Stress!

I haven't been sewing, I haven't been quilting, I have barely kept up my housework. What we HAVE been doing is searching the MLS online and driving around looking at houses and talking to a builder who specializes in just the kind of house we need -- we have to decide what to do. Stay here and put more money in this house to make it work better for us, even though we'll never recoup it? Build a new house? Wait a year and see if the new development we're looking at takes off and shapes up like the builder anticipates? Keep looking at existing houses? ARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!

It's enough to make a person crazy. If we didn't have such specific needs - handicap accessiblity - there would be a blue million houses in this town that would work perfectly well for us. So far, I have only seen two townhouses with completely step-free entrances, and no free-standing houses at all. We're pretty sure the townhouses wouldn't suit us in the long run, and the only way to get a house we need is to build it. We could perhaps find one that could be modified to suit, but so far I haven't seen a good candidate. The house we have could be made to work, but putting that much money into an older house wouldn't be sensible.

And, quite frankly, we would both like a new house, a little fancier and better than we have had. All our married lives we have been frugal about house buying, and now that we are retired, it might be time to step it up a notch. I'm not talking about those monstrosities you see on HGTV, just a little nicer finishes, higher ceilings, a more open floor plan. No bigger than the one we have (how much room do two people need, anyway?), just a little more wow factor.

We found a builder than specializes in barrier-free houses, and a new development is starting in town, in an area we like. Four houses are already under construction, and if everything shapes up like the builder plans, it will be nice. It is a planned community with a HOA which provides all the lawncare, a clubhouse, a pool, streetlights, underground utilities, sidewalks, located away from the traffic and rush, and peaceful and quiet. The all-brick houses aren't enormous but tastefully done. We have walked through a model and we both like the house. The problem? The money. If you're looking for anything out of the ordinary like this barrier-free house, it will cost you.

Do we make the leap? Do I have the nerves to build a new house? I don't know yet.