I looked on and off, here and there, at a website our realtor shared of local homes for sale. I think it was March of this year that I found one I wanted to go through, and Brian agreed it sounded interesting. That particular house was a 4 BR, had a living room, family room, and a BONUS ROOM!!!, on 1 acre. It really was interesting, but not the home for us. Teeny master bath w/ blue carpet and one sink (It's always been on Brian's must-have list to have 2 sinks in the master bath, since looking for our very first home in 1999!). The other two bathrooms were little. The kitchen was small, only 2 barstools could fit at the bar... The bonus room was nice and big and had a whole wall of built-in cabinets and drawers, as the wife had been a quilter and used them for fabric storage. Anyway, we didn't buy that house, but it was the one that started our search.
From the beginning, we told our realtor we didn't want to look at foreclosures or shortsales. We'd heard of other people having issues with them in escrow, and didn't want to deal with that! We also had a general idea of the area we wanted to move to. So, she'd send us listings online. She and I (and Caroline :D ) looked at a few in person. None seemed right, mostly b/c of the floor plans and/or neighborhoods.
We even checked out a couple that were waaaay over our price range, just to compare, and even *they* weren't right for us. (Thankfully, as we couldn't afford them anyway!) But seriously, wouldn't you think a $700,000 home should suit everyone? One was on an acre, but the whole acre was meticulously landscaped, like a garden tourists visit, no spot just to play baseball, or soccer... Plus, no family room, just a huge great room (living, breakfast area, formal dining all in one huge room...)
I think it was May 3 our realtor took us to see the home we bought. We weren't interested in any of our other options, this one was a good price, so we thought we might as well look. The only thing was, it was *REO*, bank-owned, foreclosure!!! We didn't want to deal with that, remember? What even made me consider looking at it was the price, and location. It is in the neighborhood that Brian and I *most* wanted to be in. But--the other homes we looked at (if any came available w/ our wants/needs) were too expensive and didn't have what we wanted!
I was surprisingly interested in the house. The kids and I drove by after school and peeked in the windows again, and snuck around the back yard. ;) They *loved* the back yard with all its trees! This was the only house I looked at that I thought Brian should see. So, May 4, after karate, our whole family met our realtor here. We stayed for a loooong time, checking it out. I think it was almost 2 hours! Because, it was about 6:15 when we met her, and then too late to go home for dinner, so we ate at Carl's Jr. around 8 pm. The start of the craziness. Hee hee
That night, Brian and I didn't even discuss the house, as we were so overwhelmed! We both liked it, liked the floor plan, liked the yard, liked the price, loved the location. Over the next several days we made lists. First-born children do this. LOL Make lists of pros and cons, work to be done, how much said work will cost, what would have to be done first, what could wait, things like that. Brian crunched numbers over and over and over again! He is so good at it, and made detailed budgets and balance sheets and other financial forms so we could analyze it all! And--he said the house was getting close to be listed for 90 days. He wondered if the bank would lower the price after 90 days, as it was only costing them $$ to keep hanging onto it.
Well, Sunday May 15, the price was reduced. I believe that was the 90-day mark, or right there around it. Wednesday, May 18, we went with our realtor to see the house once more. That night we went home and she wrote up our offer! It was late again, again after karate. We love our realtor, she is awesome. She even helped me make a quick dinner that night, so we could get the kids fed fast.
Finally, FINALLY, after many, many, so many I lost count (!), counter-offers and counter-proposals, we had a signed and initialed counter-proposal to the sales agreement on June 2. During the waiting period we prayed a lot, made lots of lists, worked the numbers, and *wondered* what would happen, and if this is what we should be doing! Our realtor reminded us that we didn't *have* to move; we were in the best situation.
But still the wondering and waiting was stressful. And all the going back and forth with the bank. Our realtor told us at the beginning of the process, that foreclosures were different than other sales in that it would be totally impersonal. With a typical seller you can present your client and their situation. The bank doesn't care; you're just a number in the computer for them. She was right. Towards the end, though, I would think about things, and think there had to be a person involved somewhere. So I'd pray for the asset manager's heart to be softened *if* we were to get the house. A funny thing, the next day after I started this, our realtor called and said he wasn't budging on certain things (*again*! *still*!) and that she thought we just needed to pray that his heart would be softened! ;)
Anyway, Escrow closed July 7, and we own this! We love the tile roof and 3-car garage. No basements in this area, so we love all the storage space in here! We added gutters in September. For some reason, there weren't any...there were at some point, as the roofers showed us where they'd been from holes in the fascia (??). We also love having more parking space for guests!
Our home was built in 1998. It's 2466 square feet on .92 acre. We can have chickens, a pig, goat, etc... But no horse. Per county code you have to have at least exactly one acre to have a horse on your property.
A couple months ago I found pictures of our house online, taken in March 2008. From what I can tell, they were taken by someone who was visiting the people who lived in our house. The visitor took a bunch of pics then posted them online. I am glad he did, for several reasons. When we first looked at the house, I felt sorry for the people who lost it. Their daughter's cute little handprints are in our cement flower bed border. The bedrooms were painted cute for kids. There was pink and green kid toothpaste smears in the main bathroom drawers. I could just imagine them living here happily, then *having* to leave.
Then, while cleaning and getting the house ready to move into, I was mad at those people and not thinking Christian thoughts about them at all!! I'll get into those reasons as I go along. Anyway, when I found the pictures from 2008, they showed just a regular family, ideas for decorating, and made me think more kindly of the previous owners. At some times. Some times I'm still irritated with them. ;)
This was one of the 2008 pics the visitor posted. I was shocked to see the hedge bushes were so big here, like, goodness people, don't you want light in your rooms?! And surprised to see several big landscape rocks in the front flower bed. The previous owners (POs ha ha ha!!) took 'em I assume, as they're not here anymore!!
I took this one, looking down our street.
Still looking down the street, but showing our front yard/driveway. The black mail box is ours, and the trees.
I took this one foggy morning before school, looking up our street. The mailbox on the left is ours. The webs in the bushes really show up with all the moisture. So cool!
Three giant, super-overgrown hedge bushes that had to go!! No gutters yet, and brown lawn. Brian has watered and fertilized a lot, and it looks soooo much better. Not perfect, but lots better.
After we took out two of the bushes...the one on the left is still there. I want it out, and it will come out. But Brian says might as well just leave it for now, since it's not blocking windows, and we don't have another plant to fill in the spot yet. Maybe next year, I'll plant some colorful flowers there: roses? I'm getting ideas. ;) Oh, and you can see the gutters here.
I was by the edge of the garage here... Our driveway and house across the street.
Standing by the front door, looking out. I hate the bush by the post. That's going to have to go. But maybe only to the back yard, as Brian likes it. ;) It has orange flowers, not my style! This house faces the same as our last house, and I loved our hydrangeas by that porch. I might put some of them here. There are some lavender calla lilies in this bed that are pretty when they bloom. I do have to say, though, there is not a palm tree or cactus on our lot. I'm very happy about that! They look nice in our neighbor's yard ;), but aren't my style either. We're going to have to get something to hold the hose too.
I love our front door! Love it! The bank had all the original locks changed, and then it was strongly recommended that we change their locks. They were ugly, cheap gold, and I was happy to see them go! I bought a lovely Schlage handleset for our front door. Then, the locksmith came to change the locks, and told us it wouldn't fit! B/c the builder who built these homes put in Weslock locks, and they are a different set-up. Plus, he said they're expensive, and you can't buy them around here. Boo! I've never had a pretty handle set and thought this was my chance to pick out just what I wanted. ;) I've searched online, and maybe someday we'll get one. But not now; it's not a huge priority. Our porch decor looks puny here! LOL I'm going to have to get some bigger pots or something! ...Hi, Bailey....
Close up of the door glass. Pretty!
This picture was from May 4 when Brian came to look at the house. I took lots of pics to analyze later. ;) This is a side yard, not by the garage; on the other side of the house... We have a pampas grass plant! Not sure if that's a good thing or not--I'm still deciding. ;) Some people plant them intentionally, and the feathers are kind of neat, I think. Other people hate them b/c they're not native and spread like weeds. There's a whole pallet of roof tiles. The roofers used some of them when they repaired a few broken tiles. You can kind of see the little garden area, just ahead of Lauren, full of weeds.
Also from May 4, closer to the garden area. The weeds were even worse when we moved in!! Brian has since pulled them all out, and it looks SO much better. There were tomato cages in here; someone grew tomatoes at one time...
I was just going to do one big post on the whole house. But when I started going through pictures, I realized I had waaaaay too many, so there are going to be several house posts. Plus I wanted to write down some of the story for us to remember.
Three giant, super-overgrown hedge bushes that had to go!! No gutters yet, and brown lawn. Brian has watered and fertilized a lot, and it looks soooo much better. Not perfect, but lots better.
After we took out two of the bushes...the one on the left is still there. I want it out, and it will come out. But Brian says might as well just leave it for now, since it's not blocking windows, and we don't have another plant to fill in the spot yet. Maybe next year, I'll plant some colorful flowers there: roses? I'm getting ideas. ;) Oh, and you can see the gutters here.
I was by the edge of the garage here... Our driveway and house across the street.
Standing by the front door, looking out. I hate the bush by the post. That's going to have to go. But maybe only to the back yard, as Brian likes it. ;) It has orange flowers, not my style! This house faces the same as our last house, and I loved our hydrangeas by that porch. I might put some of them here. There are some lavender calla lilies in this bed that are pretty when they bloom. I do have to say, though, there is not a palm tree or cactus on our lot. I'm very happy about that! They look nice in our neighbor's yard ;), but aren't my style either. We're going to have to get something to hold the hose too.
I love our front door! Love it! The bank had all the original locks changed, and then it was strongly recommended that we change their locks. They were ugly, cheap gold, and I was happy to see them go! I bought a lovely Schlage handleset for our front door. Then, the locksmith came to change the locks, and told us it wouldn't fit! B/c the builder who built these homes put in Weslock locks, and they are a different set-up. Plus, he said they're expensive, and you can't buy them around here. Boo! I've never had a pretty handle set and thought this was my chance to pick out just what I wanted. ;) I've searched online, and maybe someday we'll get one. But not now; it's not a huge priority. Our porch decor looks puny here! LOL I'm going to have to get some bigger pots or something! ...Hi, Bailey....
Close up of the door glass. Pretty!
This picture was from May 4 when Brian came to look at the house. I took lots of pics to analyze later. ;) This is a side yard, not by the garage; on the other side of the house... We have a pampas grass plant! Not sure if that's a good thing or not--I'm still deciding. ;) Some people plant them intentionally, and the feathers are kind of neat, I think. Other people hate them b/c they're not native and spread like weeds. There's a whole pallet of roof tiles. The roofers used some of them when they repaired a few broken tiles. You can kind of see the little garden area, just ahead of Lauren, full of weeds.
Also from May 4, closer to the garden area. The weeds were even worse when we moved in!! Brian has since pulled them all out, and it looks SO much better. There were tomato cages in here; someone grew tomatoes at one time...
I was just going to do one big post on the whole house. But when I started going through pictures, I realized I had waaaaay too many, so there are going to be several house posts. Plus I wanted to write down some of the story for us to remember.
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