[PR1234]

Bill-N-Brillo, our situation was a lot like yours only we live in Michigan. We rented in TV for a couple of years, but "I" (hubby could sleep anywhere had a hard time being in someone else's place. I am the type of person who loves to decorate and really appreciate my own things.

How we compromised is we bot a REALLY INEXPENSIVE place on the historical side. Put a little money into it and made it just the way we wanted it. Yes we do have 2 homes to take care of now (well actually 3...but that is another story) but it really isn't bad at all. We have a terrific person watching over our place in TV for a nominal fee and we have the peace and comfort of having our own place to come to whenever we want.

It will be many more years b4 we are full-timers and I am sure at that time we will get a bigger place. We will either sell our place now, or use it as a rental. Either way....it will work out just fine! Good Luck with your decision.

[deano_hoosier]

Another view.. we rented first for 3 months, then second time for 4 months.. and maybe would have continued renting, but we found our home's owner sloooow to communicate each year if they would be renting the house out the next year. So each year I was having to spend gobs of time trying to find a suitable place for the next year "just in case".

Despite what people say about "trying out different areas", etc... it really is not that easy to find a new place to stay for next year after maybe Feb-Mar of the current year. Things pop up and maybe you get lucky, but we got tired of the waiting game. I also agree with the many good ideas people have offered about a "place to come home to" and knowing what you will have once there.

So I'm not anti-renting, far from it, but our own experience was one that caused an annual frustration period that got to us in the end. We like what we have now, a Amarillo style house in an older village N of 466 and we are fitting it up the way we'd like to see it.

Good luck which ever way to end up.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Thanks to everyone who posted replies. We really appreciate all the feedback and input. As most are indicating, it seems to wind up being whatever works best for each of us - there are no right or wrong answers.

Again, thank you for all of the insight - opened our eyes to a few things we hadn't thought much about to this point.

Bill

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Thanks to everyone who posted replies. We really appreciate all the feedback and input. As most are indicating, it seems to wind up being whatever works best for each of us - there are no right or wrong answers.

Again, thank you for all of the insight - opened our eyes to a few things we hadn't thought much about to this point.

Bill

Keep us posted on what you decide-- especially if you buy something. Are you coming down this winter?

[Bill-n-Brillo]

pturner: We're potentially going to be there in mid-Oct for about 10 days (hinges on our friends' plans). Definitely going to be there for around 10 days or so just prior to Christmas and then again for the latter half of February. It's about all we can squeeze in with current work situations.

Right or wrong, we believe we're going to hold off buying for a while ('famous last words'!!). The advice offered by some to rent for a full winter or two is probably the direction we'll take - at least that's where our thinking is evolving at present. The way our situation is right now, it'll be a couple more years before we get to that point. But then again..........who knows!!

Bill