Which temporary(ish) housing would you choose?

[WatchingThemGrow]

Which would you choose if you were between houses and looking hard to find a new place to purchase?

Option 1) Newer townhouse 3/2.5ba 1700sf with a 1.5 garage in an apt. community. Huge playset in the middle of the culdesac road, typical apt. set up , shortest lease possible is 9 mos, then we can go month to month for $250/mo. getting out of the lease will cost 1-2 months rent, unless the unit is rerented while it is still in my name. Cost: $1800/mo and we get our POD back to unpack everythign, put it all into the apt, etc.

Option 2) Preschool friend's home with character 4br/3ba, huge backyard, huge front yard, carport, furnished, playset, etc. 5 month only option for lease. maaaybe we could do 3mos and then month to month. we wouldn't have to get our stuff out of storage while we continue to look. We could have people over for meals at this house, spread out, enjoy 2800 sf. rent is$2000/mo and cable internet is included, so the rent is really just $1900
ETA: Option 2 addition - the family is going away Aug-Dec and will be back at the end of the year. If we have not found a place by then, we would have to go somewhere else. (SURELY we will have a place by then, right?)

[amldaley]

I would say option 2, but what would you do if you don't close on a place in 5 months? is that the minimum or maximum?

(So glad things are progressing for you!)

[kmkaull]

#2 if you are used to having a home and a yard. It will make life so much more pleasant to have the space. Also, it is furnished? That would seal the deal for me.

[jess_g]

I am reading this and thinking that option 2 would require you to move again in 5 months time when the owners want their house back. If that is the case, I would pick option 1. You could always pay to break the lease if the perfect home came along quickly and otherwise you would have a pretty permanent place to live.

[specialp]

I am reading this and thinking that option 2 would require you to move again in 5 months time when the owners want their house back. If that is the case, I would pick option 1. You could always pay to break the lease if the perfect home came along quickly and otherwise you would have a pretty permanent place to live.

:yeahthat: Option 2 sounds better, but if that 5 months is the maximum I would go with option 1.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'd do option 2. That gives you time to find a better solution.

[speo]

Option 1 because I wouldn't want the stress of having to move again before I found the house. I would want just one more move - into the new house. I also don't really like mixing business with friends/family/acquaintances like in Option 2. Good luck!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Yeah...now I see our small school district has a new policy about transfers and DD may not be able to attend the same school if we live in either of these places. I do not want her to attend possibly 3 different schools in her first 2 years.. P&PT needed that our perfect place would come on the market soon!

[amldaley]

Yeah...now I see our small school district has a new policy about transfers and DD may not be able to attend the same school if we live in either of these places. I do not want her to attend possibly 3 different schools in her first 2 years.. P&PT needed that our perfect place would come on the market soon!

P & PT for that perfect house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[twowhat?]

Option 1. I think you need the option that best takes the time pressure off of your shoulders...because you don't want to jump into a house purchase out of desperation - you want to buy a house because it's the RIGHT house.

[vludmilla]

Option #1 absolutely.

[lalasmama]

Option 1. I think you need the option that best takes the time pressure off of your shoulders...because you don't want to jump into a house purchase out of desperation - you want to buy a house because it's the RIGHT house.

:yeahthat:

[AnnieW625]

I think you need to keep looking for other renting options. Could you find a similarly priced apartment complex in your DD1's current school area? Also why not just use your current address? You are still legal owners of the place as you pay the mortgage on it.

I am not sure I would go with #1 because of the lease term, and in typical Murphy's law or whatnot you'd get all moved in and then find the house of your dreams and end up spending the two months rent to get you out of the lease. I think if I did this option I would not look for a house at all for the first 6 months so this doesn't happen to you (assume it will take 90 days if you find a short sale or foreclosure you like), and or if the sellers would be agreeable to a 30 to 45 day rent back if needed.

As much as I like the idea of #2, I think in the long run it is going to put more pressure on you and you are going to have even more expectations than you do now about the new house. I also think that the lease term is a little a short unless you know that you can potentially get back into the house you currently own at the end of the lease term; which i don't think you can because of your renters who just moved in.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I think you need to keep looking for other renting options. Could you find a similarly priced apartment complex in your DD1's current school area? Also why not just use your current address? You are still legal owners of the place as you pay the mortgage on it.

That's kinda what we thought last night as well, so we started looking at new places. Our choices are individually owned homed or 3 low income apt. complexes where people who have actually gone into them shake their heads no - don't do it.

I think I'll try to find a babysitter or maybe just take the DC with me tomorrow and go to the school board office to see what they will permit us to do.