My long Las Vegas update

Finally, the Las Vegas update:

When Jared and I graduated from BYU-I in 2004 we moved to Las Vegas so I could complete my student teaching over the summer. We were able to get good jobs there (Jared was technical writing and I was teaching first grade) so we decided to stay. We had a good income and no kids (and didn't know when to expect them since we'd already been trying for 3 1/2 years) so we decided to buy our first home. The housing prices were insane there and all we could afford was a tiny 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo (which cost quite a bit more than our house in Idaho for those of you who knew me there).
After living in Vegas for 2 1/2 years Jared's job started laying off all the tech writers. Since the cost of living was so high and we couldn't find another job right away we decided to accept a transfer to Idaho. We also decided not to sell our condo because we figured we'd basically break even by the time we paid realtor fees. So we found a renter and moved to Idaho. When she moved in, she expressed interest in buying the condo. Several months later (after stupidly buying another house!) we were facing another layoff in Idaho so we decided technical writing wasn't stable enough and started looking into graduate school programs. We approached our renter about the possiblity of buying and she was still interested but had just started a new job and wasn't sure she could get financing. We agreed that she would continue renting for a year, and then in May she would purchase.

Things have been going great with her renting and we were gearing up to sell next month. Then a few weeks ago we got a call from her. She had gone to the loan officer to start the buying process and they told her they couldn't give her a loan for our agreed purchase price because the condo was no longer worth that much. The housing market has taken a turn down there and the condo is now worth about $60,000 LESS than what we purchased it for. So she backed out of the deal because she can't get a loan, but also because she could buy something for much less.

Of course we are pretty stressed. But after lots of talking we've decided to keep renting it and wait for the housing market to pick up again. Everyone tells us it will. It's a buyer's market right now, but it will be a seller's market again. Unfortunately because there are so many people trying not to foreclose there are lots of rentals available right now. So we have to ask less than our mortgage payment in order to keep a renter. We placed an ad and just yesterday after a few weeks of searching we have someone who is interested in renting long-term. That's a blessing since we live so far away.

We're planning on going down at the end of the month to move the current tenant out and move the new family in. We're relieved to have a new renter, but still stressed because they will be renting for about $300 a month less than our mortgage payment. So that's why I'm feeling such pressure to get some Piggies and Paws business. Really $300 is one good gallery a month, but since I've been having such a hard time getting bookings, that seems like a lot. (My gallery last week had 2 attendees and $0 sales.) Jared is going to be teaching a class over the summer, will continue working at the writing center, and is going to try to do some private tutoring. He's also said he will deliver pizzas or work as a bagger at the grocery store if he needs to, but I feel so bad having him do that because he's already so busy with school and his thesis. I know I "work" too as a mom, but I feel a little guilty because I feel like I should be contributing to the finances as well. I've had this internal conflict since Ryan was born and I have been an at-home mom. Does anyone else ever feel this way?

Right now we're just saying lots of prayers, and paying our tithing and fast offering, and having faith that something will come up. It always works out, it's just the unknown that's scary.