First there's the long climb up, up, up! then whooosh to the bottom in a drop, only to climb up again, and drop another time. Its exhilarating. Its frustrating, and can sometimes be depressing. While that's not the case in a real roller coaster ride, that's how life has been feeling lately. I started to do some house hunting a couple months back, and wasn't very serious at first. As I became more serious, and contacting realtors, I found that in spite of what I ~do~ have, there are many things I don't have, or can't qualify for, or get caught in the trippy little rules they have with some of the housing here. So while a roller coaster ride can be entertaining, looking to purchase a home is anything but!
Since 1997, I have told myself over and over "I will own my own home by the time I'm 50". Well, that number is here, and by golly if I'm not going to make it come true before I turn 51!!! One of my favorite store managers used to say "location, location, location" and that's so VERY true in the real estate market. Where the house is located is sometimes more important than the actual features of the home. I looked at some gorgeous homes that are 20 miles from work. That may not seem far to some of you, and I used to drive that on a daily basis. But here, it isn't get on a freeway and zip along those 20 miles. So much of it is in town that its more like a 40-minute commute. Which isn't all that bad either, if you don't mind your own company. But. Well. I just wanted something more in town.
The first home that I found, I was all excited about. Turns out it was a "short sale" and there were already five offers ahead of me. So, fat chance on that one. The next few that I found that I thought I would like always had a reason I couldn't do it. Conventional home sales needed 10-20% cash down. (and I certainly don't have 10k or more just sitting in the bank doing nothing!) There was always some sort of reason that it wouldn't work out for me. Each time I looked, I was looking at higher and higher priced homes. Looking much higher, and I would be pricing myself right out of the home market. Everyone keeps saying "Be patient". But that's not always an easy thing.
The first home I visited photographed well. The outside was great, the inside was cute! It was only 2 miles from work, and everything else fell into place as well. So I grabbed my son and headed out for a cruise. And while I had been in the neighborhood before, I sat there in front of the house, looking at the neighbors, and listening to the sounds. And knew this wasn't the home for me. Living across from a mobile home park wasn't for me. My son resorted to using slang to describe what he was seeing; and I could only imagine what it would be like on a hot Friday night.........
When I got home from work on Tuesday, I opened my email and there was a home that fit: location, price, and size. What luck! It was fresh on the market so I dashed an email off to my realtor, and he responded quickly. We arranged to meet there and visit the house the next day after work. There had already been several people interested in the home.... *sigh* Another home I would probably be outbid on.
At the last minute, my Realtor says "there's another around the corner; while we're here, lets take a look." Hey, I'm game, what have I got to lose? So we zip around the corner, and woo hoo! a cute house from the front! and its 3BR not 2BR. Is this a sign? Then we go inside, and *sigh* its so empty, echoing as we tried to converse. But I looked around, and even though I liked the other one better. As I left my realtor, I said this one would work, but I liked the first one better. It only took me about 5 minutes later in the car to realize that my preference for the first was due to the fact that it was decorated, felt homey already. But that the blank walls, the stuff not finished was left for~me~ to make it homey!!! So I called him right away and said let's go with the second one. We met today to write up the offer!!! I was so excited last night, I dreamed about landscaping the back yard, and boy was I tired when I woke up! lol
Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me please!!! *HUGS*
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