I had no idea it has been such a long time since i've posted!
So much has happened and it's been so crazy! Be warned, this will most likely be a LONG post......
Some of the biggest news....Tyler turned 18!!! And....he GRADUATED!!!!!! I can not get over the fact that I am the mom of an adult! I am so beyond proud of him. In less than a week I will have another teenager!! AHHH!!!!
So we have been searching for a bit for another home, but with the way the housing has been, we never could find anything affordable, or that accepted pets. We were looking since maybe March of last year? I think? Anyhoo, we have had so many issues with our landlord/realtor for years and has raised the rent a few times, as well as told us she wanted us out. Well, we found out in March that Tyler and Chase get an inheritance when they turn 18. Tyler was turning 18 in less than a year, and said he wanted to get us away from our realtor and find a forever home. We talked things over and decided we would give it a try. August comes around and we get a letter from our realtor, telling us we have to move by October 30th. Saying the owners of the house want to go a different route with the house, or some crap like that. I was just devastated. Tyler mentioned contacting her and tell her we would be hopefully moving by the beginning of the year and if the owners would let us stay until then. She actually said yes! We still continued to search for homes, but it was insane how much people wanted for rent for small homes!! I searched owner finance and rent to own homes, but there was just nothing. October came around and as if we weren't stressed enough? Chase and I went to Dollar General for a few things and when we went to leave, the car wouldn't start. I didn't know what to do!!! I contacted our insurance and they sent out someone to help us. $85 and 6 HOURS later (yes, 6 hours stuck at Dollar General) the mechanic they sent couldn't do anything. So, we had to be towed home. $65 more dollars and over 6 hours later, we were home! Turns out the Nissan had a blown head gasket. I was so upset. We did the best we could without a car for the month, and in November we got another vehicle off of Facebook Marketplace. BIG mistake. I trusted the person we got the vehicle from, and it lasted about a week or less? Junked it and used that money to get us through the month, but it was so stressful. We barely got through, but we did it. December now comes around, and i'm stressed about the holidays as well as having food for the whole month. I went back to Marketplace. Found a really good car and was so excited, as I wanted to take the boys out to see Christmas lights like we do every year. That car lasted a few days longer than the last one off of Market place. Once again I junked that car, and tried to get us through the month but it was so bad financially. Someone whom I felt was a friend moved in with us, as well as her daughter, and was able to help us with groceries. But it came at a price. For starters, it was only supposed to be until we moved. She had a horrible temper, especially with her daughter, and was SO freakin controlling! She is the reason we now have Blue, as she got her for Tyler for Christmas, even though I told her it wasn't a good idea, but Blue is here and I wouldn't trade her for anything. She was truly meant to be our baby. But when they moved in, it was supposed to be temporary, until we moved. She and Tyler would do Doordash or Uber Eats at night, and I trusted her as she was fair and gave Tyler equal money as herself. Well, while they worked, they would talk and she was telling Tyler that when we move, she and her daughter would just move with us. Tyler told me and I was NOT ok with that. She would sit on the sofa during the day talking with so many men, but was supposedly married. The final straw was when she invited some strange man over to cook for us. Then took him into the bedroom, and when they came out she had money in her hand. Oh, but nothing happened. That was it. They left a few days before Christmas, and I am still kicking myself for letting them take advantage of us. I'm 48 years old and too damn old for so much drama!!!
So January comes and Tyler contacts the lawyer about getting his inheritance. The lawyer texted a few times and then we heard nothing. I was so stressed and didn't know what we should do, plus worried as Tyler and I had a tough time getting our medicine. He was thankfully able to get his thanks to a few amazing people, but I ended up going without for a few months. Obviously not good, but what could I do? Early February Tyler texted the lawyer again and we got a response!! He had been VERY sick and in the hospital. He sent Ty the things he needed to sign and get back to him, then he petitioned the court. In the meantime, our wonderful realtor just popped up out of the blue to see what was going on with moving. We told her the situation with waiting on the inheritance, and she said she wanted proof. Some sort of letter from the lawyer stating we were just now waiting on the courts. Ok.......so we got that and sent it to her. March comes and the courts accepted the papers and his inheritance was issued!! We busted our butts looking for a place. The beginning of April, our realtor showed up. I was in the house so Tyler went out. He told her what was going on and that we were waiting on money and still looking. She was beyond rude to him and handed him an envelope. They were raising the rent $300 more out of spite because we were still there. There is no way that house is worth that much. At all. And with Tyler turning 18 in January, we lost his monthly income, so our rent would take up one of our whole incomes, plus we still had other bills to keep up. I prayed like I have never prayed before!!! I was so stressed and worried yet again. In between all of this, we had to find a way for Ty to get to the DMV and get a state issued ID, as he needed that for the inheritance as well as a few other things. As I said, just so much going on at once!! Finally, Ty received the check. He opened up a bank account to deposit it, and we had to wait 9 business days for it to clear. I had taken a break from trying to find a home, as it was really messing with me mentally, but something told me to jump back on Marketplace and search for "owner financing". I did and this house came up. It was in Virginia, and I just instantly fell in love with it. It needed work, but you could see with just a little love and TLC she would be amazing and make a happy home. I didn't reply at first. The down payment was perfect, monthly payments were $400 less than what we were paying, and it is bigger!! I think to me it just felt too good to be true. I searched more and found only 1 or 2 more homes, but every day when I would search this home always came up first. I finally pulled the trigger and contacted the company.
Long story short, she is OURS!!! We have a forever home! Before we moved, we had a few more run ins with the realtor. It got so bad that I had to tell her if she didn't leave us be I would have to get a restraining order. We have had to get new cellphone numbers several times so she won't be able to contact us that way. Praying we are done with her.
The home is amazing! Yes, it had issues. It had been sitting since 2019, and that breaks my heart. There was mold on a few walls and certain places has drywall off, but it's all cleanable/fixable. We had a few friends come to the home and clean almost all the mold for us before we got up here. The floors need a good stripping and restoring, but when the weather cools down. They have been cleaned thoroughly and are good and strong. The views we have just blow my mind! I just can not believe we are so Blessed to live here. It is going to take time, but with love and a bit of work this home will be amazing! I will post pics once I get them on this computer for sure.As well as updated pics of the kiddos. And our girl, Blue!!!
