[kandj]

but we had the mortgage on our NH that was almost paid up. We had two problems going for us. We knew my job was going to be outsourced and we weren't certain that I would be "picked up" (luckily I was) And we knew his plant was going to close sometime next year.

So, last year we went in to our bank and told them what we wanted to do (without expaining the impending job situation). We told them wanted to get as much equity out of out current home as we could without any worries about going under water so we could buy a place in FL. They sent someone out to appraise our property and came back to us with a figure. That way we could buy down in TV with cash. We did a REFI - 30 mortgage - with no intention of keeping it that long! The rate was lower and the term was longer than what we originally had so the montly payment stayed very close to what it had previously been. The only difference was that we had to make montly escrow payments for the taxes that we had not previously had to do. We had always kept that money aside on our own - so no biggie. That gave us an idea of how much we could spend down there and gave us ability to hold off up here on selling without having to have a "fire sale".

We are about to put our house on the market up here and we know how much we need to make it worth our while to sell. We know what our "bottom line" is if we find someone that wants it before we upgrade the carpets, kitchen and baths. Each thing that we do will increase the value and of course our "bottom line".