To Buy or not to Buy

It is kinda funny when something bad happens how the Lord blesses you in the midst. After the accident, we made an appointment to get the car fixed. Since it wasn’t our fault, her insurance paid for a rental car while they fixed ours. It was quite a struggle to get another mini-van out of the insurance company. They were only going to just let us have a sub-compact car. However, since what was wrecked was a mini-van, John provided some gentle persuasion so they decided to let us have another mini-van. Low and behold, the only one they had on the lot just so happened to be my ‘soccer mom dream vehicle’……. The Honda odyssey. (Just so you know, my non-soccer mom dream vehicle would be a fully restored 1965 mustang!) John drove up in it and my first impression was "Didn’t they have another Ford or Dodge on the lot? AAAAAg! Why did you bring home a van that will stumble me!" He smiled and asked if I wanted to go van shopping? Now, he was kidding, but it was the kind of kidding to see if I would jump at the opportunity in my weakened state of covetousness! :o) He too loved the Honda, but, does not want to have a car payment. I am quite content with my 2002 Ford, eventhough Ford stands for Found On Road Dead, and the maintenance on it has always been costly. Since it is just $500 shy of being REALLY ours, there is no way that I would trade it in for another car payment! This is where a blessing can become a curse. Driving it is quite fun as long as I keep in mind that it is a temporary blessing and not put in my path to covet what I can’t have! :o) Also, it is a nice thing to work for since after we make our last car payment, the money that would ordinarily go to the bank, will now go into a savings fund to purchase a car when we will need to replace our current one!
Our other current economic ‘big decision’ is whether or not we are going to buy a home here in the Cape. Our rental lease is up at the end of July. Every logical bone in my body says we would be fools not to take advantage of the current housing market, tax return money in savings, low interest rates, pre-approved mortgage just waiting for us to make an offer. Keep in mind, that Lee county, which is where we live, is one of the forclosure capitals of the US. In boom time, nothing special, single family homes less than 1500 sq ft, were selling for outrageous prices upwards of $350,000. Since the boom turned bust and many builders went out of business, these same homes are now going for around $80,000. SO, for about $150,000 we could get a very good deal on a 2000sq ft home, with a pool. We never in our wildest dreams could have figured we would be able to purchase a home here in FL, EVEN close to what we had back home. Ever since our lease hit the 6 month mark we began praying about where to buy. We knew it would be somewhere in the Cape but since even this area is pretty big we wanted to make sure we would be in a place where God wanted us. Silly thing is we didn’t even really question IF we should buy…….. After all, if we are to put down roots, doesn’t that include some sort of investment? Dave Ramsey, my financial guru, said that when the market is low and you have the money, IT IS THE TIME TO BUY! We still haven’t gotten an answer as to where, until we began asking IF. Every once in a while I would get subtle hints…… Subtle like God hitting me over the head with a 2X4! We were reading the kids a devotional that spoke of why different parents have different rules & the importance of not being sucked into doing something just because it is popular. While buying a house isn’t an ‘in thing’, it certainly looks like a smart thing right now. They used Jeremiah 35 as an example; here is the portion that stuck out to me:
6 But they replied, "We do not drink wine, because our forefather Jonadab son of Recab gave us this command: 'Neither you nor your descendants must ever drink wine. 7 Also you must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards; you must never have any of these things, but must always live in tents. Then you will live a long time in the land where you are nomads.' 8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us.
Down further in Jeremiah it states that the reason they obeyed their forefathers was NOT because owning land or permanent homes was a sin. With land and a home comes great responsibility, with less mobility. Without those things that tied them down, they were now free to up and move at the Lord’s leading whenever & wherever He wanted them to go.
Also, here was another verse that was mentioned on the radio or something during this time…..
Matthew 6: 19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
I remember when we built out home in WA. The first year we lived there was consumed by the unfinished projects now set before us....... landscaping, fencing, painting, decorating, ect. I do not regret the experience of building our home, but I do regret how it became a distraction & ‘my treasure on earth’ that consumed so much of my time & energy. I have never liked the idea of renting but have come to some very logical conclusions. The things I greatly appreciate about renting is:
*It is my responsibility to make what we have functional rather than personally mine. Once I don’t have to put my personal touch on something, that also means I spend less money!
*If something breaks due to wear & tear, I do not have to pay for it but the landlord does. If a hurricane comes through, it could take away my earthly posessions and I might have to move ‘tents’, but the loss is not as bad as it could be if I owned the joint.
* When Jesus comes back to get us, which is looking to be very soon, the money I invested in a mortgage versus what I paid in rent, will be neither here nor there as it is only an earthly value with no eternal weight!
So, we continue to wait on the Lord. To see of this is a permanent state of being that He is calling us to (just renting and being available to move again if this is His will) OR if it is just a "lets change your heart so I can bless you" thing. Until then we just put our trust in the fact that God has our back and His timing is perfect and that God is not always interested in logical conclusions or economic situations. He is more interested in how they effect our heart!!!
Ecc 3: 1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.