Fri, 09 Sep 2022 | Serving Your Family
When we started our debt-free journey nearly 2.5 years ago, our plan was to pay off our mortgage on the home we were living in at the time, and we included that in our debt-free process.
However, we then moved across the state, and had trouble selling our previous home. And, for 2 years we paid double house payments as we paid rent in our new town and the mortgage on our old house. Talk about stressing an over tight budget!
However, the Lord was faithful in His provisions, and we made it through that time just fine because of the things He had already begun to teach us.
And, as of June 2014 we are debt free (after paying off nearly 20,000 in student loans, and being forced to accept a short sale on our home).
Bump in the Road
I’ll be honest and say that if it were completely up to us, we’d probably be house hunting right now and diving right back into a mortgage, albeit a small one.
However, because we were forced to accept a short sale offer on our house, we are ineligible for a home loan for 3 years. This was a disappointment and frustration to us, because we worked very hard to pay that payment every single month. We never missed it, despite the super tight budget.
But then because of a misunderstanding, we are ineligible for a home loan despite a near perfect credit score. (We thought we could accept the lesser offer and make payments on the balance, but later found out that was not a possibility. The only way the bank would approve the sale and release the lien was if it was marked paid-in-full, via a short sale. However, even in that, the Lord moved.)
The positive side of all of this is that we have 3 years of forced waiting time to try and do the impossible–save cash for our home. (or at least get a good start on it!)
Hmmm, maybe the Lord is trying to tell us to be patient?
Journey to Buying Our Home
So, yes we are out of debt, but since we are currently renting, the journey is not over yet! After meeting the first goal to get out of debt, our new goal is to save cash for a home.
Wow. Just typing that is tough. This is by far the biggest goal we have ever set for ourselves, and will surely test our commitment many times over!
We are longing for a simpler life out in the country. We aren’t picky about the house, but want it to be on a few acres so that we can raise our boys in the country with the freedoms and responsibilities of farm life. And we believe this is a dream and longing that the Lord has placed on our hearts and will see to fruition.
Realistic Goals
We are still just a very average family, with a very small income, so to set a goal of saving cash for our own home is a big deal. Some would say (and have said to us) that it is impossible.
But, we remind ourselves that all things are possible with God.
And, we believe we have a realistic dream. We are simple people, with a simple, frugal lifestyle. We are not looking for a nice, big, expensive home with bells and whistles. We are praying for a small, simple, fixer-upper farm house, though we are hoping for some land to go with it. We just want to raise our boys in the country. In light of these simple desires, we can afford to have a small budget for our house savings.
Staying Encouraged
With all that said, I know that a big part of the difficulty of a goal like this will be remaining encouraged down this long, long path! This is not a quick thing. It will take us years.
I’m going to share next week some of the specific things we are doing to make this dream a reality, but for now I’d love to hear your tips for staying encouraged. Have you saved cash for your own home? I’d love to hear your success stories or encouragement.
Continue reading here: Saving for a Home, Part 2 {Debt Free Living}
Was this article helpful?
