Expert: Jessica Bryan - 1/20/2011

Question
I'm 22 yrs old. My mother passed last year. She was a very successful woman. She left me with a house, a few cars and a really nice sum of money. However, Im in school and now have moved to the city with my sister. The house is not too far away but it's very hard for me to get down there as often as I want to check on things. I don't want to live with my sis forever. She's getting married soon. And I don't want to live so far away in my mom's house. It's in the country secluded from everything and its more convenient being closer to the city. Is it a good idea to sell it and build my own home in a different area or do you think it's too premature? Thanks for any advice!

Answer
Dear Chelsea;
Based on your comments and your age, I suggest that you really need to sell the house and find something closer to the city.  You asked if you should sell and build in a different area. Building a home is a process that I do not recommend with your first home.  There is a lot to know about home ownership, maintenance, size, room configuration and so on.  It is recommended that a first time homeowner live in a home and experience what they like and don't like before designing and building their home.  Your life is just starting out and you may not want to commit to  building and living in the area you choose as a permanent residence with a custom home.  Finding a temporary home that has good resale potential is preferable.  You didn't mention what you do or what your planning on doing, but if you are employed or have a career that might take you to other areas then you should consider good resale above and beyond everything.  If, however, you simply want a home close to the city and know exactly what you want, then go ahead and hire a good design consultant and build what you want.  It is entirely up to you.  The one thing that you should do though is to sell the home that does not appeal to you and make sure that it doesn't stay unoccupied for too long since an empty home develops problems that when unchecked can become major issues.

Good luck and best wishes with your decision.
Jessica Bryan