If you are fortunate enough to actually own your home, (no mortage), why would you sell it?
And even if you are making payments, there will come a time when the road will no longer have it's appeal, or you are unable to do it.
A "base" is a nice thing to have!
Yes, a base truly is a nice thing to have, but there are ways to establish one beyond owning a house.
Diane and I owned a nice house in the suburbs on a one-acre lot when we entered expediting in 2003 and sold it a year later for some of the same reasons bigshow345 and cheri1122 list above.
We liked being out on the road (still do). When it got to the point where the only reason we were going home was to take care of the house, and after it became clear that we would succeed as expediters, the decision to sell the house (and cars and most household goods) was easily made.
As a number of expediters do, we established a base in the area and near family by renting space in a relative's house. It has worked out great. Our mail goes there. We built a concrete slab for truck parking. Shore power and water are nearby. Lawn mowing and maintenance is the homeowner's problem. That is the community in which we officially reside and in which we are registered to vote. For per diem deduction purposes, it is as legal as it gets. A written rental agreement exists that provides for use of certain rooms and common areas, similar to what an agreement would provide among roommates who rent space in a house from the homeowner.
This place feels as much like home to us as any other place could, provided that we do not stay too long. The down side is the shared space aspect. The house can start to feel small if we stay for an extended time.
You don't park just anywhere because other cars come and go. When you go to plug in your phone charger, the outlet may be already in use so you find another. When invited guests come that you did not invite, you have to put things away that you otherwise might not. And don't get strict with that spoiled dog. It out ranks you in the pecking order. Overall, it is a good arrangement and the negatives are instantly resolved when we get back on the road.
We know people who have no home base at all and are able to live happily in their truck year-round. They have put enough money away to pay cash for a house at will. They plan to do so when their time comes (old age) to come off the road.
Diane and I do not criticize that plan but, listening to them, think that they may not fully appreciate how long and drawn out of a process it is to find and buy a house you actually like and then make it into a home of your own. Of course, that may be exactly the kind of new challenge they will enjoy when trucking gets left behind.
Home and home base mean different things to different people. I remember when we sold our house, some expediters here in the open forum harshly criticized the deed, citing reasons why we should not do it and why others should not either. What they failed to realize was that the reasons they cited were reasons that were important to them. They did not grant that people value things differently and make house decisions for all kinds of reasons.
If you are an expediter or expediter wannabee who is now considering house/home/home base options, listen to and consider the advice others give, but also understand that "home" is an emotion-laden concept for many people. The more passionately their advice is offered, the more likely it is that they are thinking more about their values and needs than yours.
