From balcony to RV, that’s the living for me!

[HopefultoHomestead]

Hello there! My name is Sara and I can 100% admit that I’m a little nervous about this posting. However, the excitement that runs through me now thinking about the opportunities for enlightenment and adventure that await us I believe are helping to balance the unsettled  nerves.

Our story...in short form...for now. Teehee!
I introduced myself, Sara. I will be the one with the silly grammatical errors and storybook like forum telling. Once upon a time.. hahah just kidding, this time. Anyways, My wife, Katharine, she will be the one to say “you can call me Kate...or Katie.  Either is cool” she will also be the one who will have the snappy and witty, comic like humor, and very hilarious sarcasm. She’s my mmmbaby! (Yes mmmbaby, I just told complete strangers your nick name) Oh, I guess together as a collective we will no longer hold back from truths. We will give it all, straight from our hearts. 
SO... the run down. 
We’ve been together for just over 3 years. 
Married for 6 months. 
We have two cats (Bean and Toby...in age order)
Currently, we are renting an apartment (been for about 2 years) with no yard, city life. 


Looking forward...
Enough is enough. We recognized we were not happy. Both of us dislike our careers. Our living arrangements and now we are taking action to seek a healthier way of living, through ourselves. Healing ourselves and in turn, help heal our planet and all the living beings she encounters, has become priority. 
  Our apartment lease is up come mid January 2018. The end of this month we will be exploring the options we have for purchasing an travel trailer and/or van to live in.  
By this I mean we took vacation and will be going to meet potential sellers and dealerships. We have some money saved but will require a loan most likely. The plan is, work for a little while longer, acquire our “new rvome” and finish our website so we can earn extra cash and make that booty while setting out to accomplish our goals. 

Goals...
Travel and explore our souls fullest potential. Connect with the mother, give back to the universe. Seeking to meet and help whenever possible, like minded hearts along the way. This is not something we envision doing permanently. Our ultimate intention is to discover a safe, health piece of land that we can get to know. Settle in and start a barter farm/community.  The ideas are endless!!!! The possibilities are life changing!

We have only just begun on our journey and can only hope for a better view along the way. 

We have absolutely no clue what’s in store but never wanted anything more! 
Peace & Love, go and play in the mud!
Sara

 

[Thirsty Boots Nomad]

Welcome!!! Two bits of advise are; 1) if you need a loan to purchase, put as much down as possible as these vehicles can get longer term financing which is convenient because it is EXTREMELY easy to get/stay underwater financially for the majority of the loan otherwise. Second, keep in mind that this lifestyle seems to be getting increasingly more popular with many trying to pay for it in similar fashion to you so the income from your website (and almost any other "side" businesses you start) is likely to grow very slowly so your financial "runway" needs to be equal to being able to pay any/all expenses for several months without counting on anything coming in ...

I'm not trying to dampen your enthusiasm, but I think it's better to be forewarned than to be surprised/disappointed by the "realities" once you've gotten on the road.

 

[highdesertranger]

Welcome Sara to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger

 

[mpruet]

I would avoid taking a loan.  Becoming a nomad can cause a hit to any revenue stream so you don't want to be in a position where you have already spent a portion of what revenue stream that you have because of having to pay back a loan.

 

[jimindenver]

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like a grand adventure planned and I wish you both well. Now is the time to put every effort possible into getting ready because time will slip past faster than you think. The more you learn and do before you leave the better your life will be out there.

 

[duckwonder]

Welcome, and best of luck to you!  There's a lot to learn about choosing the right vehicle, knowing how to operate its systems and equipment you may need to install to make a great start.  I've also heard it suggested to have an emergency fund for repairs.  As folks have said, may be best to do as much saving as learning as possible before making a purchase, starting your build or even in just setting up.  Have had great experiences with folks here in the forum.  Best to you!

 

[HopefultoHomestead]

Welcome!!!  Two bits of advise are; 1) if you need a loan to purchase, put as much down as possible as these vehicles can get longer term financing which is convenient because it is EXTREMELY easy to get/stay underwater financially for the majority of the loan otherwise.  Second, keep in mind that this lifestyle seems to be getting increasingly more popular with many trying to pay for it in similar fashion to you so the income from your website (and almost any other "side" businesses you start) is likely to grow very slowly so your financial "runway" needs to be equal to being able to pay any/all expenses for several months without counting on anything coming in ...

I'm not trying to dampen your enthusiasm, but I think it's better to be forewarned than to be surprised/disappointed by the "realities" once you've gotten on the road.

Hello and thank you for the warm welcome! We do appreciate any feedback we can get. I do want to mention that we will not be starting our Van living journey until any and all our debts are paid off. I’ve been in debt in my past and know how much it can dampen or down right stop you in your tracks. We are looking to progress and excel in life, not sink a little deeper in financial ruin. Figure about 8months to a year we will be ready for the road! 
Thank you again for your kind words
~Sara

 

[HopefultoHomestead]

I would avoid taking a loan.  Becoming a nomad can cause a hit to any revenue stream so you don't want to be in a position where you have already spent a portion of what revenue stream that you have because of having to pay back a loan.

Thank you for the feedback, we do have a good amount to put down and would pay off any debt we have prior to our journey. 

Many blessings!
Sara