Spokane, here we come!

Well, time does bring good news! Although we still aren't 100 percent if we should buy or rent- things are looking really good for buying (which is what we really WANT to do, if it is right). We found a bank in Deer Park (the one that does the financing for the clinic Jon will be working at) that was willing to seriously bend over backwards for us. They are doing an in-house non-conforming loan which means all the rules go out the window- they can do whatever they want with it, so it will work for our situation. It is at a great interest rate, and we won't even have to pay the PMI. And since having the down payment up front is hard for us, they are going to do an unsecured loan on a one year note. If we were going to rent, we would have been saving for a few months to get the down payment- so this works really well for us and ends up being better overall.

I appreciate everyone's input on this! I know that there are many benefits to renting first, but since we know the area really well already we feel comfortable buying right away. The stability of not having to move again, including possibly moving schools, wards, etc is huge for us. Even if the job for some reason doesn't work out in the end (which feels unlikely)- we would be staying in the Spokane area anyway. Not only is the job such a great offer, and has everything he was looking for in a career, but is just feels so right and the people there seemed great to work with. Of course, you never know what will happen, but I think unless something really crazy happens, Jon will do whatever he can to make it work there.

We are leaving tomorrow for our big trip (without kids!!) back to Spokane to look at houses- there are so many great houses in our price range it will be hard to narrow it down! Exciting times for us. We will be doing a lot of praying that we will choose what will be best for our family, and of course to make sure it is the right time to buy a house. I want to buy sooo badly, sometimes I worry that my own desires will get the way of any Spritual promptings. Jon and I both feel really good about buying right away, so I figure at least one of us would get some kind of prompting or bad feeling if it wasn't right. Even back when I wrote the last post and wasn't sure if it would even be possible to buy, when we would pray about it I just felt calm, and that I shouldn't worry so much about the whole situation. I didn't get a feeling one way or another about which option is right- just that I shouldn't stress over it. So, I figure that I am trying really hard to truly listen-so I hope we are directed to what is right!

One completely un-related bit of news- my Grandma Monson (my last surviving Grandparent) passed away on Saturday, November 19th. Although I will truly miss her and love her so much, it was her time and it was expected. She is now with my Grandpa (who passed away three years ago). She was an incredible lady, and a wonderful Grandma. Her funeral just happened to get scheduled on the same weekend we will be in Spokane- - so I will be getting on another plane with my parents and flying to California for her funeral on Saturday. We will be able to look at houses together on Friday (until we leave in the evening), and Monday, but Jon will have to do some looking on Saturday without me. I am very much looking forward to this little side trip, though, to celebrate my Grandma and see all my extended family, and be together with my parents and siblings.

Today's Lillian-ism

As Lillian climbed into the cold van this morning:

Lillian:
"Daddy- can you turn on the hot air coditioner?"

Jon:
"You mean the heater?"

Lillian:
"Ya- not the COLDER."

To buy or not to buy? That IS the question . . .

I interrupt my chronological account of of our family's comings and goings for a current update. It seems like all my posts from the last year have included something about being so far behind- - but I guess that is my busy life! I don't think it will ever change- at least not for awhile.

Anyway, our most recent update about our move to WA has to do with whether or not we should buy a house. Up until last week, we were still waiting on Jon's medical license to FINALLY be issued in the state of Washington so we would know his job is 100 percent a go- that was the final piece. It took about 11 weeks to finally get approved (a whole other story involving the state of WA loosing his paperwork and CWFM taking over two months to turn in their portion of the paperwork)- a long time to wait, but it did finally go through! Yippeeeeeee- that was a happy day.

As soon as that license was issued, we started the process of contacting a realtor, banks and trying to figure out the best way to going about buying a house. Within the first few phone calls, I was severely disappointed and realized that banks don't really like new doctors out of residency, and that we may not BE ABLE to buy at this time. I had always planned on using the Bank of America's Doctor loan (which we were pre-approved for in 2008 when we were buying then- - but then ended up going with an FHA loan because the house is a "manufactured" home and didn't qualify for the doctor loan). Up until just last year, it was a zero down payment loan, with no PMI and competetive rates. Best of all, we could actually qualify for it even though Jon's income isn't good YET, and he hasn't started his position yet. The loan is designed for doctor's unique situations, whether out of residencey or not. Well, Bank of America was my first phone call, and yes, we would qualify, but we need a 5% down payment. My heart sank as I heard this- we really are close to being able to do this (with Jon's signing bonus), BUT it would uncomfortably make things pretty tight. With all of our other immediate financial concerns (some credit card debt, needing to buy a car for Jon after we move, 6 weeks of no pay during the interim, etc), we just can't do 5% down right now.

So I started contacting bank after bank and found that really our options are limited at this time. Another FHA loan would work (though each bank undestood the terms differently- one said Jon would have to have started working for at least 30 days, another said we just had to close within 60 days of him starting if he has a contract, and another said we couldn't do it because we already HAVE an FHA loan on another house, and the other said it was OK if the move was for relocation of jobs). An FHA loan is 3 1/2 % down- which is much more comfortable, but caps at right in our price range. We finally did find a bank that could possibly do some creative financing (including an unsecured loan) to help with their 5% down payment- though I didn't find that out until four or five days after starting all the phone calls, and I still am not sure if it is financially wise.

Jon and I spent most of the week talking about and trying to find the best course of action- - should we do an FHA loan with 3 1/2 percent down, or the creative financing, and possibly make things a bit financially challenging at first? Or do we wait and rent for a year and get our financial ducks in a row before buying? Because we have had to move so many times, and certain members of the family don't handle transition well, I was really hoping to find our modest dream home and stay put for the rest of our lives. No more changing schools, no more uprooting our family and the emotional things that go along with that . . this was my dream. At the same time, renting isn't such a bad thing- we would still be in the AREA at least- we could try out Deer Park and see if we even like living in a small town like that, and most of all, make sure JON likes his job at Deer Park and will be able to make a good career there. Sigh- what to do? Even if we buy- is it best to buy IN Deer Park so JOn has a very small commute, or do we buy in North Spokane where he would be commuting 15-25 minutes on a semi treacherous (in the winter)highway? Do we opt for the awesome Mead school disctrict- one of the best in the state- but also HUGE, and the North Spokane Stake? Or do we go for the small town life with a really small (but still good) school district of four schools-the high school having only 600-ish students, and a Stake that spans from the border of Spokane to Canada- the beautiful northern wilderness of Eastern Washington? We have been looking at listings online for all the different areas, and we have a lot of wonderful options of houses- it really is a buyer's market.

So many decisions to make! Jon and I have planned a trip to go check it all out the beginning of December, and I have to say that I am super excited. Which house will I walk into and know it is mine? Or will none feel right? Maybe we will find a house that we can rent first and THEN buy- so we don't even have to move? Even though this week my mind has been obsessed with these, my spirit feels calm, like everything is going to work out the way it should. I want so much to have and follow the quidance of the Holy Ghost in these life changing decisions, without my human emotions impeding our decisions- and that is what I am praying for. I don't want us to make a choice based on what SEEMS to be the best at the time, but what IS right for us in the long run. I pray that we will be led as to what is right. I have to remind myself that in the end, our life is going to take a wonderful turn for the better, and I am so grateful that we are finally there. What an amazing road (the bad AND the good) our family has been on.