Living Outside The Lines: For Sale

Understanding the military’s propensity for transferring service members to new duty stations every four years, we never even discussed buying a home, choosing instead to rent off base until military housing became available. 

by, Becky J Miller

According to bankrate.com, the median age for first-time homebuyers has fluctuated slightly during the past 15 years, holding steady between the ages of 30 – 32 years. 

It should come as no surprise to me or anyone remotely acquainted with me, that my husband and I defied this trend. We did not purchase our first home until we were 43 & 42, respectively.

In 2017 many young couples purchase a home shortly after saying, “I do.” We did not. Married at ages 19 & 18, I don’t think home ownership ever seriously occurred to either of us. 

Back then my husband worked as a delivery driver for a lumberyard. We visited many construction sites, touring the homes and joking about how we could probably afford the mortgage but no water, electricity, cable, furniture, gas for the car, or groceries. 

Two years after we married, he joined the Air Force. Understanding the military’s propensity for transferring service members to new duty stations every four years, we never even discussed buying a home, choosing instead to rent off base until military housing became available. 

After seven years in the military we moved back to Texas, but did not consider ourselves financially stable enough for homeownership. In hindsight, it was a wise decision. 

From 1994 to 2004, we relocated four times within a thirty-five mile radius, and from 2004 to 2008, we moved three times within about sixteen miles. 

Finally, in November 2008, we bought our very first home!!! It was far from what I’d consider our dream home, but it was brand new and located just a few miles from our children’s schools.

There were other bonuses as well, the house included all the appliances; washer, dryer, built in microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator, plus the builder threw in three trees, three bushes, several ceiling fans and a nice cash incentive. 

Eight years later the children are grown and a “For Sale” sign sits in the yard. Fortunately I’ve not been back to San Marcos since the sign went up because I’m sure there would be tears.

Emptying the house of all our possessions and then entering the vacant interior was traumatic enough without actually seeing the “For Sale” out front. I cried just seeing a picture of the front yard containing the sign.

The house was never intended to be our “forever home”, but parting with it is still difficult. We lived there eight years, longer than any other home in our 31 years of marriage.

We moved to Beeville to pastor a church. The benefits package includes a home for the pastor, which is a definite plus. We won’t need to purchase a house, and we are renovating the parsonage, making it our own, so to speak, which is almost like custom building a home. However, the fact remains, that soon, we will no longer be homeowners and right now that makes me just a bit sad.   

Its been said “nothing lasts forever”, how true those words are!

Until Next Time,

Becky J Miller ~ Warrior Princess

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.