am

**I applied for improved disability insurance earlier in the year (offered by same provider I already have - was new more extensive coverage than previously offered). I just got word I am approved. Awesome!! IT now covers partial disability, which is a substantial improvement.

**Wow, real estate is HOT here. A house sold down the street for $375k (in minutes). That officially puts our home appreciation at 50% over 12 months ago. !! I thought, "Yeesh, I haven't heard anything about real estate picking up so much." So I caught up on the real estate news, and I guess our city is on fire. Apparently also high in the ratings for "flash sales" (or homes that sell within 24 hours). Flash sales have generally always been the norm since we have been homeowners (common enough even in the "slump."). But, it is definitely noticeable today that homes in our own neighborhood are 100% selling within days. (1 or 2 or 3 days - same difference to me. By the time you evaluate your pile of offers and sign on the dotted line, it might take a couple of days). In the "slump," homes priced right would always sell in a flash. (Yeah, it's hard to consider that a slump. Hence, the quotes). But others would languish at higher prices.

Bubble 2.0 is definitely here. I call it that, due to the abundance of zero-down home loans. (And 3.5% FHA loans).

Regional real estate is interesting because it seems to have little to do with regional economics. Unemployment is sky high here and wages/employment have never been overly fruitful. But home values are hyper inflated by outside investors and transplants from LA and San Francisco. So, I wouldn't be surprised if home values fly past $400k this summer. (& if they fly past $500k, $600k eventually, as they have before). Especially since buyers seem more concerned with monthly payments than home values. I have never really gotten a sense where things would settle down. For the past 13 years, real estate has been a rollercoaster ride every step of the way. I think it's some of why I find it so fascinating. If my home didn't swing wildly in value, it wouldn't be so interesting to keep track of.

**We got the catalog for the courses my 4th grader can take this summer at college. O.M.G. It's becoming clear to me he got the engineering genes from my dad. (& my dad will be so jealous!!). I've already guessed what classes he will want to try for, so will see. Electrical engineering, circuitry, designing, that kind of thing. Anyway, I am so relieved we can fit in two weeks of classes with our busy summer schedule. This summer will absolutely fly by.

That's 2 weeks of engineering classes (most likely) and 10 days in Europe. We have our annual camping trip, and summer break is only 8 weeks for the kids. I doubt we will plan anything else in particular. Except finding something fun to do with LM while his brother is in Europe.

**It's been a sad, sad week since we said good-bye to our fur baby. Frown

Dh and I, fatigued by the care of our elder cat, had many many talks probably for years about all the things we would do when we were some day petless. *No more pets.* (At the least, no pets for a couple of years so we can do some longer-term travels).

Well, spiritually, I had a very quick change of heart. I did peek at the shelter. Well, the many shelters and the gazillion homeless cats in our city. & it immediately hit me that I no longer cared for the simplicity of being petless. We have a nice, stable home, and I just couldn't say no. Of course, my spouse is in a space where he thinks this is a choice of grieving and he is actually open to it. I don't think it has anything to do with grieving. IT's realizing that having a pet is a lot of work and responsibility and a PITA, but that's what all the *best* things in life are. & I don't think anything has taught me that quite as much as having children. So, on some level, I think it's just an extension of being a parent. When I Was 23 and picked up my fur baby from the shelter I couldn't imagine being petless. IT was my first decision as a renter-turned-homeowner. These days I can imagine being petless and enjoying it (mostly because I am in knee deep with kids), but I also have very well learned what is truly important in this life. It's love. Bringing more pets into our home is just more opportunity to love.

Anyway, so we will take our time. But, I look forward to adding all that crazy to our life again, when we are ready. Crazy and love.

5 Responses to “Bubble 2.0 + Pets”

  1. snafu Says:
    1364143984

    We likewise live in a 'hot' housing market that never significantly dropped in value. The downside is that our property ts is assessed at median 'sold' value plus or minus sf, and 'enhancements.' It translates to substantial annual increases in property tax even when the politicians 'hold down' taxes by not increasing the mill rate.

  2. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    1364156065

    {{hugs}} It was a hard decision when I finally brought another pet into my home. But like you said, there are SO many animals out there without a home. When you're ready, the right furbie will come your way.

  3. Looking Forward Says:
    1364277459

    Again ((hugs)) to you and your family.

    The care that a pet needs (when done right) takes effort, but it is so very worth it IMO. It makes my heart so happy that your family will someday give another animal a loving home. Smile

  4. dmontngrey Says:
    1364412526

    Everyone deals with this differently and you will know when the time is right. We brought home a new cat 4 months after putting our cat down due to cancer. We weren't petless, but it was still a difficult decision as DH insisted on getting another black cat. We made sure we were as ready as we could be. We put her down the night before my birthday and picked up the new brat the day after DH's birthday. Odd timing, not at all planned. 2 years later and we're still adjusting - but we wouldn't change how things worked out. Smile

  5. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1366683556

    Me too no fur babies until my youngest is 5.

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