Change Is In The Wind-Or Not

For about a month now we have been thinking about moving again. (I know, it seems we move more than most RVers.) We have lived in Tucson for just under 5 years and we are in our fourth residence. I am not afraid to pick up and try something new if what we are doing isn't working.

There are some positives about where we are. I love the location and the views we have. The patio area is great for the dogs. It is a townhouse and we have lots of room-almost 1300 square feet. And, we really like our next door neighbors. However, there are many more negatives that are making us consider other options.

First, since we moved here, there is a serious safety issue that has never been addressed. There are several outside lights that have not worked causing it to be extremely dark around us. It is a safety issue when we are coming home after dark and cannot see. Who knows whats lurking out there-could be man or beast. When we mentioned it to the management they told us the lights were being replaced. That was 8 months ago. There is no sign of change. In fact, there is another light that is no longer functioning making the situation worse.

Second, we are paying extremely large utility bills, just a little less than what we were paying in the big house with a swimming pool! These apartments are very old and don't seem to be very energy efficient. Not very budget or wallet friendly.

Also, looking around, we could get a much nicer place for less than what we are paying now! In addition, we would have many more amenities and be in a little safer area of town. If we downsize and spend less money, we can save more money to go toward buying an RV. Our lease is up in three months so we have been considering our options. We have been looking at other apartment complexes and really like a few of them. All of them would be cheaper and one option would even allow me to walk to work.

One concern we have is our big dog, Mattie. Most places don't allow big dogs. She is a 70 pound Lab. She is also 14 years old and is definitely showing signs of deteriorating health. I am not sure how much longer she will be around. This is a big factor in deciding what we are going to do.

The best solution would be to go ahead and start our full time RVing. I wish we could, but it would take a miracle for that to happen. (I do believe in miracles and it could happen.) We are not in a financial position to get an RV right now. (Of course, if anyone would like to donate to the cause-we wouldn't turn it down LOL.)  I have been keeping my eyes peeled for something cheap but reliable that we could pay for with cash. Those are hard to find. We are probably unable to qualify for any loans due to filing bankruptcy two years ago. Even if we could get approved, we would probably need a large down payment, which we don't have, and have a very high interest rate causing the payment to be so big we would be financially strapped and limit where we could go. And, I am not sure I would want to start out full timing with that kind of debt. (I do miss the days when I had excellent credit and probably would be able to get a heck of a deal right now.)

So lots of creative thinking going on in this gourd of mine right now. I am not worried about it, I just enjoy looking at all the options and keeping an open mind. Besides, it keeps me occupied and gives me something to do. As always, everything will work out better than I could ever imagine.

Safe travels, everyone!