Well, I've been in this house since '87, when me and my "first wife" (I don't count the very first one, 'cause we were both babies) moved back here from Tuscaloosa, AL, where I lived from '73 'til lthen. I've lived in Birmingham all my life, and will miss the hills and mountains of this area, but it's time. Since meeting Judi, my "third" wife, on E-Harmony, life has been good. But, she has a home in Selma, AL, which is about 80 miles Southwest of here, that she moved into after her husband passed away about 8 years ago. Those who are old enought to remember the Civil Rights Movement in the early to mid 60's should remember Selma, AL. She is originally from the Norfolk, VA area, but moved to San Diego, CA when she was 19 years old, with her baby girl. She and her husband left SD (after she live there for 25+ years) about 9 years ago, RV'd for 6 months then settled in Joplin, MO and bought a cabin on Table Rock Lake, which they were going to move into. Then he got sick. She lived in the cabin alone for a year after he passed, then moved to Selma, AL, as that is where her daughter now lives. She purchased a house there during the peak of the housing boom, which is now worth less than she paid for it...not a lot less, but less. Whose isn't? My house is nice, as it has a basement, but her house is actually larger in living space, and in a good neighborhood, for Selma. Selma is not really a place I would choose to live, if given a choice, but circumstances dictate that I get out of my home and move into hers. Though she had a decent renter (a MD Resident) living in her home last year, we made the decision back in May to stop keeping up two house, both with house payments, and move into the one that has the least house payment...and hers does, by a LONG way. Never thought I'd have to walk away from this house without making a dime, but that's today's market, and I don't see it coming back for at least 5-10 years, if then. And I'm getting too old to wait it out. My market took more of a beating, so I basically lost all my equity to the housing market bust. So, we're moving to Selma. Her house has a 1.5 garage, so we're putting a nice looking 10 X 20 Barn type storage building in the backyard that has two loft areas for addtional storage. It's one of those Amish looking buildings. Living here since '87, and having a basement...well, those of you who are in similar circumstances can imagine how much chit I've got in the basement. Between giving stuff away, and selling some stuff, the storage building will work out, and the bike/car will fit into the garage. But, I'll have to give up my 8' Brunswick Pool Table
For some reason, Judi doesn't want it in the middle of her Great Room.
Selma is a town of about 50K people, so it's pretty small compared to here, though B'ham is small compared to some cities. It will be an adjustment for me, but on the bright side, there is great fishing down there, and lots of new country roads to explore on the scoot. And it's only about 1.5 hours back to B'ham, and about an hour from Montgomery, AL. Judi is the best thing that's happened to me in a very long time, so the main thing is that we'll be together, and more quickly be able to begin REALLy enjoying retirement, due to lower expenses. I can't imagine a better woman for me.
We'll probably be down there by the first part of August...geez, I hate moving, that's why I've stayed put all these years, I guess. So much chit, but this purging process will be a good thing in the long run. The plan is to live there for about 3 years, get some stuff paid for (like the bike), get a truck and either a trailer or some kind of RV/Trailer combination, then move to East Tennessee, or at least hit the road for 2-3 months at a time.
So, if any of you are traveling this way, and want to go a bit off the beaten path, into BFE Alabama, I'll leave a candle burning.
Hopefully, this won't interfere with my ability to attend Maggie Valley '12, but we'll see if we're all settled in by then. Old folks don't move as fast as we once did, so unpacking/orgainizing will prove to be interesting. If there's a way, and there's some $$ left after this move, I'll be there.
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Topic: Moving (Read 2300 times)