i sense your feeling of hopelessness. however, you do have many options to choose from.

i heard once that when one door closes - another opens. right now you get to choose what the next part of your life will be like. a great opportunity. for you and the family.

stay and fight? for what? the hood will get better? for whom? you describe it like it's circling the drain now. let it. move on.

housing options:

why do people swarm wal mart or costco? one reason - price. everything sells. at the right price.

ever seen a pink car on the road? somebody bought it, didn't they? i wouldn't. they did.

and sure, real estate prices are down in many areas. that's great! people forget that when they sell low - they'll be able to buy low! ask your real estate agent how much you need to lower the price to sell it tomorrow. if that's a figure you can live with - drop your price and sell it! move on. in two years you'll be patting yourself on the back telling yourself how smart you were to take the bull by the tail and face the situation. you'll be glad you did!

new housing: if you are a veteran there are gov't housing loans only for vets. here in ca we even have our own veteran's housing loans. maybe your state does too. low interest rates and low cost to get in. there are restrictions as to max loan amounts - but most areas, no problem.

the feds also offer FHA guaranteed loans. most realtors or money lenders can help you with that. low down payment. low interest rates. these were designed specifically for people to buy the american dream.

or as mentioned previously, maybe the seller of the home you buy would be willing "to carry the paper" - become the bank - for you. that's a win - win for both of you.

- you said you don't like the length of the drive to work. here in california it's not unusual for people to drive an hour to an hour and a half each way to work. that's the tradeoff - less expensive housing / better living environment vs. daily commute. i don't and wouldn't, but can / will you?

can you find work elsewhere - different part of the country - less expensive - than where you are? people have crossed continents and oceans to live in a better place. are you willing to do that? how bad is it for you?

i do feel for you. but i'd be looking for the next place to be.

i'm sure you've made many great decisions in your life. time is now to make another one and move on!

good luck and keep us posted.

bsmith