That's right! I matched two and a half weeks ago, and now we have a house.
The speed at which everything is happening is nearly boggling.
Keith and I flew out to Iowa City over the weekends and stayed with a friend from medical school (Thanks so much you guys!).
Knowing that you have a small budget and only two days to find a house is just a little nerve-wracking. I was an emotional basket-case nearly the entire weekend.
At first, it wasn't looking good. What we could afford, we didn't like. Or it was too far away from the university. Or it was in a bad school district. Or it didn't have a yard. Or it needed too much work. I wasn't going to budge on the school district issue. I felt we had to be in a great school area for Roman and Blaise. Keith wasn't going to budge on the amount of work to be done (like, rebuilding half the house.) The first night after house hunting, we almost had our first fight. Almost.
The next day, I was looking at listings in the morning. I wrote several down.
Then we went and re-looked at several of the homes we had liked from the first day. Then I asked the real estate agent if we could look at some from my list.
The very last one on my list, the one I had written down while I was being shoo-ed out the door. That's our house.
Our first house!!And we got it with our first offer. No counter-offer or anything!!
Okay, the house needs a little work. Think "vision." (Or like Keith says, "Project.")
The front room(this one and the kitchen need the least work)
The kitchen (with brand new cabinets!)But seriously, this house is perfect for us. There's enough space, it has a yard, it is right next door to one of the best elementary schools in Iowa City, and it is in a gorgeous neighborhood just two miles from the university.
Our back yard
What we live next to.Isn't it just gorgeous?
Already, we've starting planning what changes need to happen (immediately: paint, carpet, and lighting; later: siding, windows, basement).
I am so excited!! Let the home-owner adventure begin!
Yes!
ReplyDeleteAnd there is nothing like feeling something is yours. The inner recognition, Hey, I can do anything I want. There is a mix of wanting to jump in right away. I've waited for this and here it is! And wondering, after all this time what is it that I want? I've never let myself get that far before. You know, actually doing, not just dreaming. It is all very satisfying after all. Yes, Keith, even fixing things. This will be the first time it's not your mother-in-law's house! It's really yours, and that is a contentment you didn't get before. Rich blessings are wished or you and your precious boys. The edge gone from worrying what response the other renters must be thinking when you really wanted to just play tickle, or throw pillows or something. Welcome HOME!
Yay! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteWow and Congrats! Next time we move I'm bringing you along. Last time we moved/sold/bought a house it took us months; and we only moved to a diffrent city not a diffrent state.
ReplyDeleteI forget to add. Your boys are going to have to get use to a house now too. They will ask/wonder if they can do the things they couldn't before "because of the people below/above us." You will all enjoy and love it though.
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