Things are moving much more quickly than expected on the "downsizing and moving to the country" front. I'm learning about building permits and septic systems and zoning, OH MY! We found the house we want - and yes, I'm calling it a house! We're actually going to buy a newer model mobile home and move it to our lot, do some renovating and making nice (as much as you really can to a mobile home anyway) then move out there. Of course in this mess is moving fees and getting a permit (which means we need to use the existing septic system which is nowhere near where we wanted to ideally put the mobile home...the other option is paying over four grand for a new septic system in the other location. Not gonna happen. And our local health department likely isn't going to approve a green system like a composting toilet, etc). Then there's the making an offer on the one we want and hoping we get ok'd - we're going to pay cash but can only afford a bit less than they want so hopefully they're willing to bargoon. ACK! I thought this was going to be easier.

Of course, in all this mess is selling our current house. We haven't even gotten it on the market yet! Our "master plan" is that we'll put the mobile home out there, work on it while we're still living here and get it ready then move out there. We didn't plan on doing it *this* soon, but a home we like came on the market. Three bedroom, two bath (more than we have now!) with a big garden tub in the master. It's hard to get past that "mobile home" feeling, but just knowing that we'll be much more financially secure and be able to do more and travel more...that makes it worthwhile. After a while, after we've done some researching and such, we do plan on trying to build a strawbale house or something similar but that's down the road.

I'm excited yet freaked by all this red tape I'm running into before we've even gotten started!