Wimberleys Georgia adventure

The Wimberley family moved to the Augusta, Georgia area from Taipei, Taiwan recently. There wasn't much to do, just buy a house, two cars, set up bank accounts, get the kids enrolled in school, change employers... How difficult will this all be? Stay tuned...

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Costing out options

A house does not cost just what you put into the down payment,
and we started to experience the sticker shock of home ownership
last night. Karen wants to replace the kitchen countertop (she does
not at all like the color), but finding a good top for the space that
exists in the kitchen will probably cost at least $10,000. That may
not make the initial priority list for the house.

We need to buy a washer and dryer, since they do not usually
convey in this area. We need new beds, both for Joanne and for
the master bedroom. We will have to assess the furniture we
have left in storage for the past four years, for condition and for
how it fits in the new house. There's a lot of uncertainty in the
last case; how does four years of storage affect furniture? In an
ideal world, the effects are minimal, but that remains to be seen.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Monetary Adventures

Did you know it's far easier to obtain a mortgage than it is to apply
for a regular checking account? Obtaining money from an out of
state bank (which we will need for closing on a house) is orders of
magnitude more difficult still. These are the lessons we have learned
from today's activities.

Our house is the 93.87 x 162.44 x 93.97 x 166.72 lot just above the Pierwood Way label...

What needs to be done for a return to the US

1. Land safely.
2. Collect all your luggage.
3. Figure out where you're going.
4. Get there.
5. Allow others to contact you.
6. Determine where people can find you.
7. Obtain a method of getting to those that may not otherwise find you.
8. Learn where to find and how to acquire things you need.
9. Keep the kids happy.
10. Find a way to make the adults happy.

I was going for amusement through obscurity with this post (who
wants to hear about obtaining cell phones, house with mortgage, cars,
banks, when reading a list?), but instead stumbled into a truth I had
yet to acknowledge. Happiness comes last on a move of this magnitude.
Satisfaction sometimes has to do in the meantime.