A change in plans.

When Mark first got his PCS orders to Florida, our original thought was I would stay behind with the kids until the house sells and then join him. Well, he's been gone now for just a week and a half and we have already decided that this living situation just isn't going to work for us.

It's not that we are not use to being separated because of the Army. He has traveled enough with his job that I am use to taking care of things on the home-front by myself. But this time feels different. It think it's because I know he has moved to Florida and except for visits every now and then, he won't be returning home. With all his other trips, he always returned home.

Eric also feels the difference. Before Mark left we explained to Eric that daddy had to go to Florida for work. We had to explain that it wasn't like the other trips where daddy could come home when he was done. We told Eric that daddy has to live in Florida and he will come back to visit but that he would always have to go back. Every day Eric asks when Mark will be home to visit. He misses him terribly.

So, Mark and I have started talking about renting out the house. This is something we were hoping to avoid but unfortunately we haven't had but one showing on the house since we put it up on the market. Our real estate agent has told us showings are down across the board. At least it's not just our house! As I drive around town I notice a lot of houses with For Sale signs. We have a lot of competition!

We are currently looking into the ins and outs of being a landlord. We will probably need to hire a property manager since we will not be in the area. I dread all the hassles that could arise from renting but I know I don't want to have my family living in separate locations for months on end.

Mark will be back in mid-October for a visit. If we don't have any offers on the house by then we will probably start looking for renters. We've already started looking for places in Florida for us to rent. I've got Mark scoping out the different neighborhoods. Our hope is that the family can be in Florida by the end of the year or early next year.

 I don't like the idea of being a long distance landlord but it's better than being a long distance wife! If anybody has any experience with being a landlord, any advice would be appreciated.