Incremental Steps (Still Scary)

When I first decided to do a blog about "achieving our homesteading dreams" I was working on coming up with a 3 to 5 year plan: saving money, paying off debts, working together with like-minded friends, and culminating in a 5-10 acre tract of land on which we built our own straw-bale home. That still may be what happens. However, before I even wrote my first post, an unexpected opportunity was offered to us. A friend of a friend has been renting-to-own for the past 3 years, but circumstances are forcing her out of the house and off the land. She offered us all of her built up equity, if we would just move in a take over the payments. We just had to decided in about 4 days. This is not our dream home/land she is offering us on a platter (house is a bit too small, land is a bit too small, we are a bit unprepared timing-wise) but there are a lot of advantages to consider. We would be out of this house, which we have rented for 5 years, in the middle of a very suburban subdivision with a small yard and difficult neighbors. We could have farm animals and a large garden on the offered 1.5 acres. It would be cheaper to live there, provided, of course, that you aren't counting the cost of a large garden and more animals. I just sent the application off to the landlord. I'm nervous, but it will be okay, whatever happens. We'll either stay here and continue with our initial plan, or take an unexpected step both toward and off-set from our dreams. LOL Life is funny. Let's see how this ride goes.