What If It Doesn't Work???

Yeah -- it seems renting is the safest, sanest course of action.  It means I have to get the permission of my cooperative association, and deal with the rigmarole of how to do it.  I've never rented out property before, but I know you have to deal with tenants who don't pay on time, stuff that breaks, property damage, and so on.  Hoping I can turn it over to some kind of management company to do these things, as I really can't bear yet another pile of details!  Argh!

I moved over (on my own) about 3 months ago and have had my house with a property management company since I left. They found a tenant (over the course of about 3 months, but this was in the winter, which is a slow period), did background/credit checks, got her moved in, and have been faithfully depositing checks into my US bank account since then. It's only been 3 months since she's been in the house, but so far, so good.

You probably won't really "make money", since I'd recommend putting most of it aside into a maintenance fund (in case the furnace breaks, or the roof leaks, or something), and you'll still need to pay property taxes even if your mortgage is paid off. You shouldn't lose any money either, though, and it's definitely nice having that as a "safety net", of sorts. Even if you stay in the UK indefinitely and love it there, you always have the option of selling the house for extra cash (or to buy property here), and having regular rent checks coming in isn't anything to scoff at either.

Good luck with your move! It sounds like you've got things pretty well sorted out (speaking as a fellow Plan B - or Z - person myself).

Oh, and you're from Texas!  Despite presently hailing from Maryland, I grew up in Arkansas.  So I'll be embarking on my new life with the remnants of my southern twang.  My fiancée claims to like my voice, but I've heard other Brits poking fun at the southern accent.  What have you experienced?

Congratulations, Jewlz!!!  I'm so glad taking the chance worked for you, and I'm so glad you shared your story!  What a ... jewel!!     I'll be murmuring your story as part of my anti-stress mantra!

Amen, and thank you for that one!  One really has to work to keep stuff in perspective!  Your comments have helped a lot, and I very much appreciate the support.

Cheer!
Teddy

I have a pretty non-regional accent since I'm from Dallas (I think people in Texas cities tend to not have as much of a twang, as you call it) and I spent some time living in Chicago as a teenager. But, if anything, people are slightly disappointed that I don't sound like John Wayne. And that not everyone who lives in Dallas owns an oil rig.   But I do get some good chuckles when I use a very southern expression from time to time. As far as adopting the lingo, it will come naturally with time. I find myself alternating words like rubbish and trash. I make an effort to pronounce some things the English way just to be understood better, but around my friends and family, I will say gas instead of petrol or that sort of thing. They all know what I mean. And around my husband, I just say whatever I feel like saying! He never pays me any mind, though occasionally he will laugh when I say leisure and pronounce it leee-shure rather than lehhh-sure, or that sort of thing. He just thinks its cute or funny or whatever, as most of my friends and coworkers do. People will get used to you pretty quickly and tease you about your differences, but they only do it because its their way of showing they like you!  

I'm sure you will be just fine, and I think your friend had the best advice when he told you "Only do what you can't do without." As afraid as I was, I knew I didn't want to be without my other half, so I just swallowed that fear and got on board. You can do it, too!