It's just a house

Near the end of the movie Up, Mr. Fredericksen says, "It's just a house" as he watches his balloon laden house float away. Fredericksen was held captive by his wife's desire to move the house to "Paradise Falls" but, perhaps, ultimately freed in his pursuit of adventure.

A major factor in the Taiwan situation is, what do we do with the house? I, too, feel somewhat held hostage by home ownership but at the same time, free from the dependencey that comes with living in someone else's home. When we first had the opportunity to go to Taiwan several years ago, the house was the kicker that prevented us from even thinking about it. Now, we're seeing things a bit differently. The cost of maintaining the driveway alone for the six years we've been there would pay for a decent apartment in Taipei for a year. That's JUST the driveway.

The big question is the liquidity of the market and being able to get fair value in selling the home. I wonder if we'll be able to sell it or if we'll have to find renters. We've put a lot of effort into the house: furnishing, painting, laying hardwood floors, decorating and carpentry, but we're hoping to sell it and move on; it's just a house.