The RV solution Renting verses Owning verses RVing
Spoiler alert there is what I consider gripping but I wanted to give the reality of this lifestyle. Every living situation has is advantages and disadvantages. We haven't found Utopia yet and when we do I think we will stay or ....we could be dead
Overall I have found RVing cheaper than home ownership, renting cheaper than RVing but moving around cheapest while RVing. Not to say RVing is cheap, it is not.
I have to say.... I am so glad we own a Fifth wheel trailer we can escape too. Charlie and I were homeowners before we went mobile and we enjoyed a certain independence from yes, ownership that you can't get when you rent a apartment or even have an RV.
When you rent you really are at the mercy of your landlord same with RV parks or spots. What they fix and how long it takes, the style and type of decor or appliance selections. Such choices aren't yours. What dogs they permit to bark all day and people who don't pick up after their dogs. Annoying neighbors can happen in homeownership too at and then you are really stuck. Shared walls are another factor. I have lived and owned many condominiums and the shared wall thing continues to be an issue pretty much at any price range. You share all outdoor living space patios, pools and dog facilities and these spaces are only as enjoyable as you have cool people living with you in your community.
Our semi nomadic life allows us to experience all these different ways to live and compare . We really enjoyed our Atlanta apartment and after 3 years of fulltiming in our RV it was such a luxury of space, a dishwasher, garbage disposal, large refrigerator with icemaker, washer and dryer and a big TV with a large reclining sofa , fluffy new carpeting, central quiet AC and heating with a pool and a nice gym to workout in. The apartment complex was 8 minute commute for Charlie.
For the first 3 months heaven, next three months good and now its so time to go. The downfalls of renting this year were the frustration of a lot of extra charges, grumpy neighbors banging on walls, unclean shared space, and rent increases for a month to month after the lease ended. They wanted three hundred dollars extra. No wonder the renters in this country can't become homeowners as they are dinged for crazy charges in an apartment complex like community water $8.00 a month and community area sewer $6.00 month. The utilities in this neighborhood for a three bedroom house averaged $150.00 for this little one bedroom apartment $250.00 which we pay directly to the corporation rather than in local services, very fishy. The nickel and diming of the renters in Georgia is horrible. It's apparently price fixed as well with every rental around the same price despite condition. The real factor is credit score. So, landlords don't have to improve a property just take a lower credit score and over charge.
There are very few spots in the Atlanta area for RV's seams to be by design to force people into the over priced apartments but we found one that is converting mobile homes into RV spots. Charlie is going to have to commute for a while until next steps are decided. We sit in a quandary do we rent another year from a nicer newer apartment I found 20 minutes away? This would mean we would have another lease and even more extra charges ? The new complex forces you to have to pay a valet garbage service $25.00 a month to pick up your garbage from your door. I really don't want my garbage hanging out at my door and like all these wonderful services people end up not picking up the trash and leaving a smelly bundle that my dog wants to rip apart at my door. They don't pick up on the weekends what's the point of that?. I would feel better if the rent was just $25.00 more. So most likely we would pay for the service and take the trash out ourselves. I would also like to use my grill which isn't permitted, again. No grilling, but I'm in the south and its unamerican not to grill.
Do we buy a house which is better deal here than renting but then we can't jam? Do we try to improve a house while we live init to make some money? The market might not be right for that. We could rent a house but they all seem to be the stuff that doesn't sell and not in great shape. Do we sell our newly acquired furniture or store it? This is the nuts and bolts of our wandering life.
I still have more to see in Atlanta but we are rolling stones and the living situation is not great here unless we buy a house. Home ownership is the best deal here but if you aren't going to live here for a while we would lose a lot of money unless we find a fixer upper.
So very grateful to have an Fifth wheel trailer to move into while we decide.
10/18/2018
We have cut our expenses in half . We are currently spending $560.00 a month for a 1/2 acres lot that includes water, electric, we are only paying cable and internet with a smart TV for $50. Ruby loves her new yard.
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