Move Thoughts

So I've been thinking of what to do, weighing the options. Orlando is a bit of an unknown, but my two previous visits for work did leave me with a neutral or positive feeling. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but in my previous visits I wasn't really thinking about the Orlando metro area as a place to move to.

I've thought about what I would miss from this area, and it boils down to friends and snowboarding. I do like the mountains, forests, lakes, and streams, but the fact is I only get out and hike, backpack, or raft about once a year. Most of my everyday hobbies and interests would travel to Florida, except snowboarding. Even that I only do between six or eight times a season...

I have no family in this area, or any other attachments, so that isn't a concern for me. I'm almost seeing the relocation as a small adventure - I can try it out, and if I don't like Orlando, I can try to come back.

Because of that, I've been thinking of leasing my house instead of selling it. Real estate in this area appreciates very well. Microsoft is a large area employer and they are planning to expand by thousands of employees. It would be tragic if I sold my house, didn't like Orlando, and found I couldn't afford to move back in two years. ;) Also, I've made some improvements to the property I'm not sure I'd make that back just yet, since I've only lived here two years. Actually, two years will be towards the end of next month. If I decide to sell I'm not doing it until I've been here two years, for tax purposes.

But leasing might be a lot of work. I have so many questions, from how to handle utilities, home insurance, screen renters, handle home maintenance, how property management companies can help, etc. I think I might talk to some realtor friends and see what they think.

My company set me up on an "exploratory" visit, this weekend. I leave on Thursday and return on Monday. While I'm there I'll just drive around to try to narrow down where I might want to live, and see if I like the area. That's a pretty tall order for such a short time! Plus, I'm pretty slow searching for real estate - I looked for nearly a year before deciding on my current home. I have another house hunting trip to take later, for that specific purpose.