Sometimes, maybe often, the road to your goals and dreams is not as straight forward as you think it will be. My search for a new home for myself has hit yet another road block. This one is a technicality with the financing. It isn’t that I am not a good candidate for a mortgage, I am fortunate that I can qualify for a very modest one at this time. Unfortunately for me, there is a technicality in my divorce last year that has complicated things as I found out, the hard way.

I had pre-qualified for a mortgage loan. As I mentioned, the amount was quite modest, particularly when compared to the cost of housing in the Pacific Northwest of the US, but I certainly could find a few fixers. I have renovation skills which would allow me to take on a project and pay cash as I go. I made an offer on the house pictured above. It was built in 1925, is in a tiny town in the countryside, and is in need of a lot of love. The offer was accepted, earnest money placed, the inspection made and paid for, and things were cooking right along until…the financing hit a technical glitch that could not be solved by the brokerage I was using or another conventional brokerage. I know…these things happen.

I have a confession to make. This isn’t really what I am looking for. I knew it deep down too but, this was an opportunity that presented itself unexpectedly and I went with it. While I was quite prepared to take on this house and I was disappointed when the deal fell through, I have to admit, it isn’t what I really want deep in my heart.

You see, I want a bit more land. I would like at least an acre not only to garden, but to practice a nearly lifelong dream of permaculture and sustainable living, at least my idea of these practices. These ideas will be unfolding in this blog. Not only do I want to build a cob house, but I also want my next place to be my forever home. That is something that seems to have eluded me so far.

Finding land in the area I wish to settle, that I can afford, and go through the building process, will be a huge challenge. I might need to find a place to live temporarily while I work on any land I buy depending on the regulations. I want to fold all of what I value and wish to achieve such as art, music, veganic gardening, fiber arts, creating, teaching, and learning, into one lifestyle. This is a journey that will easily take the rest of my life. It will definitely be an adventure and I hope to meet a lot of friends along the way, both old and new.

Finally, this will be hard. I don’t think it is impossible, but it will definitely be challenging as things of worth usually are.

Hang on, it is going to be a bit of a bumpy ride, but I know what I want and where I want to go. I am going to trust that. Here is a good place to start!

-Renee