Monday, April 25, 2011

Closing Day...

This morning we closed on the house.  First we did a walk through...which was a bit overwhelming.  Every place I looked I found something we plan to fix/tear up and renovate,  Many details.  Meanwhile I am keeping this quote top of mind.  Its going to be my mantra over the next few months.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

A Brand New House

Hello...my last blog was devoted to my first home and all the trials and tribulations that went along with it.  I redid the entire house and than I met Scott.  And then Scott and I got engaged.  And then we decided to sell my house to fund our first home together.  Which we did.  Now everyone is all caught up.

Scott and I have been looking for a home, on and off again for over a year.  We had zoned in on a few choice neighborhoods and were actively going back and forth on what we wanted.  I had a short list:
1. flat backyard with easy access.
2. relatively open floor plan
3. place for a dog door
Everything else was a luxury for me.

Scott had a different list of wants/needs:
1. Not stucco
2. flat driveway
3. no pool
4. relatively open floor plan or potential for one with torn out walls
5. a garage or carport where we both could park
6. if its on the high end of the price range than it has to have at least an acre of land

As you can tell our lists ruled out many a home.  We looked and looked.  I was convinced we would never find anything.  I was becoming desperate, despondent and morose.  It wasn't pretty.  I envisioned me and the dogs homeless or living in the garage with no backyard:(

A house came on the market in our desired neighborhood.  It was a bit odd since the listing said they wouldn't be showing the house until the end of the month, about 4 weeks from the time it was listed.  I didn't think much of it.  I called though.  THANK GOD I DID!!!  The house was going to go under some renovations after the children of the couple who lived there cleared out all there stuff in an estate sale.  I asked to see it "as is."  The agent agreed.  Scott and I went separately to the house and perused it.  It was a showpiece in 1976.  It was the parade of homes house that year.  Coincidentally the year Scott and I were born.  Suffice to say he and I have aged better than this house.  It was lovingly maintained but never updated.  AT ALL.  We asked for the "as is" price.  We met over Mexican and discussed.  I think I started the conversation with something like "WE HAVE TO BUY THIS HOUSE!!!"  We debated.  We discussed.  We saw our summer slip away in a renovation haze.  We made a low ball offer.  We waited.  I started kissing the house good bye.  Good riddance big project.  And then they countered at full price.  We said no.  They came back and accepted our offer.  Like that we bought a GINORMOUS project house.  yay!!!

This blog will document the house projects.  And the beginning of our life together.  It won't always be easy, but i KNOW it will be worth it!!!!

Our first home.  Watch out Brady Bunch...we have big plans!!!