When we moved to Charlotte, I really wanted to get some acreage in the country. But we didn't know anyone and we ended up moving into a subdivision, in large part so that we could meet people.
Now, a year and a half later, I HATE living here. The HOA is totally ridiculous. They had a hearing about our trash can covering. Ridiculous. And, I have had TWO neighbors complain about my dogs PEEING in their yards when I walk them. Not pooping, peeing. And (poor dogs) I don't even walk them very often, so it's not like they're peeing in the same people's yards every day!
But, the kids do have friends here, and I do too, and so that is good. And we were at our neighborhood pool nearly every day this summer, so I would have missed that had we lived in the country.
The running is a thing I hadn't even really thought of.
Anyway, I don't think I really added much here, but for some reason just felt like I wanted to butt in.
I DO hate rules. Really, really. I read the ones for ML, and they're not too onerous, though a few are pointless and stupid.
You have a point about friends. My introvert self somehow made some great friends in our last SD. It's nice to have good neighbors. I wouldn't be that far from my old friends - Tracey's about the furthest at 35 minutes with good traffic, and an hour in bad traffic. So I'm not too worried about never seeing anyone. It's not THAT far from my old house - I lived just on the other side of the county line before.
I DO hate rules. Really, really. I read the ones for ML, and they're not too onerous, though a few are pointless and stupid.
You have a point about friends. My introvert self somehow made some great friends in our last SD. It's nice to have good neighbors. I wouldn't be that far from my old friends - Tracey's about the furthest at 35 minutes with good traffic, and an hour in bad traffic. So I'm not too worried about never seeing anyone. It's not THAT far from my old house - I lived just on the other side of the county line before.
yeah, if i had friends within a half hour or so, i'd be good.
__________________ Chrissy,
lucky mama to my sweet 3: Noah (7), Lilah (4), and Rowan (18mos), and somebody new coming in August!
(I sure wish I knew how to edit that strangers bum out of my picture!)
looking at the other side, how do you feel about trail running ? are there trails nearby with the house in the country option?
not a blessed thing in the whole county. Seriously. ok, there's like a one mile trail at Sawnee Mountain Preserve. Yawn.
(I should add that those running/bike paths out of ML lead to the nature center w/trails and a state park w/ miles of trails. Believe it or not, the city is better for trail running. Forsyth county is a little behind on this stuff. Sawnee Mountain Preserve is it).
I think ML is it then-- especially if you can find a larger lot, and doubly so if you can find somewhere else to garden. Growing up, we gardened on land that my parents were buying that was about 7 miles from where we lived. We eventually built on the land, but we had a garden there for about 5 years before we ever built on it.
I think ML is it then-- especially if you can find a larger lot, and doubly so if you can find somewhere else to garden. Growing up, we gardened on land that my parents were buying that was about 7 miles from where we lived. We eventually built on the land, but we had a garden there for about 5 years before we ever built on it.
hey, that's like having your cake and eating it, too. If only I could afford both in these parts!
If you paid cash for the house, could you finance a little land for 5 or 7 years? I think my parents paid off the land and then we had a construction loan while we built, and then used the proceeds from the sale of our house to take the mortgage on the house we built down to almost nothing. We were on 5ish acres btw, and abt 1.5 of it was the house and garden, and the rest woods.
I can't tell you how many summer mornings I remember getting up at the crack of dawn and driving to the land so my mom could weed or pick veggies before the sun got up good. We had those giant tupperware cups , and she would use the lids from the small ones and fill them with water or koolaid and then we got dry cereal in a bowl or cup with a lid. I remember my brother being so small that it was my job to watch him in the playpen while my mom was in the garden (she would set us in the shade under a tree)
Anyway, I know you aren't fond of acquiring more debt, but I thought maybe it would be something to consider, if you could find a good price on land.
I probably should add that my dad was a tractor mechanic as a teenager, so he was very familiar with 50's ford tractors (he also had a shop on the land where he repaired tractors-- that was the first thing that he built), and so he was able to clear the land by himself primarily. He was a civil service firefighter for the military, so he worked 24hrs on 24 off, giving him the actual time to do this as well). I know that clearing your own land isn't practical for everyone LOL
That sounds so nice, Heather. But, no cash houses for me in ML, I'm afraid. Those cash houses we were looking at are all in the boonies, relatively speaking, and if we're trying to get closer in for commuting reasons, we'll be paying for it. It won't be a big, huge mortgage, but enough that we won't also want to try to pay for acreage at $60k an acre where we aren't living. Now if my little sister finds cheap acreage up her way, we might be able to do that. But I can't be driving that far to pick tomatoes!
It was so much simpler when we didn't factor in commutes and running.
I love Martins Landing.. I used to babysit a lot there, and my friend Sylvia has her house up for sale (she's the one I took the astrology class from).. I don't think they've got the lot size you want though.
We back up to a protected greenbelt, and I'm really loving it.
I love Martins Landing.. I used to babysit a lot there, and my friend Sylvia has her house up for sale (she's the one I took the astrology class from).. I don't think they've got the lot size you want though.
We back up to a protected greenbelt, and I'm really loving it.
let me know which is her listing - I'm not that set on anything right now.
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No advice, as i don't know the area, and you are sick of hearing from me, anyhow, right? 
are there trails nearby with the house in the country option?
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