No Need to Panic
I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay. Psalm 40:17
Has your single-mother status forced you into a new housing situation? Are you concerned your children will be adversely affected if you have to downsize living space for a while? Let me encourage you: Yes, make sure your family is safe, but remember that your children will carry memories of your love into their adulthood. And those memories outshine housing.
In fact, I remember a woman who recalled her childhood on a Louisiana bayou houseboat.
“That was the only place my mother could afford,” she said. “But I never understood her embarrassment about our living arrangements. I loved every minute there with her and often wish I could go back to those days.”
So take a deep breath and straighten your shoulders. You can handle housing decisions—just as you’ve handled so many other decisions. Of course, the most important first step is prayer. But even with prayer, you still have plenty of practical things to consider.
Here are some tips for buying a house:
Investigate Internet sites: As with your car research, enter “sites for buying houses” in your Internet search engine. Several national and local options will appear, including homes.com and homefinder.com, offering advice and potential locations.
Talk to others: Call school administrators, pastors, and anyone else in your chosen area who might be able to answer your questions.
Choose your Realtor. Work with someone from a reputable firm. That professional can answer your questions as well as give you a list of mortgage companies and make arrangements for all inspections.
Investigate a too-good-to-be-true deal. Some homes, for instance, may have a leaky basement that shows up only after a heavy storm. Others can’t pass a radon inspection for natural radioactive gases, so the owners are willing to sell at a ridiculous price.
Check for cracks over inside doors. Defects may mean the foundation has shifted.
Check the driveway for cracks. Deep ones may signal underground problems. For example, parts of our city are located over old mines, which have the potential for collapsing tunnels.
Check for a sagging roof. If evident, you may face a serious foundation problem.
Check the water pressure. Turn on the tap and then flush the toilet. The water flow in the tap should remain unchanged.
Ask to review utility bills for the past year. If they’re unusually high, the house may have poor insulation.
Ask about the furnace and air-conditioning units. Ask how old they are and when they were last cleaned and inspected.
Don’t assume anything. For instance, ask which appliances stay with the house or apartment and if they are in good working order.
Insist on a structural inspection. Once you’ve found a potential new home, no matter how your own inspection went, take a deep breath. When we’re under pressure, we often lean on our emotional reactions to the property. That can be valid, but an official inspection will reveal the condition of the house and its foundation. Yes, it may cost a couple hundred dollars, but you’ll know what you’re getting. That information will save you from an unpleasant surprise later.
There! That’s enough to get you started. The Internet, library, or your realty office will have more details to help you feel confident about your purchase.
But what if you need to rent? You may have read this far and decided that buying a house is out of the question. Maybe you’ve studied your financial situation and realize you’re doing well just to meet current bills.
Finding a decent rental when you’re a single mom with limited means is not easy, especially since many landlords insist, “No pets, no children.” But this is not impossible, so after you’ve prayed, here are some ways to get started.
Find out what’s available. Who does rent to single-parent families with children—with or without pets? Talk with others in your situation. Read the classifieds closely. Make inquiries.
Now, let’s assume you’ve found an affordable place that accepts children. Great, you’re all set. But what if it’s going to take two incomes to swing it? Then let’s look at this next suggestion.
Team up with another single mother. Have you found a nice place but it’s too expensive for one income? Or are you a divorced or widowed mother who’s stuck with a house you can’t afford to keep by yourself? Either way, search for another single mom to share costs and responsibilities. Advertise through your church, your workplace, the local supermarket bulletin board, or the classifieds. But as you receive responses, make sure you talk through—and put into writing—every detail of your expectations and hers. Again, assume nothing.
Consider mobile home living. Check out mobile home parks in your area. As a rule, whether you rent or buy, mobile homes cost less than conventional housing of comparable size.
Not sure about the area? Ask the police. They’ll answer your questions.
Consider subsidized housing. Federally subsidized housing is available in some areas for mothers and children with limited income. Such accommodation is a boon for the working mother who can manage a month’s rent but can’t come up with a security deposit and first- and last-month’s rents at the same time. Check with your local Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine if you’re eligible for their program. Even if you have to go on a waiting list, it’s worth the wait.
Remember the Louisiana woman who spent her childhood on a bayou houseboat? Just as her mother, though unknowingly, created wonderful memories, you can as well. The texture of the walls doesn’t mean as much as your love that surrounds your children.
Prayer: Father God, I’m grateful I can trust you to guide me step-by-step. Thank you that, even if I start to panic about all the decisions I must make, you are just a whisper away.
Thoughts to Ponder
Personal Ponderings