On Buying a Home {Part 3}

On the 28th, our realtor called me just after 8am freaking out that the figures had still not been changed by the processor and that no one could get a hold of her. To ease the worry, she insisted that we get to the house asap for a walk through. I'm not sure why she felt so strongly about that, but it was nice to go back and take some photos.

By 930 we were certain our 10am closing was not going to happen. Our lender was working really hard to get figures back from the processor and by 10, he had them. But then the last bit had to go through the under-writers for final approval which would take several hours. We went home and continued to pack and load the truck, not knowing where we would be sleeping Friday night. We prayed for the timing to work out perfectly and for our closing to happen.

By 2pm on Friday we had the truck loaded and the house empty. We had a lot of cleaning done, thanks to my amazing mother in law, and decided it was best to head to the other side of town where the title office and our bank were. The most we knew at that point was that we would be closing that day, we just didn't know when yet. So we headed to a bar just minutes from our destinations, had a drink and visited with our awesome help, Patty and Jared. Jared is a long time friend of B's. Patty is my MIL.

We sat with our phones on the table, obsessively checking for new texts and emails. By 330 we'd heard 430 was go time. At 420 it was moved to 445 so we went to the bank and waited for the final numbers for closing. At 448pm, we heard, made our check and bolted over to the title office. We had to be there before 5pm when the doors locked. Really, though, I know they would not have locked us out but we didn't want to chance it.

The sellers were in the conference room waiting for us and we sat there, making small talk until our realtor, lender and the closing agent arrived. That was at 520pm. Then it happened. We signed our papers and made the purchase of our very first home. I'm certain the shock is still wearing off! This is such a surreal moment for us, the most adult-defining event in our lives. Our realtor had a nice gift basket for us at the end and I was so happy I nearly cried, but I couldn't--I was TOO happy!

We called our family and headed back to the bar to celebrate with shots. Then we picked up the truck and met my parents at the house. They brought us food and basked in the new home with us. We could not have been happier. It was finally ours! We unloaded the truck slowly, storing most everything in the garage until the next day. B and Jared didn't finish until 1130pm, at which point I had been in bed for an hour already.

This has been one of the most exciting, challenging, exhausting, thrilling, disappointing, and humbling experience B and I have shared together. We learned a lot about buying homes all while learning a lot about each other and our relationship. We are closer and happier than ever. Really, the best it's been in our nearly 4 years of marriage.

Thanks for all the love and support! I feel bad that we could not share everything along the way, but we just had to do what was best for us. Hope everyone had a great, safe 4th!

On Buying a Home {Part 2}

After everything fell through with the old home, we felt defeated but KNEW we had to buy a home and we had to find one fast. Our lease was up on our house in less than 2 months and we didn't want to sign another year lease. We grew out of that home very quickly. Our realtor was amazing. She is a long-time family friend who has been like a 2nd mom to me. She knew exactly what we were looking for and where to find it. It was just a matter of finding something in our price range.

Not long after the old home, we found another in a different town just East of us. We put an offer down and found out quickly that a previous offer was already accepted. UGH!! We saw a few more properties and finally, found the home we're in now.

The moment I wanted in the door, I felt at home. A wave of warmth washed over me. Had we actually found our home? After several defeats, we were not quick to get our hopes up. Sure, we liked the house but we didn't want to fall in love just yet. We made and offer, went back and forth with the seller a few times and settled on what we feel was a great deal.

Then the paperwork and deadlines started. We had less than 40 days to close, which is barely enough time for a lender to get all the paperwork he needs in and to the right people at the right times. We already had 90% of the paperwork he needed from us ready to go since we were in the works on the old home. Days blurred past us as we signed papers here, met him in the office to go over semantics, tried to console Logan from his 2 year molar pains, and maybe get enough sleep. All while, my friends, we were gearing up for a 5 day vacation on the other side of the country and getting packed by the end of the month. Whew!! It was a lot to do!

I decided not to start packing until we had come home from our trip. The stress was weighing on me and my stomach pains were a sign of its presence. Up until our closing date, everything seemed to work out smoothly. Our inspection was great. The sellers agreed to fix a few small things, no problem. Our appraisal was just $500 more than what we had offered and that worked out great! We were pleasantly surprised by how well things were going so we began to pack things up and get really excited about the move into our very first home. Still, we knew that there were several things to sign before the keys were in our hands and so we waited with bated breath for this to really work out.

Then, on June 28th, the morning of our closing date and just 2 hours away from becoming homeowners, the closing was delayed without a time set and we had no idea what was going to happen. No one could get a hold of the processor to change some figures, and without that, we couldn't close.

On Buying a Home {part 1}

Starting from the beginning, we tried to buy a home last summer that was a short sale. We could not wait any longer for approval from the bank so we pulled out of the deal and signed a one year lease on a small house.

Fast forward to January. We decided to go with a different realtor so I sent her an email with specifics and our time frame. I didn't hear from her again until almost March. The market was picking up and more of what we were interested in surfaced.

To date, I cannot tell you how many homes we have walked through but I'd say we're somewhere in the 50's and if I never walk through a home again I'd be fine with that! Anyway, we'd seen a few houses over the next month but nothing really popped out at us until I found an old bungalow that seemed to have everything we wanted, and more. Huge back yard, great kitchen space, three bedrooms, lots of character and, from what we could see, some modern updates.

We made an offer, went back and forth with the sellers and settled. We then scheduled the inspection. This was the farthest we had ever gotten while under contract and neither of us had no idea what to expect. The house was 119 years old and we knew that there were going to be a few things to fix with the hope that the sellers would make those changes.

The day of the inspection was one of the first really warm days in April. The sky was blue, no clouds to be seen, and hope for a decent inspection was in our minds. I joined B and the inspector half way through and as I was walking through the house again, something just didn't feel right. I wasn't sure of it at the time, but now I know that deep down, this house was not for us. Inspection or not, I just had the sense that something wasn't right. And oooohhh was I right about that!

The inspector spent three hours checking over every last inch of the house. He was very thorough and honest about his findings.

1. The house needed a new roof. There were three layers of shingles, the bottom two of which were rotting.


2. The electrical system had to be totally re-done. There was live wiring in the attic that, if it happened to touch a wooden beam or insulation, the house would catch fire. B keeps telling me this risk isn't as bad as it sounds, but I was freaked out.


3. Asbestos found in different areas, along with lead paint on nearly every window and door.


4. The garage was nearly falling over (detached) and needed to be rebuilt.


5. The foundation sloped, which we were aware of, but it was so bad that there were areas in the cellar that showed signs of moisture, pre-mold stage.

Annnnd I'm out of breath. Those were the biggies. There were several other issues. This poor house needed a lot of love and what we saw at first was a disguise. The sellers made other things look updated and nice. We found out later that they had never had an inspection prior to buying it (HUGE MISTAKE!!) and now they are still stuck with a money pit.

We pulled out of the deal right away. The sellers tried to sway us by saying they'd fix the roof, but that wasn't enough. There was more to it than the issues. It didn't feel right and I am more sure of that feeling now that we have found the home that is right for us.