This 'ol home. Exposed.

As usual, my mind has been wondering to beautiful places. 


Places like this:

And this:

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And this:

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Oh my.  Oh my, my, my. I'm a sucker for pretty things. Whether it be a pretty sink. Or a pretty paint color. Or a pretty porch.  Or a pretty garden. These pretty things inspire wonderful dreams in my head that allow me the pleasure of doing just that...dreaming.


And as I've said before, if ya ain't got dreams...well...that's just sad.  And no, looking at these photos doesn't make me envy - it makes me excited!  To design, create, and make the most of what we have!


You may not know this about the Elliotts, but we don't own our 'ol country home.  We rent it.  It sits on an acre on the outskirts of town, surrounded by some friendly neighbors, a large pack of wondering dogs, and lots and lots of orchard.  It's on a quiet street that is so narrow, when two cars cross eachother it's always a squeeze.  Our home has a million year old maple tree in the front yard that shades us in the summer and also prohibits any grass from growing.  Our landlord, whos family has owned this home for a million years (I tend to exaggerate on time references), lives just a few houses away.  He owns all the orchard that surrounds us and I love waving to him as he passes by on his tractor.  And he lets us till the ground here and build garden beds everywhere - so for that, I am thankful!


Our home was built in 1903.  Originally, it was the only house on this street!  It is designed wonderfully and horribly at the same time.  I love the tall ceilings, open cabinets, screened porch, framed windows, and solid wood doors.  


But I hate the short counters (and lack thereof), bathroom layout (right off the kitchen!), plaster walls, and "patch-work" fixes that so often accompany rental houses.


And while I wish that we owned it, and were able to restore it to it's full original farm-house glory, I know that we need space further away from town.  Where we can milk our cow.  And free-range our chickens.  And ride our horses.  And plant our own nut trees.  


But still, I wish I could decorate and reconfigure the porch to look like this:

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I wish I could build a picket-fence around the front yard, and plant something pretty on it.  Like this:

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I wish I could tear down walls, and open up spaces, and replace old cabinetry, and build a bathroom upstairs.  I wish I could remove the door from our upstairs bedroom that we call the "suicide door" - due to the fact that it opens to nothing but air.  I wish I could put in new stairs and add a wood stove.  I dream, people, I dream BIG.

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But at this point in our lives, this is where we are. We love this house.  Sure, if any more additions to the family are made (ahem, hint, hint Stu!) space will be tight, but it's still a wonderful home.  And for even just this time, it is ours.


Thinking about renovating, building, and/or moving has also got me thinking about mortgages.  Now, here's something else you may not know about me (talk about being exposed today!):  I am a Realtor.  Yep, that's right.  Suprised ya, didn't I?  Because I can't commit myself to full time work, I currently work as an assistant to another Realtor (whom I love!).  It's a great job that has allowed me to see all kinds of wonderful homes and properties.  It's also given me an inside look on financing and all that mumbo-jumbo.


Point being this: A mortgage scares me.  Yes, I know that there are tax incentives.  Yes, investment wise, I know it makes sense.  Yes, I understand that if you're paying the same in rent that you would for a mortgage, why wouldn't you buy?


But it scares me.  Just being honest, here.  The idea of being able to walk away from a rental house if things get financial tough is comforting to me.  And with the state of the current housing market, *shutter*, I just don't know if a mortgage is what I want to jump into.  But saving up enough cash for a home in the Northwest?  Good luck, man.  That would take a long, long time.


Maybe we could just purchase and pay off a piece of land to start?


Maybe we could live in a tent?


Maybe we could...I don't know...do something different?


The idea of being debt free is wonderful.  And although it is far harder to today's society, it is still possible...isn't it?  There has to be a way to do things differently, right?  I'm just not totally convinced that jumpin' on that mortgage hamster-wheel is something I'm up for yet.


What are your thoughts, readers?  How have you done it?  What have you found helpful?


I'd love to hear your suggestions.


And while someday I aspire to this:

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For now, the Lord has given us this:

And that's a blessing.