ALL the time. And we see things that are unexplained too. The first thing that happened in this house was when I walked across the yard, across the cool decking to the old antique wagon to feed the birds. When I came back, the hose was on. It wasn't when I went by the first time. It had one of those sprayers on it that looked like the firehose type. You had to turn it to make the water come on. My son called me at work one day in early September. Wanted to know if I turned the heat on. This my not sound odd, but we NEVER use our heat...ever. He came home and it was over 100 degrees in our house and the heater was and had been on for quite awhile. Our bedroom has a door to the back yard. When it is nice out, we sleep with that door open. One night, we got into bed and I realized we hadn't opened it. DH said he would get it. He got out of bed and hadn't even taken a step, when the door flew wide open. We have a ceiling fan in our bedroom. DH was laying on the bed, watching it. It stopped by itself. He called out to me, but I was in the living room and didn't hear him. Then it started again. He came to see where I was, as he thought I was playing a trick on him. Our walk in closet light goes off and on, on and off by itself. As does the light in the hallway bathroom. We see shadows flitting down the hallway. DS has had what feels like a hand brush the back of his head in his bedroom, which is actually the den. He has heard a female voice say things and seen a figure walk out of his room. Our pit bull will sit in front of the sofa, like she is looking at someone sitting there. All the sudden she will stand up, keep looking at the sofa and just wag the heck out of her tail. No one is on the sofa. I am not sure if this "ghost" is the original owner who I have heard had alzheimer's and would walk out of the house and down the street unattended or if it is my late FIL. I used to be convinced it was my FIL, but I am not so sure anymore. But then I think maybe again it is. When we lived in our last house, he lived with us and passed away while we lived there. I used to hear him walking in the house, with his walker scraping the baseboards. I saw him twice in the garage. I am not afraid of the goings on in our house. However, my son? He is totally freaked out about it.

Even if you decide to sell or rent, how long will it take to find a buyer or renter? If I loved the house and was pretty sure I would want to return someday, I would rent. If I was ambivalent I would more likely list for sale or rent and see who came along first. You can exclude pets or get a bigger deposit, and plan the cost of yard and pool care in your expenses. Even if rent still makes you pay out of pocket monthly, it is losing less than having it sit empty. I am not aware of a tax benefit of renting a home. Rent counts as income. And if you sell in the future, you have to be sure you have lived in the home as your primary residence for 2 of the past 5 years to avoid capital gains on profits over 500k. So if you rent more than 3 years, then sell, it was not your primary residence for 2 of the past 5 years. I have had my former house for sale for 6 months. I know that is not long in this market. But I am now considering listing for sale or rent to see if a renter comes along sooner than a buyer. (now it is just costing me money) Keeping in mind the primary residence for 2 of the past 5 years rule, it gives me about 2 1/2 more years to sell it and still meet that criteria. Another way to think about it, selling is more irreversible than renting. If you sell, it is unlikely you can buy it back if you return. If you rent it now, you can always choose to sell it later and never return to it. Sounds like you have an adventure coming up!

Boy can I sympathize with you!! I have been in a small 1950's rental house in Florida for about a year and a half and everytime I walk into the question I just can't figure out how it EVER worked for anyone. Be thankful you have a dishwasher! My refrigerator is cater cornered in the only available corner blocking a window and built in shelving. Maybe appliances were all smaller "back in the day." I took the doors off my upper cabinets and lined them with really cute leopard print shelf liner. It makes the room look bigger and I like getting to show off my dishes. I don't keep any appliances out and I bought a microwave cart that only takes up about 2 square feet. I put my towels,cooking utensils,and pots and pans on the shelves on that unit. I got those racks that screw underneath the counter to hang all my wine and martini glasses I don't have room for an island but if you do then I would definitely opt for that. I love the charm of old houses but unfortunately the kitchens are never up-to-par for me. You can make small kitchens work but I'm not planning any large dinner parties at my house any time soon, lol! Here is a link that might be useful: Microwave Cart I use

I hear you DYH. I so much miss my old garden, an eight year labor of love. And I miss my finished basement with my office and all that storage! I cried and cried the day I closed on that house and left. I miss the big old house I grew up in. SO and I were just talking about this today. I think it depends on how happy you were in the house and how it compares to your present home. I am now living in my parents former home, which I inherited from my mother. I'm here going through her stuff, my stuff and SO's stuff. Dad moved to a condo. While I like the house, (it's lovely and the lot is beautiful) it lacks storage and is on a busy street. I could probably manage those two issues, since the house cost me nothing. But I can't manage the overwhelming sense of sadness I get from living in my mom's house with her things and constantly going through the same motions as she did. SO said that I have to not let it bother me. Not sure how that is going to happen. I do busy myself but when the process of busying myself includes doing the exact things that my late mother did in her exact spot with her implements . . . for some that might be comforting, but for me not so much. I have no desire to get rid of the family heirlooms, but I need a new space. We hope to move someday . . . Only time will tell if we manage to swing it.