[guilloche]

OMG. This is going to sound nuts, but I could use some kind words. Or maybe good stories about when you were in a similar situation.

I live in a condo (townhouse, but with condo ownership), and we have a contract with an older guy who works on our AC/Heating. He's supposed to do maintenance on the individual units twice a year (but I struggle to get him to come out once a year), and to come out if something breaks and fix it.

I have to pay for this through my HOA fee.

Every year, it's very difficult to get them to come out for maintenance. Every year, I have to call multiple time, and it takes over a month to get them to come out. Every freaking year.

This year, I called... and got no call back. I called a week later, and the machine (old style answering machine) was out of memory. I emailed the person that I know on our Board of Directors, and she called them (she has a private number) and the man's wife (who handles scheduling) called me back, and kind of chastised me for calling the board member, told me he couldn't come out in the rain (which is fine, but why not call me back and at least try to schedule something!), and said he'd be there early next week.

I never saw him or heard anything from them. Then, my AC started to act up (burning smell). I called, left a message, and... no call back. I've waited several weeks, no call back.

Finally, I sent another long email to the Board member asking for help, expressing my frustrations, and breaking down the dates. It's been nearly 6 weeks since the first call! It's just crazy. I also called and left another message today with the AC people.

Well. This woman calls me back and spends 20 minutes yelling at me, telling me that it's unreasonable for me to call the board member (dude, I wouldn't have to bother her if you'd return your calls!) who is on vacation out of the country (I had no clue, I emailed her - if she didn't want to deal with emails, she could have waited to respond), etc. She then tells me how wonderful her husband is, how he tries to take care of the people in our community, how he already came out and did maintenance on my AC unit (um, nope - I didn't see him - she says that if I wasn't home, he'd just clean the outside unit, but I work from home, so if they had bothered to schedule a date, I'd be here and if he had knocked, I would have seen him)..

It just goes on and on. She says that she's talked to me 3-4 times this year... I tell her, no, it's only been once, when you called after I talked to the board member last time... she looks at her books and I think she saw that I was right.

She's basically acting insane. They're both ~70 years old, and this whole thing seems so ridiculous to me.. is it really that hard to RETURN A PHONE CALL in a reasonable amount of time, and SCHEDULE a time to do maintenance?

I kept trying to explain to her that I do not know what else to do. I'm not calling the board member because I want to get them in trouble, I'm calling because they're utterly unresponsive. SIX WEEKS. I would be totally OK waiting 6 weeks for maintenance, if they'd just call and schedule something... like, "OK, we're a bit backed up with requests right now... could we come out on <date> to do your regular maintenance?"

Or, as a friend pointed out... why the heck not just schedule a couple of days to come do ALL the maintenance for the community?

This is just... mind-boggling crazy to me. Insane. She accused me of wanting to get their contract cancelled, and at this point, I would LOVE to get their contract cancelled. Or for them to just retire. She doesn't seem to be able to handle the logistics end of it anymore...

I really want to bring this up to the board, but I'm not sure how... I think I need to request time at their next meeting.

I'd like to suggest that they survey the community, because I think many people do not use this company (despite the fact that we pay for it). It's not unusual to see trucks from other AC companies in our community, and I have to believe that's because nobody wants to deal with these people.

I'm sorry for the ranting, I'm just still shaking. I'm already having a super crappy year, and feeling depressed and horrible. This is such a stupid thing... in the sense that it's really easy to do right (how hard is it to return calls, make appointments, and not yell at your customers)? I don't need this!

OMG. Just... omg. Life sucks.

How do you deal with awful people like this? At this point, a friend has suggested that I just pay to have a reputable company come out and do the maintenance from now on. It really, really sucks to be paying for something (via the HOA fees) and to have to pay again b/c the provider is inept.

UGH.

[Nammu]

I have no wise words, I'm one of the people that would just call someone else to do the job so I didn't have to deal with that company.

[guilloche]

Thanks Nammu... maybe that's what my therapist meant about me making my life hard. Maybe that's actually the smartest thing to do at this point [edit: "that" = paying another company]. It just drives me crazy that I can't opt to not spend that money... I have to pay the HOA fees, and that lady gets paid whether she does her job or not. It really upsets me and feels unfair!

[divine1966]

Omg it's terrible. I can so relate. We live in expensive place in expensive part of state and one of the most expensive areas in a county yet we have to beg for anything to get fixed. It is just a nightmare.

Do bring it up at the meeting.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi there,

I empathize with your situation. I know a bit about this area. I'll give you some suggestions.

First off, is the association run by an official property management company? That's where the association hires out for a professional company to run condo matters. This is usually the best route, IMO, because you typically get better service. And you are paying for a service. Your monthly fee, as you know!

I suspect that your association elected to not hire a professional management company because ... the association is being so unprofessional. It's not ideal but if the officers running the association do their jobs and in the best interest of the community - that's great.

From my experience, associations are often handled in-house because it saves the community from having to pay an outside company to handle issues - and this is where problems crop up like yours. If it is an outside management company, you call the management company during business hours and the repairman is scheduled and the work gets done. Good stuff.

If it's in-house, there often are certain property owners who have their properties well maintained. They have the nice flower annuals. The perfect grass. Etc. Chances are 99% their maintenance and service calls are handled ASAP. The rest of the neighborhood comes second...or whenever.

I think those people at the association you contacted are in the first group. That lady that screamed at you? She has the pretty yard and servicemen on speed dial.

You're in the second group. You see where this is going.

What can you do? Here's what my opinion/experience is if your association is run inhouse by fellow property owners:

You can go one of two ways. Both are fine - you personally will know what's best for you.

1. You go the easy but get less service/benefit from that darned monthly fee.

2. You get involved. This isn't easy. I'll repeat. This is not easy lol. But, you can turn things around. This will involve commitment, stress, and sheer determination.

If you need that repair done yesterday ... I suppose paying a vendor of your choosing to repair it is an option. That's pretty much #1 and hopefully the association will do its job in the future. Doubtful. Maybe moving is a future idea if the market is good? Or stay. Regardless, keep that repair paperwork including your payment receipt.

Second option. Do option one but get involved in the association and community. A few things that are very important: document all the calls you make to the assoc., keep emails, all assoc letters to property owners (usually posted on your door...we will be resurfacing asphalt on x dates so move your cars), when maintenance DOES come out, etc.

Be NICE to the people on the board. Those jerks? Yep. Don't alienate them. These folks may likely become your worst enemy. Who are these board members? Usually people with ALOT of time and who crave power. Is this a stereotype? It sure is. However, chances are high the top assoc dogs are of this ilk. I'm just saying from personal and professional experience (note this is LAYPERSON advice, not legal).

If there is an association office and they have a person there during office hours? They hold the keys to the kingdom. Be extra nice. They are your conduit to getting those work orders in, etc. If there is no such office/secretary, fine. Now here's what you do.

Start attending every meeting. Notices are likely posted in the elevator, near the mailboxes or mailed out. Take notes. Schedule ahead time to voice your concerns, as you mentioned. Keep your concerns very specific, i.e., my _____ needs looked at.

Stay involved this way. Maybe try and get on the board if there is an opening.

Request a copy of the bylaws. You are entitled to these. Read them. They are your bible.
Bylaw changes are voted and decided on at meetings. And info on those special assessments (repaint the building, replace the elevators, etc.)

The above will likely improve your future maintenance and care of your property.

You will learn about how the association is managing the funds. If they don't have a good reserve, your next special assessment to spray wash all the balconies will be shockingly high. If well-managed accounting, not so high. Also depends on age and building condition. New buildings have warranties and new paint, etc.

Awful case scenario is the association is extorting money for personal use like international vacations. Don't fret because you can't change that. But a lawyer can. You'll have to hire one out of your own pocket. Make sure they are well-versed in homeowners/condo assoc law.

Hiring a lawyer may be worth it if the finances seem ok (who does the internal audit? Inhouse or hire independent accountant). Hiring to get your darn money's worth out of your fee every month. That's where your documentation comes in.

If the assoc is sued, you can get your money on those repairs you had to handle. And maybe more. But a lawyer needs to advise you. This is layperson advice.

If you sue the assoc don't expect them to be your friends. That is ok. They never were anyway. If they are extorting money they likely will move away! Prison stinks. But you'll need a lawyer if you're getting this deep.

This is way more than you wanted to know. I'd do the repair by hiring yourself, document, get politely involved. Go from there.

Take care

[eskielover]

Definitely bring it up at the meeting. The HOA should be contracting with people who do the job they are contracted to do & its the Board of Directors responsiility to make sure those people are doing the job or have them fired for breach of contract.

First garden home we bought had a HOA & I was treasurer for many years. We had issues with the gardening service & also with the billing service. Its not easy being on the BOD but when you volunteer for the job & get elected, you are responsible for taking care of ALL the problems. That lady was so out of line. I would make sure NOT to vote her back in again next elections.

Im not sure if you could hire another person & submit the bill to your BOD of your HOA for reimbursement or not. Depends on how your HOA agrement you signed is written up...might be worth looking into. Sometimes when it comes to AC we get so desperate we go ahead & pay...but that could be a huge bill to get stuck with.

I would also file my complaint with the board in writing & maybe send it certified to the president & definitely keep a copy & make sure the issue comes up as NEW BUSINESS at the next meeting. If you are having proplems so are others.

I had my computer engineering career while treasuerer. I spent more hours straightening out billing for awhile than on my 40+ hour a week work. Not easy task but when one agrees to the responsibiluty its the job you have to do. She was wrong in her treatment of you in way too many ways

[guilloche]

Thank you! I especially appreciate the practical advice on how to handle things.

As an update - she just called me back as I was typing this, and was relatively polite. She said she talked to her husband, and I shouldn't be smelling anything (well, duh). She asked me a few more questions about how often it was happening, and said that if I smell it again - I should turn the AC off completely and leave it off, so I don't risk damaging anything. Ummm... that's fine... but... so far, it's been fine if I turn it off (for about an hour) and then turn it back on. The smell goes away. And, I really can't deal with the heat here - we're setting records for heat and I work from home.

It wasn't clear to me when this guy is supposed to come. She mentioned rain the next few days, so I don't know if that means not to expect him? I should have asked what day to watch for him, but omg... I can't do another round of yelling! Of course, she also gets angry when I'm not here to answer her calls... but... it's a landline phone, and I don't know when she's going to call! I can't stay home, hoping she might decide to call me back!

Divine1966 - I'm so sorry that you deal with similar circumstances. It's really just... crazy and unbelievable to me. I guess when you have someone providing a service, and you're not paying them directly (i.e. the HOA pays them, so you don't control whether they get hired) - they have less incentive to actually do a good job? It's so incredibly frustrating, the whole point of being in a community is supposed to be to make this stuff easier.

Rainyday107 - THANK YOU! Seriously, many many thanks for all the details on how to handle this! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience...

I don't know if this makes a difference... but the person who yelled is actually from the AC company, not the board! Isn't that even more insane? The "company" is really just one elderly gentleman and his wife, who handles all the logistics and scheduling. The guy is great... when he comes. Very respectful and knows what he's doing, I have zero complaints about him.

But his wife is so incredibly awful. Part of why she was yelling at me was because I emailed a woman from the board to express my frustration and ask for help. She (the AC lady) didn't like that, and I couldn't get her to understand that I only got in touch with the board member b/c she (the AC woman) was completely unresponsive.

The board seems to like me, so far. This board member (who I contacted) in particular has been very helpful to me and kind (though I hope this incident didn't end up upsetting her too). She's the person who has been on the board literally forever... and knows everyone and everything that's going on (which is why I contact her!). And, at the meetings, I have a reputation for being "nice" b/c when I have questions I try to be respectful and not assume that the board members are purposefully being evil . That goes a long way, it seems.

We DO have a professional management company, but they tend to be not helpful. In the past, I've contacted our community manager for help with this problem (AC people were not returning calls) and his response was, "I have the same phone number you do, I can't do anything more than what you're doing, just keep calling." I wish I were joking.... ugh.

And, we only have 1 public meeting a year. (Yup, I go.) The board meets regularly, but they are closed meetings... however, at our last meeting they mentioned that if you have an issue to present to the board, you can request time and they'd allow you to speak at the closed meeting. That's what I'm considering doing.

I've thought about running for the board. Since the woman with the power (the one that I had emailed about the AC people) likes me and has encouraged me to run, I think I could get voted in. But, I'm scared that I won't be able to handle it... I hate conflict, and am already overwhelmed with life (family, job, mental health). I don't know, maybe I should try anyway.

So, that's how all that shakes out.

Thanks for the advice! I really do appreciate it. It sounds like one way or another I'm going to have to find a way to get more involved... which sound so not fun right now. I actually wish I could just move (!!!) but everything around me has gotten so expensive, I don't know where I'd go!

Oh... and we apparently haven't had any kind of financial audit in a very long time! We have one guy (who the board hates, because he's very outspoken and tends to be a bit brash) that tried to raise the issue during a meeting. He was shut down (told it wasn't the appropriate time in the meeting to raise issues) - then after the voting, everybody left, and his concern was never raised. It's frustrating to watch in action.

Thanks Eskielover! I really do appreciate the advice from those of you who have been there, done that... especially with board experience! The woman who yelled was NOT my board member (thank goodness), it was the woman from the AC company. My board member has been helpful and lovely, and is the one who calls the AC company for me when they don't respond.

The problem is that the AC lady is yelling at me FOR CALLING MY BOARD MEMBER, which seems so completely inappropriate. Ugh!

I'm pretty sure that I can't get reimbursed from the board if I hire someone else. Maybe if it were a true, clear emergency (ie the AC wasn't working at all and I couldn't reach anyone at the company).

I can imagine what a stressful position being the treasurer must have been, and how much time it must have taken to clear up all the billing issues that come up. What a pain... I wish all this stuff could be easier!

Thanks. I very much want to bring this to the board, but I'm a little worried now that I may get even worse service in the future if I do that. Maybe my best bet is to just hope and pray that they decide to retire after this... the guy is 70 years old!!!

Thanks... this is really helpful. It's so hard to know how to deal with things when people act really crazy and unreasonable!

[gina_re]

If I'm paying for a service, I am required to receive said service. Personally, I don't mind raising hell to get what I want and/or deserve. But I've been criticized about my attitude, so..
I really would bring that up at your next meeting if I were you. I mean there is a point to paying HOA fees. I wish I had a HOA sometimes so I don't have to deal with everything myself.

[eskielover]

The fact is that the AC service that the HOA has contracted to do the service isn't doing the job they are contracted to do & are not even available to get in contact with. The board needs to be made aware of this so that they can take measures to contract with a company who will. It's actually the board of the HOA who is responsible for providing the contracted help that is needed to be done for the homeowners.

No wonder the AC lady yelled at you for going to the HOA & through them. They don't want the HOA to know what a bad job they are doing for fear of loosing their contract which is EXACTLY what should happen.

Don't worry about getting bad service if you say something. That would be manipulation on their part & further reason to report them to the board. Stand up for the quality of work you deserve the HOA to provide you. If you are having this problem I'm sure others are too & if necessary, do a survey with the owners to see what all the complaints are. Something the BOD should be doing on their own from time to time to make sure things are running the way they should. You are paying for this service through your dues....you are entitled to the service you pay for & don't let them intimidate you into feeling that is wrong

[guilloche]

Thanks, Gina Re - though the HOA is really not as great as you'd think. You get some convenience, but lose control. Like in this situation, I would never do business with these people... but I don't have the power to fire them outright. Same with the exterminators they use, the company is fine, but the guy who sprays was kind of useless - so I end up paying out of pocket for a different company to spray my home. We have cable through our HOA and pay for it, but some people prefer satellite - so they're essentially paying twice, since you can't not pay the HOA. Plus, they make decisions without really asking what people want, which can be annoying... we had lovely, light gray fences that were repainted what can only be described as "poop brown" (someone from the board actually described them like this!). Just... ugh. So, don't feel like you're missing out! You're not!

Thanks again Eskielover! I will email the management company and see what the process is for getting time at the board meeting. I'm giving it a couple days...

It's so bizarre, at this point, I honestly have no clue if they're going to come out or not. I just can't wrap my head around this type of non-communication... when she called me back, she said her husband said that I shouldn't be smelling anything (yeah, I figured) and it sounded like she was saying that it is likely the vents, which they don't service.

She had said he'd be out in the next couple of days (which doesn't help me - do they expect me to not leave the house for days, in the hope that he might appear, at some point?). I got yelled at about not being here when he supposedly came by before (despite the fact that I work from home!).

And, she wrapped it up by talking about how it's going to be raining for the next few days, and he can't do the service in the rain. And, if I smell anything else burning, I should shut the whole thing off, and NOT turn it back on (but omg it's hot here!) and call them.

So I'm left thinking... are they actually coming? Are they only coming if the smell comes back? Last time I smelled burning, I shut it off for a bit - and it was fine when I turned it back on.

It's really, really confusing and crazy-making. And, if she gave any indication of being sane, I'd have just asked... "so, is he planning to come out?" but I think that was likely to set off more yelling!

Thanks... sorry for ranting more... it's just sort of surreal!

I get how you feel...it's difficult to not take yelling personally.

I assure you that you didn't do or say anything that should make you feel bad. You are paying money to have your issues taken care of and they are not....that would piss me off royally as I feel it would be like throwing money away.

Keep records and draft notes for the next meeting. You are entitled to what you pay for. You are not to be disrespected by a person who is getting paid to render a service.

Heck, I'll go with you...

I dont understand how this condo board opperates. I've never heard of such a thing.

You ARE right to contact the Board. That is what they are there for. Also, such building maintanence should be paid by the board - that is what you pay condo fees for.

[eskielover]

Thinking more on this, whether they come out or not, just the fact that they gave you no definite time & the way the AC lady is handling it should be reported to the board no matter what.

IMO, the boars should be hiring a reputable HVAC company, not some 70 year old retired HVAC person. He can find enough odd jobs around the community. A HOA with people depending on good service should be able to depend on a good HVAC company to take care of their problems. That is NOT the place to cut back on spending what they get in dues.

Don't wait for some other person in the association to complain. Your complaint is more than valid to make the BOD aware of what is going on. Be a responsible homeowner & make sure they know.

[guilloche]

He did not show up today, of course. I'm still honestly confused on whether he intends to show up, or whether he'll only come if I have more problems (she told me that if I smelled smoke again to turn everything off, leave it off, and call them back... so perhaps she meant that THEN they'd come out?) I don't know.

BUT... someone recently mentioned to me that they think he is not licensed. I need to do some more research, because I don't know anything about licensing in general or HVAC licensing specifically... but an initial search looks like his license expired more than 20 years ago (!!!). TWENTY YEARS AGO!

Isn't it illegal to perform work that you're not licensed to do? That's part of what I'm researching. I'm definitely adding this to the info that I want to present to the board... I haven't contacted them yet, I'm still getting this stuff figured out.

I'd love to just report them to the state, but the report form requires you to provide your name and address. Do they tell people who reported them? I'm nervous about retaliation. And, I kind of feel like a jerk... but on the other hand, I think... if the law says that you need to be licensed, and you let your license lapse, that's on YOU, not ME. Unlicensed for the past 20+ years, omg...

Doesn't that open the board up to some sort of liability? Shouldn't that be a basic requirement of hiring somebody to work on residents' homes?

Sophiesmom - thanks! And you're right, it DOES feel like throwing money away. It's incredibly frustrating! I wish that I could take you to the meeting with me

Justafriend306 - ha... yeah, the board is definitely a very odd entity. I have been surprised at how many things they're allowed to do/decide without getting any kind of vote from the residents. They took out a huge loan without telling anyone, for example... very scary stuff. I think that I need to follow Eskielover's advice and figure out how to get a copy of the bylaws. You used to be able to purchase them online, but I don't see that option anymore. Thanks!

Thanks Eskielover! I agree... it's crazy. I think we're in a bit of a tough spot re: money though, as our dues have gone up considerably since I've been here, and we're an older community (so we end up with a lot of repairs for the aging water lines, for example). I think they should just consider dropping the HVAC service altogether, and let us find our own providers, maybe. The way it is now, we all end up paying for our neighbors, because of the shared costs... which is a little frustrating. I would love the convenience of someone that I could call to get this stuff done, if it were actually convenient but it's clearly not working out like that!

I'm going to research the licensing issue more... and try to figure out how to get my complaint to the board.

Thank you all so much for the support, it's been a big help. I'm still in a bit of disbelief that anybody would actually yell at a customer... it's just really crazy to me!

Thanks!

[eskielover]

I'm still in a bit of disbelief that anybody would actually yell at a customer... it's just really crazy to me!

It actually makes sense if you look at it from her perspective. She's angry that you would call the Board because they are contracted through the board & now the board knows that there is an issue & that ends up making her feel threatened about their position with the contract. IT'S WRONG, but I'm sure that was the thinking behind her yelling at you for contacting the board after trying & trying to get hold of them directly.

She was being totally defensive because she knows they aren't doing the job they are contracted to do:

Well. This woman calls me back and spends 20 minutes yelling at me, telling me that it's unreasonable for me to call the board member (dude, I wouldn't have to bother her if you'd return your calls!) who is on vacation out of the country (I had no clue, I emailed her - if she didn't want to deal with emails, she could have waited to respond), etc. She then tells me how wonderful her husband is, how he tries to take care of the people in our community, how he already came out and did maintenance on my AC unit (um, nope - I didn't see him - she says that if I wasn't home, he'd just clean the outside unit, but I work from home, so if they had bothered to schedule a date, I'd be here and if he had knocked, I would have seen him)..

Remember her yelling is because of HER PROBLEM & you had EVERY RIGHT to do what you did given the circumstances.

Do you own your condo? If so, part of the closing you should have received a copy of your bylaws at the time you closed escrow. If you are renting, then the owner will have the bylaws. If not, you can find out from the BOD where you can access a copy.

[guilloche]

Thanks Eskielover... I see the logic, but... argh. Frustrating.

I do own my condo... but I didn't receive a copy of the bylaws. I received a copy of the rules (like pool rules, noise rules, etc.) but nothing that looked like condo legal-ese rules.

She actually called back today to tell me that her husband, the ac guy, was on the property and would stop by my house to finish the maintenance, but then called later to say that b/c of the thunder, he wasn't going to be able to do any work. So, he should be by in the next couple days, assuming it doesn't storm.

I haven't done anything. I'm falling apart over T-stuff, and lack of T-stuff, on top of all the life stuff, so I'm kind of a sobbing mess now and feeling pretty hopeless. Ugh. Kind of hating life right now.

[eskielover]

I can understand that......when one thing is a problem especially with T-stuff, everything else is just TOO MUCH to deal with. Ok to be a sobbing mess, sometimes we just have to let it out.

It's NOT hopeless though it feels that way when we are right in the middle of it all, but we do get through it. I've been there & finally got through most of it all though there are still a few loose ends hanging around that I need to push myself to handle. I do understand that feeling.

[quotw]...I think that I need to follow Eskielover's advice and figure out how to get a copy of the bylaws. You used to be able to purchase them online, but I don't see that option anymore. Thanks![/quote]

Well this is something they are required to make available to you. Go to the ombudsman if they don't. My suggestion is to ask them to make the arrangements and appointment on your behalf.

Hugs to you guilloche....

Things will be better, I'm sure. You have made it known that you're not afraid of telling the board about his lack of decent service, so perhaps they will remember that.

I believe that jobs like this get bid out. So the board probably went with the lowest bid. It sucks, but that's the way it goes.

My mom always said it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease....

I'm not so good at confrontation myself, but I'm more than happy to make my case known when I have one.

Hang in there.

[guilloche]

Thanks...

Thanks Eskielover... I appreciate the empathy and sense of hope. It's really hard when it seems like *nothing* in your life is on-track, you know? I just feel like I've failed at everything, and now, I can't even manage to find a therapist that can help me. My ex-T tried to get referrals for me, he went through his T-network and expected to have 8-10 names... and literally only 1 person replied, and she's too far for me to get to (b/c of work). Ugh. It's crazy.

I still have it on my list to try talking to the board... but it's just not my very top priority right now. Though, I'm sort of dreaming of just moving and getting out of here!

Thanks, Justafriend... yeah, it's crazy here. I guess it's not too unusual that the board is a very tight-knit group that controls everything. They manage to get proxies for voting from most of the owners, so they're able to keep themselves in office pretty easily.

Thanks Sophiesmom.... that's a good point. And, maybe I learned something too - that I need to be *very specific* when I call and leave messages, and not assume they're going to call me back (even though I leave my number). I need to actually say, "could you please call me back and let me know when he's going to be here, I'd like to have him do inside maintenance, and I want to make sure I'm home and don't miss him."

You're definitely right that he's the lowest cost person... he's been doing this for the community forever though, probably more than 20 years, I am guessing. I think they tried to get quotes in the last year or so (especially since he could retire at any point), but everyone else was more expensive (not surprising).

I really want to move, but I get caught up trying to figure out how that would work. I'd like to move out of state... but get anxious about finding a new job and moving without any kind of support network (ie to a place where I don't know anyone). I worry about moving where I'm at... b/c everything had gotten crazy expensive, and I don't know if I want to stay. I'm so close to paying off my crappy little townhouse (which is actually in a really great area) - it seems like I should just stay and enjoy having a paid off house (and using the money that would go towards a house for therapy instead!).

I really wish someone would just come purchase the whole property. The townhomes are really old (maybe 50+ years?) and it's a pretty big chunk of land, right on a major road near the downtown area of a suburb of a major city. The area seems to be doing great, lots of new construction.

Oh well... thanks everyone....