|
Have I regretted getting the loan?
Yes.
Have I fully appreciated the things we were able to do to our home with
that money? Yes.
Are we repaying it as quickly as humanly possible? You betcha.The POINT
of admitting to getting this note is that we needed to get a survey in
order to do it. (And also to let others know that sometimes we do things
we don't want to do, and it's OK. There is a lot of talk about striking
out to the country 'debt-free' and I admit that that's the way to go if
you are diligent, plan well and are very very lucky. Do not consider
yourself a Homestead Failure if you need a mortgage to get you to a
place of your own. Just get the best deal you can, the best rate you
can, and work like the Devil to pay it off as soon as possible. Paying
an extra $100 each month on the principal can decrease the term of your
loan by up to 50%)
Back to the POINT.
Our survey cost us about $800 and once registered with the county raised
our taxes exactly zero dollars, since the land area was correct in the
legal description, but the measurements were what were wrong.
We are now correct, recorded, and most importantly, our house is firmly
planted on our land.
Now that we are looking at new land to move our house to, we are finding
it exasperating that 10 times out of 10, the realtor will NOT KNOW WHERE
THE LOT LINES ARE on a parcel.
How the heck are you supposed to be expected to
make a serious offer without that knowledge? I guess if you are just
looking for a hunk of land to plunk a McMansion down on, it doesn't
matter how many trees there are, if the ridge or valley are part of the
property or if that surface water is shared with another landowner.
It matters to me.
A lot.
Although I will not overlook a piece that states "no
current survey available", if I got really serious about it, the seller
and I would have to have a talk about getting one, and not at my
expense.
A current, accurate survey is good insurance, both
for the buyer and the seller. It is not a good feeling to stand at the
end of your land and peer at your house floating independently of it.
Knowing EXACTLY what you are buying provides peace of mind, and in the
world of homesteading, between learning new skills and the fickleness of
crops and livestock; we need all the peace of mind we can get.
Previous page
Homestead.org Home
|