Becoming A Homestead

 A lot of work is involved in creating a homestead out of something that was an abandoned home. It’s important to find and appreciate the small (big?) joys. On one of my first mornings here, a Mockingbird perched atop our chimney and sang to me while I worked. On another early morning, I spotted this wild morning glory blooming along the remains of what had been a ramp.

And Lyli and I found a dragonfly playing in our sliding glass door. We observed him for awhile and took his picture. Homeschool at it’s best!

I must continually remind myself that creating a homestead is an evolution. You see, I want everything right now. I bet I’m the only person who does, right?
But we must be patient with life, just as God is patient with us.
And besides, the joy is in the journey.
Here’s a view of the backyard:

Now, when I look at this, I see what needs to be done. (You can’t see from here what I see when I walk around.) :) But I also see the happy kid and the pretty plants and I try to focus on that.
We’ve fenced the backyard, and fenced the garden area (the chickens are preparing it for me at the moment). The porch swing is waiting for us and our coffee (on the swingset because there is no porch), and we put up the swingset from our old house, too. The deck is almost finished. And I hauled away a lot of yard trash.

Evolution of a Farm Girl is an ongoing process. And the evolution of this homestead is, too. Check in next week to see our progress and hopefully find inspiration and humor for you to use on your life’s journey.
Blessings!

This post is linked up to the

We Found A Home

We purchased a 2005 manufactured home on 2 acres. It is just far enough out in the country and within 10 minutes of a wonderful library. (Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the library?) It has well water (which we love) and a small barn.

Now for the “before” stuff.

*Swamp. Yeah, it’s a bit swampy. The soil has a high clay content and holds water because many of our neighbors have built up their properties with truckloads of fill dirt. But no worries, we have a plan. A plan that will have to wait until the ground dries out some… but a plan nonetheless.

*Repairs. The new A/C is the biggest repair that was needed. People tend to strip all they can from foreclosures. This one was spared most damage because of the tight-knit community of watchful neighbors. But still- new A/C, new back steps/ramp/deck, replace ceiling fans and light fixtures (all the nice ones were gone), our new friend, Gary the Electrician, fixed our wiring problem, our new friend and neighbor, Michael, helped with the electricity-to-water-heater problem. And my Dad has been extremely helpful! Putting up ceiling fans, repairing the kitchen cabinet, installing the stove. Ben and Ed worked on the kitchen, too, cutting out a place for the stove to go.

We still have to install door knobs (they stole all the door knobs!) and put up some trim around some doors (they stole the trim!).

*Cosmetics. I don’t know about you, but almost every time I move into a place, I like to freshen it up with a new coat of paint. This home had a decent paint job, but alas, it was too dark a color for me. So we painted. My father-in-law Pat and mother-in-law CynDee helped a lot with this. So now the kitchen and laundry room are a very light and fresh green (Delicate Winter Melon- WalMart), the living areas and our bedroom are a light peachy white (Whispered Peach- Better Homes and Gardens for WalMart), and Lyliana wanted a dark blue for her room. We compromised with a light blue- Aqua Inlet by Better Homes and Gardens for WalMart.

*Fence. The property next door has two ponds on it, so we needed a fence to keep our kids and dogs in and safe, and keep the neighborhood dogs out. I wish it would keep the deer out of my garden, but we’ll have to come up with something before planting time.

Before Pictures:


Some of the cabinets have been ripped. I will cover this with stain and hope no one ever notices. :)


The laundry room has a deep wonderful mop sink. LOVE IT! And you can see the destroyed deck/steps/ramp in the back yard. Our new friend Larry is going to fix this for us.


Ben and Chris smoothed out and trimmed the carpets. Not sure why they were like this, but they’re fixed now. They look great. There are a few stains, but I’ll cover them with area rugs.

Blessings!
-Lainie

House Hunting Tips

We have a history with real estate. I’m a real estate broker, was an appraiser, was a mortgage broker, all in the State of Florida. And we’ve bought and sold a few properties.

The main lesson I want to share is: Do your own research. You simply cannot rely on what another person says; it does not matter if they are a Realtor, Banker, Appraiser, Surveyor…

Here are some quick tips that we’ve picked up. Hopefully, they will be a help to some of you.

• Look up the property on the county appraiser’s site. Search “name of county property is in” property appraiser {Duval County Property Appraiser}. Once on their site, click “property search” You can usually find it by address. This will show you previous sales as well as the taxable value and even a building sketch and list of site improvements. There’s also usually a link to the tax assessor’s office so that you can see what the current taxes are and estimate your property taxes.
• Then search the property on Google Maps. Check out the satellite imaging. {We didn’t want to be very close to high tension power lines or train tracks, so we googled every property before we spent the time and gas money to go see it in person.}
• Most of the properties on the market today are foreclosures or short sales. Be prepared. The majority of properties have problems. We’ve seen holes in walls, destroyed flooring, wiring that’s been stolen, AC units have been stolen, a foundation that was literally washing away, and cabinets that had been ripped apart so that the wall oven and stovetop could be stolen. Just brace yourself. And start a savings account so that you can make repairs on the property you buy.
• HUD homes. If you are interested in a foreclosure, the HUD HomeStore is a good place to start. You can search for properties and read the addendums (including the PCR- Property Condition Report- that will reveal any major known problems) all from the comfort of your home. Of course, in our experience, these inspectors can miss some things. Let the Buyer Beware. A note- HUD properties are listed with a Realtor and will be on the MLS as well as Realtor.com and Zillow.com. You don’t have to know somebody to buy one.

In most cases, you cannot simply buy a HUD owned property. You have to bid on it. For this, you need a HUD registered real estate broker who can place your bid for you. This can be tricky. Many HUD properties seem to be listed below Fair Market Value, but if you bid above the list price, you must have cash for the difference. No bank (in my experience) will finance a loan amount above the listed price. Then again, if you make a full price bid, someone with cash might outbid you. C’est la vie.

• Financing. Find a loan officer you like and make application. Then ask them if you qualify for a USDA 100% loan (No Down Payment Required). If not, ask them if you qualify for an FHA loan (As Little as 3.5% Down Required). Qualifying for these programs is more hassle, but less cash. You decide if it’s worth it.
• One more personal bit of advice: ask your loan officer what is the maximum amount you can finance. Then divide that by 2 and shoot for finding a property at that price. Maxing out your credit is a good way to get stuck with a home you cannot afford to live in. {Speaking from personal experience here!}

Blessings!

Making Baby Plants - Rootings

 

Did you know that cuttings need darkness to root?

Neither did I.

When I bought my English Lavender at the Farmer’s Market, I asked the farmer if it was easy to grow/root/take care of. He said ‘Yes.’ He said to take a cutting of new growth (green and flexible – not woody and hard) and place it in a glass of water in a sunny window.

So I did. The lavender cutting was healthy. It was happy. It even made a flower. But it did not grow roots. Eventually, I switched it from the glass to this dark blue vase. I thought the dark blue would look pretty with the lavender flower.

After about a week, I pulled it out to change the water and found roots! Voila!

Since then I’ve made another cutting, a woody one this time. Placed in the blue vase in a sunny window, it rooted as well. Then I cut two pieces from it and now they are growing roots in the blue vase.

I adore this little guy.

Okay, so I’ve admitted that I had no idea a simple clear glass would not work.

Who knew?

FarmGirl Crafts – The Sock Monkey

The Sock Monkey is an American classic craft that emerged during the Depression. The Sock Monkeys with the iconic red mouth were made from worn out Rockford Red Heel socks. You can buy these classic socks from Fox River Mills. Each pair of socks comes with instructions for making sock monkeys.

Lyli spotted a bright sock monkey in Bealls one day in 2010. The $30 toy didn’t fit into our budget, so I ordered a pair of socks and made one myself.

Here she is sleeping with it in 2011.

Loral likes it too.

 

I’m happy to say that the monkey has survived for a couple of years, even though Lyl removed his red hair and blue bow-tie that I had made.

 

I hope to make more in the future, using the Fox River Mills pink socks and other unique socks that I’ve collected.

National Geographic

We always had National Geographics around. My grandparents and cousin all subscribed. I will never forget the time I read an article about allergies. It basically said that children raised on farms were healthier than those raised off farms. (A gross generality, I know, but stick with me here.) The article actually stated that this one family would have been much healthier if they had moved a cow into their living room.

Well, a statement like that made an impact on my subconscious.

When I was growing up, I noticed a friend of mine with major health issues. She lived in a newer brick house. I lived in an old farmhouse (minus the farm) that was quite drafty. I was in much better health than her. I asked my parents what they thought. They responded basically that fresh air is good for you. Now that I’ve done more research, I realize that the paint and carpet and building materials in her new house were probably emitting toxic fumes. And the windows were so well-made and sealed tightly (and never opened) that the fumes had nowhere to go.

My FarmGirl leanings are all about health. My health and that of my family. I know that the food I grow in my own backyard is fresh, organic, and healthy. I know that working in the garden and with animals is good for our bodies and souls. Having room to run and play is a luxury that I had as a child, and one that I desperately want for our children.

So… the hunt is still on. We are still house-hunting. Dreaming of a HomeStead. Evolving into FarmGirls. Trusting God!

Keeping the Faith

 

Home-shopping is hard.

One place has a nice home on it, and the yard is too small. One place has a great yard, but the home is in poor condition. Another place is a lovely mini-farm, but the home has foundation issues. Expensive ones. This other place looks promising… until we drive to it and realize it is waaayyy far away from civilization. This seller wants too much. The bank won’t finance this one. sigh

Nice Barn! 

When things get tough, the tough keep the faith. When I feel like God isn’t listening or doesn’t care about our situation, I think about myself and my daughters. I love them deeply. And I want only the best for them.

Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” NKJV Matthew 7:11

God knows what we need before we need it. He knows what will happen to us before it does. It is our job to keep the faith, believing in His providence, power, and good.