We Live in Cedar Rapids
“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1 NRSV I said last month that we intended to step out in faith and try to buy a home even though our house in Des Moines has not sold and it would take about 45% of my income to pay for two homes. On June 13, the one-year anniversary of the flood crest, we moved to a home in Cedar Rapids. We moved not knowing whether we would qualify for another mortgage. Originally, it looked like we would be approved. We found out, however, that the debt-to-income ratio for two homes might be too much. My wife has a friend in Des Moines whose sister lived in Cedar Rapids (right across the street from the schools our kids attend). Her family bought an acreage outside of the city. They were getting ready to move there this summer. We visited them and discovered their home in Cedar Rapids was a great fit for our family. We told them we wanted to buy it, but we did not know if we would qualify for another loan. Furthermore, ...