New Year; New Beginnings

*sorry for the 2 year delay in blogging, life gets in the way occasionally*

2016 closed ended on a high note but not without challenges.  We were officially “homeless” and had become renters while we await a new endeavor living debt free on 7 acres we purchased, our future homestead.

            When we bought/built our current home 11 years ago we did so with the forethought that in 5 to 10 years we would sell and reap a nice return to put down on a land purchase. McKinney was up and coming at that time, but not in the way it is today.  The Sam Rayburn tollway was still only a 3 lane road with a stop light at the Preston intersection (where the big mall is).  Half way to our house the road turned gravel and Custer was a 2 lane black top with a stop sign.  With what we paid for our home, we were living the high life!  Fast forward 3 more kids, a few job changes for Josh, and a booming suburban city and we found ourselves ready to fulfill that dream we had long ago and leave concrete suburbia behind.

            Two years before I “gently persuaded” my dear husband to start actually looking at properties, he had already been searching and researching both properties and areas to live.  Our priority was schools, which can be difficult in small towns. I work for a large health care system whose hospitals are in the DFW metroplex so having a not-too-long commute was a request, albeit I only work 2 days a week.  The day may come that I decide to transition to a closer facility, but my benefits and pay won’t be matched and that is hard to walk away from.

            I’ll save process of the search and how we came about our place for it is its own story, how it points to Jesus like I never thought it could! What I will say is that by the determination and financial planning of my hubby and the rising market of our area, we were able to pay our house down far enough that we made a profit that matched what we paid for our home in 2005! That allowed us to buy our land outright, purchase the garage/barn we need, and invest in a home slightly larger than we have now with enough beds/baths to fit our family (we have a 3/2 1750 sq ft now).  We found 7 acres in Celeste, TX feeding into Leonard ISD (yea!) and reaping the benefit of Hunt County Ag Exemption (grandfathered in).  We have spent the majority of our holiday cleaning debris from the land left by the previous owners (of 27 yrs) getting it ready for its owners, planning the homestead, and packing a smidge bit here and there.  The home should be ready to move in the beginning of March and I. CAN’T. WAIT!!!