I watch too many romantic movies!

Equest, it looks like you and I may be heading over to the UK to live close to the same time...I gett married in Nov and then plan to move within a couple months of that.  Have you thought about possibly renting out your home.  This is what I've decided to do.  I foudn a leasing management company that will do it for $100 a month and was surprised at the level of service they provide, such as finding tenants (within 24 days is their record), doing background checks, monitoring the home, handling repairs, etc...It was just too good to be true and now I can keep my home as an investment.

I have considered that and am still leaving it as an option, but I'd rather sell outright as that frees me from the worry of having to pay mortgage without renters, or having renters damage the property, etc.  I'm still debating the options, though...ideally, it would be nice to rent out the property for the rest of time and eventually have it as a pure investment income once the mortgage is paid off.  (Less ideal would just be to rent it out fairly painlessly for a year or few until the market stops sucking and I can sell more easily/quickly.)

How did you go about finding leasing management companies?  Google seems to be failing me a bit in that regard.  I did meet up with one woman who seems nice but not so professional, if that makes sense.

I have considered that and am still leaving it as an option, but I'd rather sell outright as that frees me from the worry of having to pay mortgage without renters, or having renters damage the property, etc.  I'm still debating the options, though...ideally, it would be nice to rent out the property for the rest of time and eventually have it as a pure investment income once the mortgage is paid off.  (Less ideal would just be to rent it out fairly painlessly for a year or few until the market stops sucking and I can sell more easily/quickly.)

How did you go about finding leasing management companies?  Google seems to be failing me a bit in that regard.  I did meet up with one woman who seems nice but not so professional, if that makes sense.

Give this site a try.  That's what I used!

https://www.allpropertymanagement.com/

Thanks!   It would be nice to be able to keep the house until the economy's in better shape, provided it doesn't cost me a huge amount of money to do it.

Ok WOW so glad I found this forum! I feel like I know most of you...I started reading from the beginning page1! I got to page 25 and I had to skip to the end to see if it was still going.

This is great to hear all the ups and downs and loving stories - life can be a movie just make it your own!

Love it! thanks for posting and I hope to keep up now as I have started dating an English man and this LDR is for sure a hard thing for others to grasp but ya know we didn't choose were we live we just happened to really like each other but in the honeymoon phase of 2 months ;-)

Thanks!

Sigh...so I'm still trying to figure out the best option for my house with regards to moving.

Ideally, I'd like to sell it, but it looks like, at the moment, the best case scenario is that I manage to sell for the exact amount I would need to pay off the mortgage.  That's assuming that I ask a price similar to other houses in the neighborhood that are for sale, and that I get a full price offer on the house...not so likely.

Alternately, I could rent it out, but it seems like the rental market is just as sad as the sales market, so this would probably end up costing me a bit every month, which increases my expenses while abroad.  It's probably the option I'll go with, since at least then I can hopefully "wait out" the market (as well as presumably not pay taxes on the rental income due to taking a loss between mortgage, taxes, and insurance).

I guess my third option is just to hang out here until the market picks up enough that I can sell my house without bleeding on the deal, though I'd really rather not just put my life "on hold" if I can get around it.  (Obviously saving up money to move and finding a job in the UK will also impact my moving timeline, but at least I have some sort of impact on those things.)

Anyway..just wanted to vent a bit.  As my best friend said, "welcome to the recession".  I should be (and am) extremely grateful that I have a stable, well-paying job, and can afford my basic living expenses, plus the luxury of a horse.

I hope everyone else's week is going well.

PS - Welcome Zoyabean!

Ok Ok Just want to say I finished reading this entire thing today - yeah safe to say I didn't "work" much today ;-)

This is absolutely beautiful - I feel the happiness and the pissiness (is that a real word) and the heart aches....Such real down to earth people and I love it!

So glad I found ya'll  -  sorry to just intrude but after reading all of this I really feel you guys a bunch good ladies!  Thanks for posting all of this and leaving it up for me to read and catch up on everyone's life.  It was like Twilight haha I just couldn't stop as I needed to know what happened.

I will be on much much more now that I am "caught" up

Have a great day

Aww those are kind words Zoya!  Thanks and welcome to the club

But now you have to share your story with us (thats the rules!!)

Aww those are kind words Zoya!  Thanks and welcome to the club

But now you have to share your story with us (thats the rules!!)

Yes. We demand a story!!  


Oh, and a kinda cutesy update:  Today I was cleaning out my bookcases while I was on Skype with Tim. I had a lot of books leftover from college that I just didn't know what to do with because they were books that the bookstore wouldn't buy back, or books I thought I might use in my future career (which I'm guessing I no longer need since I get to be a hausfrau eventually).  I majored in Human Development and Family Studies and minored in Women's Studies, so I have a LOT of books about childhood development, family life, and feminist topics.  I have a book called Why Marriages Succeed or Fail leftover from my Marriage and Family class.  I was reading titles out loud to Tim and then discussing each book to decide if I'd keep it, so when we got to this one, Tim wanted to know what it was about. I gave him the run down, and then he said "nah, we don't need it. We can figure things out for ourselves". Awwww.  (Oh, and it really IS a good book, btw.)

Well Thanks guys!

Its seems so much like a dream not sure if it is real so I will just give ya the brief synopsis....
Back Story...Just got out of a on and off relationship of 7 years last year Oct/Nov. so this was a wow is this really happening...
ok ok on to the story.

There was a mixed group of us all going to Vegas in April for a bunch of birthdays and everyone knew someone but everyone didn't know everyone...The girl who organized this had her cousin come over from the UK and he brought a friend aka Kevin....A guy friend of mine and I showed up that Thursday and met a few by the pool and had a few drinks and I thought wow what a cutie probable taken...Go forward a couple hours and I have had a couple cocktails *cough* and meet up with all of them in the central bar of the Palms and I just decide to hit on him I mean why not right? Well he didn't know what to do so he said to my friend " Are you going to get your wife?" my friend was like "my what?" haha no not my wife. Well we continue to flirt all night.  Friday afternoon we run into each other and I say soo do I need to say I'm sorry or your welcome <insert laugh here> and he says I hope that was only a taste...So we spent all Friday night together literally and then we spent all day Saturday by the pool laying out and talking.  It was so easy!  A few of us went to an easy dinner and then he asked if he could pick me up early so we parted and I left to get ready and he came and got me around 9 and we had our own "date" with drinks and talking.  Needless to say we spent all Saturday night together and watched the sun come up and went to our rooms about 745am...Met back up about 10am since we all were leaving around 1:30 and never left each other.  I was driving to a friends in CA and he was back to the UK. We spent all day and as we parted he said I know I will see you again. It was sweet.  We had exchanged email addresses and he was due back to work on Monday night/Tues morning.  I got an email Tuesday soon as he hit a computer and he called me <g>
Let the good times begin...He works on an oil rig in the North Sea so he is there 2 weeks at a time but google chat has made life better. Last time he was there he called me every other day.  When home we Skype and web cam and we make it point to email everyday and talk almost every night. I was flying my who cares flag and wasn't looking to even MEET anyone and here he is! So he will be here July 3rd to 15th and I plan on going there Sept 11-27th but first I want the reality check here in July to make sure I am just not going MAD.

Ok very long but I can really gush about this guy as he is the most fantastic man I have ever met...I think I am in for some deep trouble.
<phew>

thanks for letting me share ;-)

Welcome Zoyabean! Sweet story. I hope it all turns out well for you!

So, how's everyone? I've been lurking some since I'm not at my computer so much here. Week 2 in the UK. I'm loving it. It's soooooo nice to be away from work, too! I'm having a fantastic time just being a tourist and wandering around the city. I love that! I've been trying to make an effort to try new things everyday. Lately, I've discovered scones and cream. Hello! Where have these been all my life?? lol Good thing I'm walking so much to work off all the extra calories.

Carey- how are plans going for the move? Any progress yet? Fingers crossed for you!

Josy- are you still over here or are you back in the States for that wedding already? We still need to figure out how to meet up.... And bring Jamie and Alan! lol

Patty- how's the job search going? Let me know when you and Ian are going to be near the city! We definitely need to do a meet up!

EQnerd- good luck with the house situation. I've never owned one (or had to sell one) so no advice!

Anyway.. gonna get a move on so I don't drag my feet too long. The tube workers are on strike for 3 days so it's going to take longer to get anywhere all day. I may just stick to walking once I get into the city!

Have a great day everyone!

Welcome Zoya...that is such a great story...as all the other girls here will tell you...we will make sure you get an ugly christmas jumper that is the uniform of this little group hehe

Beth are you loving England? I will be back in the UK next Wed. I am still in the states my friends wedding is at the end of this week. I am excited that Jason flies in tomorrow for my friends wedding...we are going to enjoy this wedding cause ours is next in August...We will def have to meet up and I will make sure we bring Alan and Jamie along...how long are you in the UK? Are you around for the 4th?

how are all you other ladies?

Thanks Josy...I will look forward to that jumper as one can never have enough "holiday" attire.
I am Jennifer by the way and it is great to finally meet you all!
Beth I will have to check out your photo blog to see all the fabulous things you are seeing!

Maybe I should try to work today - I work for a conference call company but times are pretty slow right now so these forums help "fill" some time

Have a fabulous day

Thought I'd check in as well.    

Things are good here in Cambridge, although it's thunder and lightning oh my today!  It's so weird having tons of time on my hands, I'm so used to go go go.  I've lost quite a bit of weight however, cooking all my own meals and the 2 hours I spend weekdays at the gym have really paid off.  The bf is a doll, and his family has been really great too.  And my mom is coming to visit!  She'll be here 10 days in July, and I'm totally looking forward to it.  We'll be visiting the south to see our relatives here, and Stratford to see the RSC!  

Beth, it looks like I may be doing a few workshops in London in the next few months.  Maybe we can get together for a coffee?

Lilybelle, Sorry we couldn't connect!

Zoya- Welcome!  

Sarah - how long will you be in the UK?  Sounds like you're having a great time.

Beth - I'm growing accustomed to the idea that I'll just rent out my house, possibly even super long-term/forever (since eventually I'll pay off the mortgage and then it'll just be "free" money).  It'll still be a bit painful financially, though, until the markets suck a bit less.  I wish I could come hang out in London with you instead, it sounds like so much fun!

Josy - I hope you and Jason have a great time at your friend's wedding.  Are you all set for yours?  Wedding planning seems like there's always another 50 or 100 things left to do.

My goal for today is to wander around my house with sticky notes...green for sell ($$$), blue for giving away to charity, and red for "it's a piece of crap, throw it out".

I'm here until August 17th!  We're not sure what the plans are for after that- settle in the UK or the US?  It's a big choice, but most likely it will be the US.   

Equest- When are you thinking of moving?