Well, Michelle, I have to say, we have the same thoughts as far as your family's reaction. I was struck by the remark, "but you've put so much into it...", yeah! you have! and now you're going to get something out of it!

If I were in your shoes, I would most definitely do the same thing. I agree with all your reasons and would urge you to sit down with a financial planner to budget your boon so you'll be set for the rest of your life.

The house is a house, your life is your life and it's yours!

And man! I hope this lung thing is just a benign anomaly!

P.S. Don't pay cash outright for your medical bills anymore. Go to the billing department and tell them you are a cash patient and need a payment plan. They can magically lower the cost of most everything and will accept no-interest payments most of the time.

Good advice Michelle.

i think your are being very smart in your decision . it seems well thought out and your reasons are good. the others are almost sentimental, yours are long term end result, we tried chapt 13 and still almost lost this house if you can recoop enough to save your BACON I say do cause thats what we are doing here we got control of our house again fixing it up repairing and get the money aspect back in our favor we are selling. yes it will kill me my babies grew up here broke bones here played here but part of it is moving on



walks away singing .... i'll follow the sun.........

Hi Kinch.

I'm so very sorry to hear about your worries, especially the lung nodule.

To me it makes pefect sense to sell your house, because it's exactly what DH and I did under similar circumstances.

There's the odd occassion where I miss not having our own home, but I have no real regrets. It was the most sensible thing to do in the circumstances.

There are advantages to leasing. For us it costs far less than our mortgage repayments did. We have no rates or repair bills to pay, and whenever we felt like a change of scenery, we simply move.

Don't forget Kinch, this is only a house that you're talking about and a house does not necessarily make a home. A home is where your heart is, where your belongings are, and where you invite your friends and family. It can be anywhere at all.

I think your DD & SIL are being very selfish. It seems they're more interested in your babysitting ability and their own gain than in your well being.

My own sister is also selfish like that. She complained very bitterly recently, and cited as one of the reasons she refuses to visit me, as being because I've set up my spare BR as a nursery for our grandson when he visits. There's no big comfy bed in there any more for her and her DH, and she was angry when she said she refuses to pay for a night's accommodation anywhere! (like we do when we go visiting).

Try not to let your family dissuade you if you make up your mind to sell. DH and I have never looked back since we made that decision. We do have a lovely home, but we don't own a house any more, and I don't know where we'd be now had we not done what we did.

I do hope your lung worries are unfounded

Thanks everyone! Especially for reading my long winded post!!!!

Thanks for all the support & advice. I'm glad you guys think I'm on the right track. I so agree with what you guys said about a home isn't a house, it's where you are happy & comfortable. I've always put a lot more value in my loved ones than things so, it's not too hard for me to let go of my house.

I met with the realtor today & we came up with a good price. I told her I'd give her my final decision by Monday. And, my daughter is coming around. She was here for support & apologized. My SIL.....he's another story but I just told him he's not allowed to talk to me about it, end of story. You'd think he'd learn by now, wouldn't ya?!

As for the lung thing, I am not worrying about it until I need too. Luckily, I have other things to keep my mind on!

Again, thanks so much. I really needed your help today, I just a tad bit emotional.

I would sell... no doubt about it, given all the factors you've shared and your reasons for considering listing your house.


If you've had pneumonia, and it can go un-noticed or undetected by a person (I've a friend who just went through it and didn't know she even had it while her doc did but failed to notify her as soon as he made the discovery), lesions - sp? - or nodules can also appear in films.

I was in very much the same situation as you are in now. I couldn't keep up with the adjustable rate mortgage on my home. It was too much house and yard (and there was a pool, too!) for me to take care of alone.

I'm leasing a home now and have no doubt I did the right thing. This house is as much my "home" as the other place was - the only difference is that I can actually enjoy this place since I don't have the mountain of debt hanging over my head.

Home ownership has it's advantages but not always. My stress level has been greatly reduced.

Good luck to you Michelle - I think you're doing the right thing.